Diwali Exchange 2018 - An Exchange of Creativity

I don’t know about you but the festive season always seems to sneak up on me every year. Suddenly I am knee deep in to-do lists with limited time. It definitely takes a certain amount of planning (read stress) to have a successful Diwali ready home but frankly that’s part of the fun. 

Just like every year to take your décor dilemma from stressful to serene I have gathered wisdom and advice from eclectic individuals (who are scattered far apart on the map but share the same passion of décor) for our Diwali Exchange post.  In a truly personal sense of style, these home owners gave intimate insights of their Diwali decked homes with their shortcuts for easy decorating and simple eco-friendly strategies. A feast of great tastes and elegance is guaranteed to delight all the readers….and before you know it, you might find yourself with your feet up for a while before the doorbell rings.

Rohit Mohanraj

Hydrabad, India

Starting first in the series is from one of our favorite Instagram Buddy Rohit Mohanraj who may be a newbie being featured here but he is no stranger to décor, who got ready at the drop of a hat to share his festive ready home. Being in India, Rohit is lucky in a ways to add new décor elements in his décor however, playing safe with traditional décor he proves that you can never go wrong with classics. 

Diwali for me is a grand affair of celebrations and festivities that we commemorate with great pomp and show every year. It’s a time for visiting our friends and family, shopping, exchange of gifts, rituals and prayers and of course, fireworks!
I am without a doubt in love with Deepawali because it’s an excuse for me to re-do the home decor with shining brass pieces, different and unique styled lamps and seasonal flowers. This is the only time of the year when going over board with the decoration seems to be an acceptable norm.

Diwali is a glorious three day festival in my city, Hyderabad. The festivities begin with the festival of Dhanteras followed by the two grand days of Deepawali, Festival of Lights. Different communities come together to celebrate this joyous festival. During these three days, the whole city can be seen dressed in serial and string of different colour lights, candles, and the traditional oil lamps. This is the time when few communities also celebrate their new year and purchase metals especially gold for good luck. On the Diwali night, it’s an endless extravagant display of aerial and ground fireworks.

Desi DIY sisters

North Carolina, USA
Decor world's new age DIY sisters Divya & Sravani grabbed all attention when we featured them here . Their home tour made many of you to attempt your hands on their DIY projects. Developing their own grammar of style they have taken some rebellious rake on DIY's this Diwali. By spining off a whole new romance on the thrift store finds while adding healthy dose of gold they have bring on the glamour. 

By creatively challenging each other we both sisters put our heart and soul when it comes to any DIY. Diwali does wonders and we put a lot of thought into our décor choices. Sometimes a simple makeovers gives you a lot of satisfaction. These pillars here are loots from a local thrift store which we painted in terracotta paint by giving rock texture. Adding kolam designs made them from an "uh-oh" to 'oh-wow" pieces. The easy-peasy flower arrangement is another winning deal. May it be artificial or real flowers, they make a grand impression on festive season. 

We consider ourselves lucky to be enjoying Diwali outdoors. Well, the temperatures are wee bit chilly but the warmth of Diwali lights always brightens up our spirit. Talking about lights, the ball candle here is also a thrift store find which we painted in red to befit our festive theme. 

Urlis and Diwali arrangements go hand in hand but don't get dishearten if you don't own one. You can pick any bowl from thrift store and give it a make over by giving spray painting in gold. The centerpiece that caught your eye on our coffee table (yet another DIY) is a delightful illusion of urli.

Do check out more amazing Diwali DIY's of these creative sisters here.

 Pinky Interiors

San Francisco, California

 Priyadarshi family's home is a veritable Diwali wonderland. Keeping the experimental trick at the bay they believe in doing something that you know is going to be a hit. The same goes for their decorations. Kanika who has ingrained the aesthetic sensibility of her mom thinks their home every Diwali screams loud: "Welcome and stay awhile".

Our family goes big every Diwali. Every year we are famous to throw at least two colourful parties that our friends are keenly looking forward to enjoy. Though, to add a little bit of drama, we took this year's party out doors in our back yard and boy, it was a grand gala event for all of us. 

