My favorite time of the year is here again…The excitement starts with the nine day Navaratri festival and builds up all through Diwali to Christmas and finally New Years! A lot of this excitement I must admit is channeled towards redoing my personal space for the festive season!
As always, I have a lot of plans on what I want to do, but like all of you multi-tasking women out there, time is a premium and I hardly have bandwidth to implement the zillion ideas that run through my head! So in keeping with the theme of micro makeovers, here are few small but effective tricks to glam up your space this Diwali.
The best way to get started with a bang is color, color and more color! Keeping the sofa in a neutral shade is always a great idea. This way, by just adding vibrant cushions and throws, the whole space can be transformed and uplifted. I usually start with the cushions and then build the entire room around that theme and color.
My picks for this season are the gorgeous Aztec – rust color from the Aztec range of V living, Ikat – pink/orange with zari, Herringbone Raw Silk Cushion Cover with Raw Silk Band and the Elegant Purple Flower Cushion Cover!
Using sheer curtains in vibrant colors that complement the color scheme of the cushions is a great idea. Another novel way is to use plain curtains on either side of a DIY panel of an old favorite silk sari. This way you also have a story to tell! You could also look at using dressy silk runners on your wooden coffee tables to incorporate some warmth and color against the richness of the wood. In this case, do leave the curtains relatively simple. We don’t want an overkill, do we?!
Once the major elements are in place, the accents do the rest of the job! Metal accents would be a great bet this season. Pretty hanging lamps finished in brass is a great option. Look at placing either a tea-light or tiny bulbs inside to light up your space in the evenings. Spread out interesting candle holders or votives around the space. Urlis/interesting bird baths/copper trays can be placed on low tables with marigolds or floating diyas. Or, place nice blossoms in coppers urns or brass vessels that you inherited from your mom!
Many of us tend to splurge especially during Diwali. A lot of folks buy jewelry. Instead, why not pick a piece of great art? Like gold, this is also a great asset, looks good and can be passed down generations!! Artists like Jayashri Burman, Ramesh Gorjala, Thota Vaikuntam etc have great works in the Indian theme. If you are not inclined to splurge, some nice limited edition prints by the masters are also a good buy. Nothing elevates spaces like good art and I like changing around my collection to reflect the theme.
I love the idea of contemporary interpretation of traditional symbolism; which is why I have decided to pick up the Lakshmi Footprints! Its definitely an eye catcher and who knows, the money may also follow 😉
So those were my ideas and simple tips to do up your living area for Diwali.
Do share your ideas and thoughts; we would love to hear from you.
Cheers!!
Indu from Team Zaarga
Zaarga 
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