India has so many classic prints to choose from. Whether you’re a fan of floral designs or paisley, India has its own version of alluring prints that you can add as home decor elements to spruce up your interior design.
From popular designs like Kalamkari and Bandhani to hidden treasures like Dabu and Bagru, this country has developed traditional and hand block prints over centuries. If you think your house is too contemporary, you can add these ethnic pieces to create a fusion look that boasts of your culture and looks equally great to everyone.
Elegant Ways to Incorporate Ethnic Prints in Your Home
People are often wary of using too many Indian elements in their houses because they don’t want to look too “desi”. But adding ethnic motifs into contemporary houses has become a popular trend now. You can choose from the potpourri of Indian prints and add them to any room of your house for a unique little traditional touch.
Let’s check out some foolproof ways to add an ethnic vibe to your home.
Retro Vibes in Furniture and Walls
Modern homes look great with retro artwork on the walls. And when the retro element is a classic Indian print or painting, it looks even better. You can choose royal paintings, pretty cityscape prints, or old-school skylines to give your living room wall a makeover and make it unique.
Old-school furniture with classic retro prints is a dream combination for your living room and courtyard. Just make sure that the retro piece you choose is eye-catching and pops out from the wall scheme. You’ll be bombarded with compliments in no time.
Patchwork Quilts for the Bed
Patchwork prints give a cosy and homely vibe to your home. The best way to incorporate ethnic patchwork is to use it in the form of a quilt or sofa cover. This design adds a splash of colour to solid schemed rooms and makes your bedding look hip and bohemian with an ethnic twist.
Floral and Textured Prints to Stand Out
There are so many Indian floral designs that you can use in your home decor. How about beautiful Madhubani floral print covers for your cushions? Or an ethnic floral patterned tablecloth for the dining room?
If floral prints don’t suit your taste, you can go for textured furniture covers and spreads to add a dash of ethnicity to your otherwise contemporary home.
Mirror Work on Tables and Blankets
Mirror work elements are the epitome of ethnic decor and can transform the look of any room. There are numerous ways to add mirrors to your Indian home, be it in the form of small mirror work patterns or tiny mirror placements inside traditional prints.
You can use mirror work prints as window curtains, blankets, mirrored strands as room separators, wall decor elements, “toran” wall hangings, cushion covers, wall trimmings, coasters for the table, and wherever else you prefer.
Ikat Printed Furniture Pieces
Ethnic ikat prints are classy, subtle, and suitable for both traditional and modern homes. To play safe, you can add ikat comforters to your loveseat or ikat printed curtains to your living room or balcony windows.
But if you want to go bold, choose fun and interesting pieces like ikat coasters, rugs, table mats, lampshades, sofas, and carpets. You can choose the colour and pattern of your ikat element to compliment the rest of the room scheme or stand out as a piece of attraction.
Kutchi Print for the Win
Let’s face it, everyone chooses to keep elaborate prints as their cushion covers and curtains. It does give a pretty and ethnic vibe to your house. But if you really want to stand out, think of unusual places to experiment with ethnicity.
Kutchi printed pottery utensil sets are unique and look delightful in your kitchen. You can also get a Kutchi table runner with mirror designs or unique kutchi bedsheets for your bedroom. Torans and wall hangings look beautiful in Kutchi designs.
Rajasthani Prints for Literally Anywhere
Rajasthan is a treasure trove of ethnic prints. You must have heard of Rajasthani printed clothes in variants of Bandhani, Leheriya, Sanganeri, and Bagru prints. Along with getting skirts, dupattas, and sarees with these prints, you can also opt for Rajasthani printed home decor.
Bandhani and leheriya printed curtains instantly brighten up a room and add just the right amount of ethnic vibrance to your home. Sanganeri and Bagru prints can be added to cushion covers, sheets and upholsteries, stairs, carpets, chairs, tables, etc. You can literally add Rajasthani prints to any element in any room and it will end up looking great.
Combo of Traditional Prints and Solid Colours
Solid colours are classy and minimalistic but they end up looking boring if that is your plan for the entire house. Traditional prints are vibrant and fun but may make the house look crowded or tacky if overdone. The right way to strike a balance is to combine these two ideas and create a harmonising interior design for your Indian home.
This combination looks great if you can pick out the right colours and prints. Remember, it is always better to underdo it than to overdo it. So, start with neutral colours and slowly go bold as you feel more confident in your taste.
Ethnic prints bring a breath of fresh air to a boring, lifeless home design. You also feel more connected to your roots without compromising on style. Although you cannot go wrong with ethnic prints, you don’t have to go full ethnic if you’re not too sure of yourself.
Start with less obvious elements like geometric patterns, block prints, and traditional paintings for a room and see how it plays out. You can also consult experts like HomeLane to help you visualise and decorate your home just the way you want.