A design mashup of personal treasures are dotted in every corner of the home to feel the festive vibe. Diyas are the hardest working element during this Diwali at our end. Punctuating them not only lightens up the glow but also adds sparkling delight in our décor scenes.

We wanted to choose a palette that makes us feel happy in every room hence our this year's Diwali décor is inspired by my mom's favorite color - aqua blue. By adding the pop of evergreen Diwali combinations of red, green and gold I think we nailed off more colorful look this Diwali, if I say so myself!

As we wrap up this post, I truly hope that you all enjoyed the magical realm of individuals who emanate that holidays and festive season bring out the best in all of us. Hoping that all glistening metallics, quirky objects and a multitude of textures in this post will be your ultimate guide for decorating this Diwali.

As always, I relish the entire process of communicating to these blogger friends for building this post and making another year of Diwali Exchange post happen out of our own busy schedules of Diwali preparations. I am grateful to all of you for opening your heart and home for this post, thank you. I have linked back their Instagram account in their names, so do connect with them to see more of their Diwali Décor. Until we meet again, stay connected, toodles! 

Diwali Flatlays

Short days and chilly temperatures don’t seem so cruel when you love to decorate and celebrate the approaching festive season. I have started putting on the glitz to kick start the madness and magic of Diwali at my end. From rustic to glam and goldly to earthen, the possibilities are delightfully endless when it comes to dazzling Diwali décor. Just like last year, I have whipped up something bolder and playful this season for my Diwali special flat lays. 

Flat lay is a perfect way for me to experiment with clusters of my favorite thing in  new combinations to spread the festive cheer. Come Diwali, out comes my hidden treasures. They are actually nostalgia bearers. Taking them out each year is like discovering pieces of history. Updated here are some old standbys and left new classics untouched for Diwali flat lay styling. 

Some colors have power to transport you, red itself being a spirited color, it adds lot of impact and vibrancy anywhere you use during festive season. A classic look of red and gold that never dips out of style here looks sassy and stylist with little bit of green thrown in.

I went for a traditional look with a twist by hopping the fence for this flat lay. Instead of implementing the typical gold details, I enjoyed toying in calmer shades with soft and delicate pastel hues of silver. Mishmash of unrelated things lends a wonderful texture and vibrancy here. I have a thing for all ‘bajoths’. I own quite a few of them..in all shapes and sizes....Did you notice?? In mostly all flat lays I have used different ones….go check it out.  This rectangular one is a new addition in our collection that I recently fetched from BAPS temple in New Jersey. 

I absolutely love the natural color and rustic appeal of terra cotta. The Vintage bits and pieces of terra cotta never fail to add festive vibes in any corner they are placed. Whatever will be the era, the charm and instant glamour of terra cotta will always be appealing. The natural ones as well as the newly fashioned diyas look gorgeously eye catching and chic in this mod meets old scheme. Last few marigolds that survived the cold front came in handy on this flat lay :).  

The terra cotta love continues in this last flat lay also as I had to style and show off newly fetched diyas from my recent India trip. Beside their decorative look, I always look for the ones that can fit the tea-light candle. It minimizes the mess and hassle of working with oil.

Flat lays work as a visual delight; it is a quick, simple way to show off my collection in a creative way.  A strong luxurious statement through my shiny brass, play of flickering diyas and swapping out the accessories spread the perfect festive cheer. 

Hopefully these creative assemblage will put your creative juices into overdrive, so you, too, can craft a festive look that’s just truly your own. Circle back again to see our "Diwali Exchange" post to get you Diwali ready. Until we meet again, toodles!

Diwali Party entwined with South Indian Theme

Diwali is gone but the afterglow remains. I am one of those who are unabashedly into the festivals and striving throughout the year for it. Since we are done with Diwali this year my brain has started making the leaps for “what’s next?” Though for now, I am still unwrapping myself from all the festive hustle and bustle. 

