Kashmir, known as heaven on earth, is more than its natural beauty. Home to some of the most eclectic and spellbinding handicrafts, Kashmir has a lot to offer to someone who is looking at incorporating Kashmiri home designs into their space.
Let us start with the most critical question.
What Is Kashmiri Home Décor?
Kashmiri home décor is creative handicrafts created by the local artisan. Made and designed by hand, these handicrafts are a result of the Kashmiri heritage and can often be traced back to Budgam, Srinagar, and Ganderbal.
You can expect your Kashmiri items to be intricate and highly detailed. Since Kashmir has been a melting pot of cultures, the mix of heritage is still reflected in its art form and crafts that have been perfected over the years.
Some of the most popular Kashmiri home designs can entail the famous carpets, copper & silverware and kashida – the local embroidery style that adorns the homes of many across the world.
Different Kinds of Kashmiri Décor
Papier-mâché Artwork
Perhaps the most famous artform Kashmir has given to the world and the Papier-mâché artwork can be traced back to the Mughal period, where rulers like Akbar were the patrons of this art. A process spanning across weeks is a painstakingly meticulous art form that today adorns gardens and heritage mosques in Kashmir.
You, too, can add these beautiful pieces to your home in the form of wall hangings, lanterns, decorative bells, and goodie boxes, to name a few. You can liven up your threshold with these decorative bells while your passageway can be home to your wall hangings.
You can also put figurines on your cabinet or the small goodie boxes to your dining table to bring some colour to the otherwise empty tables. However, it is vital to make sure that you don’t overdo it since the bright colours can be overwhelming.
Kashmiri Carpet
Apart from Pashmina shawls, Kashmiri carpets have been on the checklist of every home interior enthusiast. An authentic carpet from the region is marked by its intricate work, purely handmade approach, and knotted tufted weaving instead. Based on your requirements, you can choose a silk or wool carpet.
These unique and extremely vibrant carpets are a precious commodity and can easily amp up your living rooms look as well as ambiance. Based on the dimensions of your room, you can select the large, medium, or small-sized carpet, and instead of placing it on the side, spread it out at the centre of the living room, tucked under your centre table and furniture.
This does not only save on space but also gives a cleaner and aesthetic appearance to your living room.
Pro Tip: Ask your seller about the number of knots in your carpet. More significant the number per square inch, greater will be the durability as well as the value of your Kashmiri carpet.
These Kashmiri carpets are often expensive. However, a cost-efficient alternative, the Namdas, which is a mix of cotton and wool, can also be spread in your living room and add the Kashmiri elegance without compromising on the finesse.
Walnut Wood Carving
The soil and the weather are perfect for walnut trees. Unsurprisingly, this also gave way to walnut woodwork where artisans undertake too delicate and ornamental crafting processes which can only be found in Kashmir. However, the craftsman cannot pick up any tree since the ideal wood is from the Doon Kul, which is cut only once it matures at the age of 300 years.
Since the wood is hard, durable, and close to grain with an even texture, it is considerably easier to accommodate detailed work. These woodworks usually include motifs like a bunch of grapes, tree branches, pears, lotus, iris and rose.
Usually, these wood carvings are jewellery boxes, sofa sets and side stands which, when placed in natural light have the best impact on the space. You can use these handworks to store delicate items or in your living room, flaunting a piece of Kashmir in your home.
However, the living room is not the limit. You can also adorn your bedroom with a vanity table made from walnut wood carving. Choose a medium-size dimension, and you can easily place it in a corner as your own Kashmiri home interiors.
Kashmiri or Kashida Embroidery
The Kashida embroidery is the epitome of the exquisite Kashmiri needlework, reflecting the beauty that is inherent to this beautiful state. Such embroidery involves a single long design stitch which makes it one of the most distinguished forms of needlework.
Since this technique is one-of-a-kind, not many artisans are equipped with this artform which makes it an expensive decor for your home.
However, if you seek to add this extraordinary embroidery to your home, you can do so in the form of tablecloths and table runners. If you are lucky and get your hands on the Kashida curtains, savour them for your lively living room.
Kashmiri home interiors are subtle, elegant and give one a peek into this beautiful valley’s heritage and vibrant culture. With HomeLane, you can now bring in a part of the valley to your home as our experts help you pick the perfect Kashmiri decor that complements your space as well as resonates with your idea of home sweet home.
Also Read:
| Other Popular Styles | ||
| Karnataka | Punjab | Gujarati |
| Bengali | Tamil Nadu | Rajasthani |
| Maharashtra | ||
