Festive decor tendencies spotlight modern aesthetics and craftsmanship

Cultural marketing consultant and curator Shruti Sitara Singh believes adorning a house needs to be like curating a private assortment, the place each piece tells a narrative and provides character to the area. Her strategy to “styling and never adorning” her house in Mumbai’s Kandivali captures this concept completely. Every nook displays an aesthetic selection, a lived expertise, a reminiscence, or a significant connection.

One of many standout options in Shruti’s house is a surprising çhapan coat from Istanbul, which takes satisfaction above her mattress. In Turkey, the çhapan has historic ties to the Ottoman Empire, the place it was embraced as an expensive garment reflecting a mix of practicality, cultural id, and artistry. Whereas not completely Turkish, the çhapan discovered its means into Istanbul and the Ottoman tradition between the late thirteenth and early twentieth centuries, symbolising magnificence and standing. “This classic garment has discovered new life not as wearable style however as a chunk of artwork. My love for textiles extends past conventional use. It’s expressive decor parts that carry my area alive,” says Shruti, including that nobody ought to adorn a home only for the sake of it—it ought to really feel collected, a mirrored image of 1’s travels, passions, and id.

Whereas Shruti’s extra modern means of including life to her house is just not centred across the festive season, it’s reflective of how, in recent times, extra Indians have began embracing modern methods of adorning their houses, transferring away from strictly conventional setups to include fashionable decor parts. And whereas festivals like Deepavali nonetheless maintain deep cultural significance, the strategy to house styling has developed to replicate particular person tastes and a extra eclectic sense of favor.

Mumbai-based inside stylist Samir Wadekar says there may be at present a deep appreciation for modern craftsmanship within the house decor area, with a big shift in direction of India-made merchandise. “This motion is obvious throughout numerous domains, from artwork and artifacts to furnishings. There’s a rising insistence on supporting native artisans and embracing supplies and methods which can be rooted in India’s cultural heritage, but reinterpreted for contemporary residing,” he says.

Samir Wadekar’s house model Amrai reinvents conventional crafts for the house
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New-age Indian manufacturers usually are not merely reproducing conventional types; they’re reinventing them. This reinvention usually combines age-old methods with glossy, modern aesthetics, leading to decor that really feel acquainted and contemporary. “It’s a nuanced strategy the place nostalgia performs a task, however not in a purely retrospective sense. The main target is on elevating parts of the previous to fulfill present-day tastes,” says Samir.

For instance, designs that draw from conventional crafts like Channapatna woodwork (contemporarised by architect Ashiesh Shah as lights) or handloom textiles are reimagined with minimalistic strains, fashionable colors, or surprising kinds. This recontextualisation retains the essence of the craft intact whereas making it related for in the present day’s aesthetic sensibilities.

Enjoying with accents 

For Arun Shekar, architect, inside designer, and co-founder of Kozhikode-based structure agency Buzzing Tree, accent items are important in reworking house interiors, particularly in the course of the festive season when areas are ceaselessly up to date to accommodate gatherings and celebrations. “These ornamental parts not solely function focal factors but additionally add a layer of sophistication, distinction, and performance,” he says.

Arun believes that accent items that add distinction and character can elevate the lounge as a social hub. Mirrored furnishings, like credenzas or console tables, creates depth and brightens the area by reflecting mild. Picket accents with intricate carvings present heat, whereas multi-functional items, equivalent to bar items with hidden compartments, supply each fashion and utility.“

Accent items elevate the lounge
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One other enjoyable means of including character to a residing area is to play with proportions, utilizing diverse heights and scales for visible curiosity. Tall candle stands in forged iron or brass could be positioned in corners to solid shadows whereas layering different-height objects like armchairs, ornamental pots, and aspect tables creates a balanced look. Martini or tree trunk-style tables introduce wooden, marble, or metallic textures, providing useful and trendy accents that improve the room’s dynamic really feel.

For smaller areas, follow multi-functional items, like storage ottomans or convertible tables
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Arun warns that much less is extra when including accents, particularly in case you are the type who hosts usually. “Keep away from overcrowding by specializing in a number of standout decor items that complement one another and the room’s fashion. Additionally, place bigger objects towards partitions for steadiness, whereas smaller equipment can sit atop tables or cabinets with out disrupting the circulate. In smaller areas, go for multi-functional accent items, like storage ottomans or convertible tables, to maximise utility,” he says.

Let there be mild

Lighting can also be essential to setting a temper for an intimate gathering at house. The proper lighting could make an area really feel cosy, celebratory, and welcoming, whereas poor lighting can detract from the temper and performance, feels product stylist and co-founder of Mumbai-based inventive company Nainmatakka, Sahil Pednekar.

“A rule of thumb for front room lighting combines layered lighting — ambient, activity, and accent. It creates depth and a dynamic ambiance, with warm-toned LED fixtures or wall sconces offering a delicate glow and studying lamps including focus. Heat white or delicate yellow lights evoke consolation, whereas dimmable fixtures allow temper changes all through the night,” says Sahil.

The softer the lighting, the higher
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Up to date methods, equivalent to sculptural lighting, natural shapes, and reflective surfaces, improve visible curiosity and distribute mild, making the area really feel intimate and spacious, particularly for festive gatherings.

Within the eating room, the place meals and drinks are the main target, Sahil recommends {that a} central mild fixture will present adequate brightness with out overshadowing the desk. “Think about using lighting fixtures with adjustable settings so you’ll be able to soften the sunshine because the night goes on,” he provides.

The centrepiece

The desk is the focus of any gathering. It’s the place for dialog, laughter, and meals. New Delhi’s Eeshaan Kashyap, meals and beverage curator and founding father of Tablescape by Eeshaan, says the desk wants to return alive with some drama. “It’s a must to give folks one thing to debate,” he says. Eeshaan has been utilizing saris as tablecloths with a up to date twist. “The thought is to drape sarees over tables in distinctive, unconventional methods, making a layered, textured look that provides magnificence to any setting. Banarasi or silk saris work fantastically for prime tea setups or as ornamental stations, the place the main target is on the aesthetic relatively than practicality,” he says.

Eeshaan Kashyap for the brand new Sarita Handa assortment
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In Eeshaan’s opinion, individuals are more and more open to experimenting with tableware that options combined supplies, embracing a mix of conventional and modern parts. “Whereas metallics like brass and copper have been as soon as the go-to selection for serving and eating, there’s now a robust shift towards pure and craft-based supplies. Terracotta, clay, woven cane, and loom-based textiles have gotten widespread for setting the desk, including an artisanal contact that celebrates handcrafted methods,” he says.

With desk scaping, embrace the unconventional
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A useful tip for desk scaping is embracing the unconventional, focusing much less on strict performance and extra on breaking symmetry to create a novel aesthetic. “Practicality could be redefined by adapting to the setting — like determining tips on how to take pleasure in a meal on a draped saree used as a tablecloth. Whereas performance issues, it’s equally necessary to problem conventional norms. For example, a vessel sometimes used for flowers may double as a serving dish, mixing type and performance. It’s about balancing utility with creativity,” says Eeshaan, who just lately created a tablecloth utilizing 1,400 peacock feathers collected over a number of months. “It might not be sensible to scrub, however the impact was stunning. Individuals crave uniqueness, and even unconventional concepts shortly turn into widespread once they problem custom,” he provides.

The sari as a desk cowl
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The house has turn into a canvas for experimentation. This shift displays a want for uniqueness, reworking on a regular basis areas into expressive environments that remember individuality. It’s now not only a place to dwell; it’s a dynamic showcase of non-public fashion.