 

On the other hand, we still have lined up Diwali parties that I am looking forward to enjoy. Since I read many of my readers are also in the same phase of parties after Diwali, thought to share few frames from our this year’s Diwali party. Given a chance I am always ready to set the stage for hospitality. Since Diwali was clued in with our south Indian themed potluck party at home, it was quite easy for me to execute.  

Generously wide sitting area on our bay window in our walk-out basement is just right for a quite chat or solitary read as the bank of windows wash the space with bright light from outside. But I had better plans to use this space ;). The corner now acts as a center table and is a platform of my creativity. It now helps me add my personal touch and I play around for any party or special occasion by changing the look every time differently. I have planned my fair share of parties here and have become quite the hostess if I say so myself ;).

With all the hues closely related in bright background of classic marigolds, the scene automatically supports a mix of traditional and south Indian touch. Since we reside in a country where yearly flow of marigolds is quite impossible, I decided to gift myself these strings from India. Hubs dear, who often circles around the globe, bought them home right in time before Diwali. Trust me, having a supportive husband is a huge boon. With 'décor' being a shared passion of both of us, it is quite easy for me to convenience him to put up with my décor tantrums ;).

For Diwali dressing, style choices are myriad, what ever bling you throw in or you have in home will greatly influence the overall ambience. Superlative lose their luster when it comes to my brass and I know my friends have a major meltdown every time they appear in any of my parties. Hence, I didn't shy away to scatter them fully with some Diwali diyas for some pretty flickering flames. Though, most of the pieces here are heirlooms and antique store finds. The jug housing flowers is a real charmer that came home for only $6 from an antique dealer this summer.

Not only the décor was a stunning sight for my clamoring crowd  to take a selfie but our South Indian menu (Idli-Sambhar, Vada-Sambhar) and attire were equally enticing. Ending the post with the picture of 'us' donning the 'South Indian' look. Oh yes, 'jhumkis', 'gajara', 'bindi' 'bali', I took care of every tiny detail while dressing but I think hubs dear especially rocked the South Indian attire in 'veshti', what say? Along with 'Jimikki Kamal' dance moves and few playful games we ended our perfect soiree.  

 

Hope you can jot down few notes of inspiration from here for your Diwali party , either this year or next year. Until we meet again, stay connected on my Facebook page or Instagram feed for more décor ideas. You all have a wonderful weekend, toodles!  

Diwali Exchange - An exchange of Creativity

It is the time of the year when the brain is in top gear and we are all busy unspooling our minds to take things up a notch this festive season. But when it comes to our home décor, we may go an extra mile and throw in some clever touches and glamorous effects to be a total show-off about. And just because everyone defines style in own personal way, I requested the experts, turned myself to the pros and tapped into the minds of the most talented décor divas and avid readers of my passion stories to share my space today and be a part of our ‘Diwali Exchange’ post.

Portraits of their lovely spaces with diverse style, colors, accoutrements and ambience will exemplify how small personal touches can bring charm to make your home look welcoming and festive ready this season. Go ahead deep dive into the post and be assured-it will be worth it.

Padma from Padzdecor
North Carolina, USA

Brass is threaded in Padma's DNA just like me :). With an enviable amount of brass (her brass always quickens my heartbeat) Padma has conjured a look of glamour and elegance. Along with her gracious creativity, the finest materials like metallic brass and glossy diyas complete her Diwali vignettes. 

I am one of those unlucky one who doesn't own any heirloom. Recently my parents gave away all their antique brass stuff but that didn't stop to own and make my own collection. All of my brass is bought in from Bengaluru and various craft melas. Since all the figurines are bought in, I may not have stories to share but I surely know how to weave new ones. Goddess Saraswati is posing the right stroke in the company of tea light holder chandelier. I love making these impromptu corners around the home which adds much needed oomph of the festival. Another intricately detailed Goddess Saraswati in brass is taking the center stage here in this vignette in the company of freshly bloomed fall mums. The vignette is brought to life by perfectly teaming with sparkly brass diyas. 

Shilpa from Buddha Love

 Ontario, Canada

A lover of all forms of art, design and photography, Shilpa is a photography enthusiast and I am a big fan of her soulful and signature style images that keeps getting featured on different platforms of social media.

