With just a few days to go for Diwali, the cleaning done, house spic and span, you might wonder what else is required add to the festive look of your home. If buying new furniture and re-painting the home isn’t possible this year, adding a bunch of colourful festive textiles and furnishings will definitely help brighten up space.
How To Select Textiles Design Inputs For Diwali Home?
Selecting textiles isn’t all about choosing the brightest, shiniest material for the decor, but placing colours, fabric and design in such a way that they add up to a cohesive whole. Shiny material on curtains and sofa sets might clash if not appropriately paired, and white – a neutral colour – when carefully chosen can complement bold colours beautifully.
India has a rich cultural heritage of beautiful textiles from different states. Our fabrics can enliven any kind of home decor and can be used in bed covers, upholstery, table linen and cushion covers, curtains and lampshades. The government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative has renewed homeowners’ interest in native Indian fabric and you can consciously put together different patterns, designs, styles and colours to create an aesthetic look. Below are three great design/material inputs that might come handy while decorating your home.
Brocades And Zardosi Cushions
One of the grander, elaborate cloth material popular as festive fabric, zardozi and brocade scream glamour, richness and festivity. Selecting them isn’t very difficult but applying them in your home needs careful thought. Brocades look beautiful as curtains and upholstery in living rooms. Cushions in bright brocades too stand out and add an interesting focal point to space.
Brocades are very occasion-specific, and cannot be incorporated as a permanent part of the decor since they look jaded and need careful cleaning and regular maintenance. They can also be uncomfortable when used for long and are therefore not suitable as bed covers.
Ikats And Fine Cotton
Handwoven ikat material and hand-printed cotton are elegant, comfortable and make for great additions to contemporary home decor. Subtle Indian hues look great for an understated ambience and also can be used uniformly around the house, whether as bed covers or in living room cushions. These different traditional motifs and designs like paisley prints, floral and geometric could be used. These designs are available either in similar colours or around a recurring pattern theme.
While ikats make for excellent home furnishings, they need to be looked after with much care. Such material must be washed carefully, gets creased easily and may not always be suitable as cushion covers or for sofa sets.
Indigenous Designs And Prints
Whether it is Warli art from Maharashtra, Phulkari/ Kashida or Kutchi work from Gujarat, indigenous designs are all the rage among homeowners. The beauty of these designs and patterns lie in their intricacy, which is often hand-done, and ability to look unique despite following a recurring theme. Madhubani and Kalamkari are painted around folk tales and mythology, and therefore also serve the purpose of upholding our traditional values.
Indigenous designs are beautiful to look at, but the use of too many such contrasting variations can create chaos. It is better to choose one design and have it recur as different motifs around the house.
Embroidery
India carries a rich culture in embroidery and this finds its way into several products used in everyday life. When it comes to home decor, embroidery of any kind always looks beautiful. This festive season brings together different materials to enhances the overall look. Kantha, Kasuti and Phulkari are common embroidery types that look intricate yet delightful. This material goes well on cotton curtains of living rooms. The patchwork suits your linen quilts in bedrooms and even on silk wall hangings.
The efficacy of embroidery depends on the materials upon which it is done. It is vital to check the material regularly and wash carefully, so that colour bleed does not take place. Stray threads can be re-stitched in advance before they begin to unravel.
Textile Design Inputs For Diwali Tips And Tricks
Home furnishing isn’t just about the decorative aspect. When selecting festive textiles for home decor, remember the following,
- Upholstery fabric and curtains should have resistance to seam slipping.
- Bed covers should be resistant to stains, pilling and snags.
- Living room curtains should have a lightfastness.
- Kitchen linen fabrics should be flame resistant.
- Shower curtains should be water-resistant.
Decorative traditional cushions help brighten up any corner and are an excellent way to amp up your home during the festive season. Check out HomeLane for interesting décor pieces that are sure to make heads turn!
