Diwali Decked Home

I am back with a bang with our annual Diwali home tour and as always, we are all set to have you drool over our décor and bowl you out with the display of our collection. Come on in…the doors are wide open. 

Brass still reigns supreme in my all décor and my entry way is a perfect winning location to display all...after all first impression does matter. Diwali gives me ample reasons to display my décor but topping my game this Diwali are these lanterns (gifted by a dear reader Arpita who visited me from all the way New Zealand).

The powerful bold gold wall is always festive ready in our home but decorating with special touches adds the thrill at the entry for the atmosphere of a celebration. To enjoy the interesting display and the wonderful paintings of our daughter....a short stay in here is a must for every guest.

The irony of using brass cannot be missed when it comes to power game of festive décor. Glorious touches of celebration are carried through out the home. Details in décor add charm along with a sprinkling of intrigue in guests. My best of the brass pieces are added here for extra simmer this Diwali.
Diyas are integral part of any celebration and using them everywhere and in everything  illuminates the air of anticipation on festive season.

                               

Style and glamour come with endless possibilities. While I believe brass and diyas are the flavors of festive season and they can get your glitter game on in no time. Also flowers are fresh on the eyes, pretty on your vignette and perfect for the festive season….so house them to radiate chic serenity in the atmosphere.

My décor has peaked this year with the new addition of these cushion covers from Bristi. They turned out the masterstroke this Diwali. However they have a quirky story about how they are perfectly personalized to my taste…will share that some other time…for now let their picture do all the talking. 

Our aesthetics come from the genes and in my case, my guru, my mom who was right at home for me to learn from. It would be safe to say that much of what you may observe in my décor comes from my mother. I recently visited her home in India and she is still so focused and driven when it comes to her décor choices. The grouping in this corner is inspired by her styling and stolen completely from her. 

Handpicked selection of brass, flickering glow of diyas, glorious touches of flowers and voila…no corner is untouched and it totally reflects our style and taste.

And here it is our Diwali ready room....a visual and sensual delight and it makes me to stop and park myself before I pass  by every time...I am sure our guests will be aroused to vibrant conversations for Diwali party this year. 

Family room corners are also charged with love this Diwali (I told you...I have been on a décor spree and stirring up the storm). This console table is a perfect place for me for championing a fresh and unconventional approach every occasion. Following my own whimsy, I have inserted terra cotta diyas in almost all vignettes for festive touches. They perk up the plainest setting to something special. 

Some festive staples never go out of style - they just are reinvented year after year. My festive season's new mantra is fuss-free and yet festive by layering these already beautiful diyas effortlessly on the coffee table. Used here is jewel toned purse as a placement to enhance the aesthetic beauty.  

Brass has always been the blueprint of old world manners and chivalry across the eras but updating them in a totally contemporary way gives it a sparkly new twist. Mod meets old setting here with my DIYed marble bench is impeccable for festive entertaining. The backdrop of Ganesha painting on our chalkboard falls perfectly in the festive rhythm.

And with the final closer look of all festive diyas I wrap up this post hoping that you all will get your kick out of all sparkling ideas in the post.  A little inspiration and an eye for beauty are the only essentials you need to add that extra festive sparkle in your home. 

Signing out wishing you all a happy, happier and the happiest Diwali. Do stay connected on my social feeds of Facebook and Instagram as I am yet to share my rangoli of this year. Until then, enjoy all the laddoos, mithai and festivities at your end, toodles!

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! 

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.