For me, Diwali evokes lots of wonderful memories just like it does for many Indians.  Hence miss being back home in India even more than usual.   

I always try to create a festive mood at home for the family, especially for the kids during Diwali by way of following family traditions, preparing festive sweets/snacks, decking up the house with lots of diays, so they can  have fond memories of their own when they grow up.

Personally, I think there's nothing more beautiful than the combination of brass, lights and flowers to adorn one's home the traditional way. It creates instant ambience and positive vibe.

Ramya Vijaykumar

Texas, USA

Self-proclaimed home decor diva, who loves to adorn her home and even as a child she was deeply into home décor. Ramya starkly believes that a home is a personification of its residents. She takes all efforts and spends at least a trifling portion of her evening rearranging her vignettes, which she thinks, is therapeutic.

We start off Diwali with first offering to the supreme lord of intellect and wisdom, flowers are an integral part of every celebrations, the man of the house never refuses to overload us with flowers during festivities

In the entryway we have an urli filled with flowers from our garden and the brass lamps are from mother in law who gave me about three dozen lamps so I can play around the house bringing the needed blink during festive season. The peacock lamp is from my mom’s wedding trousseau.

The trio as we call them Lakshmi-Ganapathi-Saraswathi, any festival or occasion my mom had a picture of the trio and I took her footsteps and here we have ours adorning the coffee table in the formal living.

We ingest as much desi influence as possible at home so the kids get exposed and take in as much as possible. Our loving Krishna, who is an antique store find here in Texas, is totting up to the Diwali Spirit in a royal manner with a horse and an elephant. Also many other corners are similarly adorned with Deepa Lakshmi, Ganapati, terracotta lamps and Lord Natraj in Diwali spirit around the home.

Anupama R
Banglore, India

A doctor by profession and a décor lover by passion is sharing Diwali vignettes in a brand new avatar of moody and evocative photography. Her pictures are bold, experimental and seek to express her distinct personality.  

Love what you do and do what you love is the mantra when it comes to my décor style. A far cry from the traditional use, the collection of small brass diyas are adorned with flowers in them.

A burst of color thrown in with Indian touch is a look I seek while revamping any corner. Flowers always add warm and welcoming spirit while boosting the drama.

During festivities, I take creative freedom and let myself loose in discovering new décor paths. Gracefully arranged 'dashavatar' frame here is taking the highlight with the gleaming of fancy diyas and shiny rangoli.

With that we come to an end of our post and I am sure you will be searching an excuse to throw a party now with these ideas and inspirations in your back pocket. I truly hope these designer tips and tricks will aid to add that extra drama quotient to your existing décor. I relished the entire process of communicating to these divas for building this post and making another year of Diwali Exchange post happen out of our own busy schedules of Diwali preparations. I am grateful to all of you for opening your heart and home for this post, thank you lovelies.

Signing out inserting the best of Diwali vibes, wishing you all a very happy festivities ahead. Do circle back next week for a post to see Diwali decked up corners of our home. Until we meet again, stay connected on Instagram or Facebook, toodles! 

(You may head straight here for last year's Diwali Exchange post.)

A Season to Shine (Diwali Flatlays)

It is almost the season to shine. Diwali is just as much about flexing your decorating muscles as it is about cooking all the 'Ladoos' & "Mithais" this festive season. And of course I know more time we devote mulling over varying decorative options, the greater creative scope for our home. Hence with the fanciest pieces of all I took some freedom to put my stamp on flat styling these Diwali goodies. So lets get ready to decorate together for the season known for the classics, traditions and heirlooms with some new trends thrown in. Enjoy this year a different take than Diwali Tablescapes that I did here and here. 

Decor style should always be evolving but while building on your décor scenes- be both original and organic. All you need is to refresh your options and palette with the same pieces that you have been using every season.

Subtle festive elements like floating flowers and the arrangement of unexpected adornments are always an easy way to add extra detail that is sure to give your home a festive look. If you are unseasoned in the fine art of décor, bring in the fresh flowers. It is the safest and easiest way to work or win any style. Colorful runners are definitely your best bet to flaunt timeless Diwali style. No runner? No problem, those fancy dupattas and brocade sarees will look equally elegant when fashioned into a runner. 

