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! 

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!

Festive ready home (Diwali - Part 2)

I usually get décor hiccups for any festival but for people who know me would nod against it to say that isn't obvious. With an array of enchanting pieces we own, I don't need a better excuse than Diwali to deck the home with my brass galore. My all-brass route is carried forward in our Diwali -II too. After throwing the cyber gates open for you dear readers, to reveal our festive entrance (I am so thankful and happy beyond words with the response of our entrance décor, thank you lovely people) you are invited to take a peek at the festive touches in our living and family rooms. Savour the brass, smell the fresh flowers and enjoy this impeccable and uber stylish appearance of our brass, on this Diwali.

 

Just like every year, Ganeshas are taking the center stage on our coffee table this year also but in a fresh setting. Flowers, candles and brass...each element earns its place visually here. Impromptu grouping of more brass at the corner of the room flatters the style of entire vignette on the coffee table. With my brass at its best, I always hear the murmurs and sprinkling of intrigue in our guests :) and why not, it’s the time of the year when I long for accolades by all means. 

I love playing around with my accessories and it often makes me wonder how things start to gather up when I create a vignette. I run in all directions being excited and anxious around the home to gather the correct accessories. And the results after few trial and error combinations is a purer delight. Does it happen to you?

I have been craving to try something different on this fertile place to enliven this fireplace mantel space and with no rule approach this Diwali I came up with this. Sometimes a little enhancement is all that is required to convert a corner from functional to fanciful. With Ganesha being an anchor object,  this corner for now is updated with various heights.

Try making a grouping of small items in a fertile corner or space of your home. Elevate objects within the group adding different heights and play around layering with accessories. Trust me; it is actually so easy that you can whip one up on any bare floor in no time.  

Mingling great styles that is flexible and constantly evolving keeps the décor alive.  Small details of flickering lights can add a powerful impact on any corner. Don’t shy away to try diverse forms of votive holder in one frame if you ever run out of your Diwali diyas. Also, leaning a frame or covering up with a bright runner against a wall has always been a ‘win-win’ for me to uplift the entire look for me.  

Flowers are championing fresh and unconventional approach in all vignettes. Here is the closer look at all the ones that I used freely mixing unexpectedly in every vignette. The flower need of this season has been taken care by all home grown flowers. The bright and most B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L roses in the urli are graciously given to me by a very dear friend.

As you know, I drain every last bit of my flowers and I almost didn't had a heart to throw away those beautiful petals of the fallen roses hence I used them floating in the brass plate along with more candles until they survived :) 

As a part of Diwali celebration, we spend lot of time indoor with the company of close friends and having a communal space soaked with festive appropriate touches accurately conjure a touch of nostalgia and pleasure. Here is our prettified corner in a family room. With a bright kutchhi runner, used as a backdrop on the couch, it strengthens the point of focus in the room.

Unlike every year's blogpost on rangoli I shared my this year's creation a wee bit early for you all to inspire and create one in time for your home. If you missed it on my social media...here it is! As a true ‘Ganesha’ fan, we always have his presence in every décor and this year's rangoli is also 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.

My readers have a mild obsession with our chalkboard in the house and why not, it is my undisputed decor accessory for any festival. Our artist daughter always comes to my rescue when it comes to highlighting it for any season. Winding up this post of our home which is welcoming and festive ready with her ‘Diwali Creation’. Hope these lush festive ideas will inspire you to implement few Diwali touches at your end also.

Gobble up countless pieces of ‘Mithai’ this Diwali with many laughs along the way with your family and friends. Signing out wishing you all heap of joy and prosperity, until we meet again, enjoy Diwali, toodles!

Diwali Decked Entrance (Diwali Part 1)

Not that our home needs help in the looking good department but this Diwali surely does wonders. I have already started to hit the ground running for Diwali but before we invite our first guests for Diwali it is my yearly ritual to invite you (my dear reader) to our home where festive touches will greet you at every turn. Come on in, welcome and stay a while.

Our entrance is already a stunning sight. Serving here the major pop of color is our new Benjamin Moore's OXFORD GOLD wall which brings out the festive look effortlessly. To typify my style and choice for the festival of lights I have chosen all brass route because I believe in doing something I know is going to be a hit and brass surely does that magic in my décor. 

We did not buy any festive ephemera for Diwali this year (okay, except few red t-light candles to go with my theme). Instead, best suited tucked away pieces are combined with complimentary accessories to up the game at our entrance. Every shiny vase housing flowers is bought from an antique dealer this summer and many other accessories on the console dates back to my school years. And you know already...these gorgeous paintings are the best gift given by our artist daughter.

Here is the final look, the warm and welcoming spirit of Diwali is aced naturally without breaking a sweat.  With the fistful amount of candles and sparkling clean brass (tamarind is my best friend when it comes to rubbing all my brass) this corner quintessentially reflects the traditional tone of the season. 

How much is too much brass? It is raining brass at my end and boy, did they step out in their finest. I often wonder if it is possible to be born with a keen love for brass threaded in my DNA? These brass pieces enable me to express my evolving décor style in a unique way every time I bring them in. Rustling up the existing ingredients for an inviting setting always works for me, and that's what I did ;).

This season, sparkle comes imbued in all our heirloom pieces. This Diwali, I have surrounded ourselves  with the things that have meaning so that our home tells a story. All the pots housing the flowers in this corner are heirloom pieces which belong to my great grandfather that I proudly own. So thankful to my mom who handed me over these treasures on my last visit to India along with many other pieces that I will cherish forever and hopefully pass it on to my kids.

I love to surprise the guests adorning the home with festive décor through out and even in the places where you wouldn't expect. With brass making waves on the décor frontier this dull corner at the end of the staircase has been revamped with new styling this year. This jumble of my brass will not only offer a moment of pause for my guests but it will also let me deposit that applause in my compliments account :).

Hope these corners have intrigued you enough to know what lies ahead in the living and family room, well, my little self is running around in all directions with all the hurly burly of Diwali but promise to be back soon to crack open the rest of the decor in next post  in mean while, you may go here and here to see Diwali Decked yesteryear at my end. My Facebook and Instagram accounts are equally enticing to get you Diwali ready. Until we meet again, eat those Diwali goodies and enjoy the festivities, 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.)