Sometimes simply reworking with the same pieces in different ways can get you a whole new look. This year, I am crushing hard on these bright Diwali diyas that I fetched on my last visit to India, they look just as fabulous even when they are not lit. This minimalist, glamorous and uncluttered display is a darling infusion of traditional accessories with some modern elements (a lotus candle and a lantern) thrown in. 

Red and gold is the classic look that never dips out of the style in any season. This particular ensemble perfectly marries that statement. You all know, nothing makes me giddier than the glint of gold and this flat lay is a visual knock out dressed top to bottom in timeless brass gold with a pop of red. 

The collision of different shapes and shades can make a look scream ‘wow” rather than whisper. Seemingly incompatible green and orange combination here creates a dynamic retro look. Dainty motifs in the same color are blending well together from both the 'bajoths' in this vignette. You may test out different styling of the same pieces and pair well with other items. By all means, I pat myself on the back for buying this lotus votive this summer from an antique show. It has been my that ‘same’ piece that I have over used, re-used in every single vignette with of course different styling techniques. 

Opting for little feminine accents here and why not? Diwali is a time where I find myself going in many fun directions for my décor. Experiment with past season items in a new look. The rangoli pieces here were used last year here in a totally different styling. Same goes with my bangle votive holders that I used last year’s Diwali Tablescape here.  You may re-invent the decorative wheel and add some dramatic statement pieces from your jewellery box to your coffee table that can sum up your persona in some way. Find that look and marry it with your décor. Gather up all your brooches in a photo frame or garland a figurine using your showiest neck piece. Possibilities are endless.   

Take plunge with right accessories like flowers, diyas, and brass. For extra brownie points, use all three at once and may be you will be thrilled with the dramatic outcome. Here is my perfectly teamed vignette garnished with an array of pretty gold and glitter that highlights the glamourous side of the season. 

Hope these pretty scintillating scenes from our home inspire you enough to revamp your home for your guests and family this Diwali. Above are the foolproof equations of bright ethnic ensembles that can be outfitted on any flat surfaces in your home. My inspirational Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram boards are equally loaded with ideas and inspiration to get you Diwali ready, so do take a peek. 

 

In addition to this post, I have few more Diwali posts lined up. Do check out a post here that is packed in inspiration for your to drool over as few of my favorite décor divas took over this year for our Diwali Exchange post. Until we meet again, enjoy the time of the year and all the hubbub, toodles. 

Rangoli - Expression of Cultural Mannerism

Rangoli is woven tightly in our any celebrations, but Diwali witnesses the utmost use of it. It brings the beauty and wonder of Diwali into our home. It is a center of festival celebration, where I slow down and gaze every time I pass by to remind myself that we are in the middle of a very special time of year.

 

In our part of the world, weather is a constraint and we lack gracing our actual entrance, hence the rangoli, like every year, is placed indoor where it creates an instant impact.

 

As a true ‘Ganesha’ fan, we also happen to have a perpetual love of his presence in every décor and style we follow. This year’s rangoli is not an exception. Since tackling the dusty rangoli colors is not my forte, we use two simple ingredients (rice and food colors) to make our rangoli every year. To personalize the design, I threw in some craft mirrors in the design. 

With a bit of effort and imagination we have learn to preserve this tradition alive. It’s the time of the year where, we don’t only connect with one another; we also tie with the past and cherished memories we have created following this tradition. 

 

My law “more is less” is especially apt when it comes to Diwali lights. Stairs are the classic place to display lights, adding an unexpected sparkle. And few scattering tea lights on the rangoli complete the overall effect.

 

Hope the series of Diwali posts were a catalyst in making your home festive ready. As we wrap the last post of the festival, wishing you all a very Happy Festivities at your end. May your home be filled with many memories of the festival. Until we meet again, toodles.

Diwali Home Tour ( Living & Family Rooms)

It is the time of the year when I eagerly crave compliments for our festive adorned home and yes I admit, bagging away applauses for something you feel proud is indeed a best feeling :) This year, sparkling setting with a sophisticated golden theme has made our Diwali perfect, exotic and special. A generous sprinkle of our well envied collection has maximized the impact and made our home festive ready for us and the crowd of friends we entertain every year. In order to capture the magic and spirit of Diwali, I have kept a tight rein on the color palette. Deep red from our entrance has been carried forward into our living room.

Come step in, to tour our festival ready Living Room and Family Room to soak in all the extra special details we deliberated for this year's Diwali.

Coffee table happens to be the centerpiece of any room and adding an element of drama on it will draw an eye with irresistible focus. Let your fertile imagination flow and give a big decor punch for Diwali, by adding a bit of sparkle and shine on your Coffee table. And you will notice how it instantly changes the whole decor dynamics of the room. In our home, our NEW collection, a handsome musical troupe of “Ganesha”, is displayed on our coffee table, adding a new dimension and sparkle to the existing array of displayed collections.

The new frolicking group was pre-destined to join our cherished collection and become our all-time favorite. Here is a closer look for each one. 

By now, you are all aware that brass is a must-have element in my bag of décor tricks. Just as it does for every festive occasion, our collection of brass has cast an inimitable landscape this year too for Diwali. Every successful collection begins with a carefully devised purchase and I want to thank my husband’s keen eye for his addiction of hunting for antiques and one-of- a- kind pieces. It is the allure lent by these treasures that enabled me to shape our home with a sparkling appeal.



Let us dwell a minute on the show stopping corner of our living room. I placed colored votive in a "ghunghroo" embellished plate on the side table to boost the drama. The burst of colors from votive, coupled with the festival staples, the candles and flowers is exuding a warm and welcoming spirit this corner. Come dusk, with the flickering lights splattering colorful hues, this show stopping corner is sure to steal the show from the coffee table ;).

If you have been with  me on my "Diwali with Pinkz" journey on Instagram, you must have seen few of our prized collections. Here is a round up of few for them again for those who missed it. Due to the herculean cleaning task and heftiness, these vintage pieces appear only on special occasions in my décor.

The charming jumble of all traditional artefacts compliment our neo-traditional living room, that has a bit of modernity thrown in from the furniture and other accessories. 

Diwali is rooted in glimmerings and socializing. My most favorite thing during this time, is to spend leisurely evenings with family and friends, basking in the hypnotizing glow cast by the flickering lights. 

As the evening unfolds, beautiful glow spreads out all over the room from liberally placed candles around the room. The blazing fireplace adds the much needed warmth on this nippy fall evenings. With overflowing crowd of friends and family, conversations and giggles in this cozy room make the best memories for years to come. Oh, I love this time :).

Let us step into my family room. I took a creative freedom in my family room as well for the festival. The game here is upped by adding a pop of fuchsia all over the glamorous gold.

I added a thali (plate) to serve as a center tray over my coffee table in family room.  One of the studded 'rangoli’ from my rangoli collection came in handy to work in sync with the colors of the bloom.

I keep trying new approach to freshen up the décor rotating the things I have on my hand. Few beloved ethnic pieces are mixed here with modern elements on the side console table. The juxtaposition of the modern and antique elements stand out with an interesting visual mix.

In order to enhance the depth of the theme of Diwali, every corner is adorned with plentiful glows and fireplace mantel has also became the victim of the same.  Few flickering clay diyas and collective lamps have vivified the otherwise monotonous space here. 
 

The all dressed and festive ready room with luster and shimmer is now calling upon me to relax, put my feet up and enjoy the celebrations.

A piece of work by our teenage daughter on our chalkboard

Wrapping up the post by sending in the good wishes from our family to yours. Have a happy, happier and happiest Diwali  Enjoy the celebrations, gobble up all the goodies and have a blast enjoying the festival. I might squeeze in the rangoli post, so stay connected on facebook page and instagram for more decor inspirations. Until we meet again, toodles!

You may visit our last year's Diwali ready home here and here. If you have missed this year's Diwali decked up entrance head right here.