Color Inspiration for Diwali 2017

With Dusshera out of the way, Diwali is next on the cards. My absolute favorite festival of all!!! But this year my spirits are dampened with all that is going on around us in our world. Hurricane, earthquake, shootout massacres....So much pain, despair and destruction. My family and I decided to refrain from over indulging this festive season and instead donate to a much needed cause.      

I feel blessed and grateful for all that I have in my life. Like always, I wanted to make it extra special for my family this festival season. On the decor front, rather than going out and buying things thoughtlessly,  I decided to make do with whatever I have and give it a few new twists. New color combinations, different placements and a whole lot of love have been the key ingredients in my festive vignettes this time.

Coming up first is a vignette with my pooja basket as the center piece. "My Lady with the Lamp" is always an integral part of my Diwali decor so I had to include her in this vignette. I usually don't like doing too much brass in one vignette. Instead, I like playing with a lot of different textures. But come Diwali time, "Brass Overload" is a must I say! So without a moment's hesitation, I filled a brass kaalash with flowers from my very own garden, a little height play for visual interest and cushions and diyas in coordinating color schemes to complete the look!  

And another shot, before we move from one end of the bold and brightly colored spectrum to a very neutral colored vignette in shimmering shades of gold and white!

As you can tell, I took this challenge way too seriously !!! Yup those are almost dried roses. But they were so pretty, they inspired me to work on this lovely color combination of gold, white and brown. Not a very TECD color formula but hey, if you've been with TECD long enough, you know, I almost always push the creative boundary. And this time, like I said, the challenge was to work with whatever I had!!! I mean seriously, I think it looks classy doesn't it! A winning color combination I say! 

The point of this entire post was to share that you don't need a whole lot to create a festive ambiance.  Even a bunch of withering roses can be made to look festive. A little creativity and an eye for beauty is all you need. Also make sure you take the time to pay it forward in someway this festive season. Along with lighting up a Diya, also make the effort to light up someone's face with a smile with your kind/thoughtful gesture! 

(Image Credit/Copyright: Sruthi Singh. The images may not be used for commercial or non-commercial use without the prior written permission of  TECD.)

Sophisticated Simplicity

Prrithviraj and Uma Singh's Gurgaon (India) residence perfectly resonates with Leonardo Da Vinci quote, "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Carefully chosen ingredients like antiques, heirloom treasures, travel trophies and diligently curated art integrated with the effortless chic personal style of the home owners has resulted in a home that exudes tranquility and timeless elegance.  

Being the Director and co-founder of "EastBound Travels" (one of the premium Destination Management Companies in India), Prrithvi's work requires him to travel extensively. The globe trotter fancies coming home to a place that is seductively peaceful and provides a restorative background to his jet setting lifestyle. His wife Uma, with her discerning eye for detail and keen design aesthetics, is the perfect accomplice in hunting down exquisite and rare gems to create a home that is simple without being stark and is sophisticated without being punctilious. Talking about their sense of style, the couple says, "We were not drawn to any particular genre of design or style. The only prerequisites that we listed out before we started furnishing our home was to forge a look that was uncomplicated and relaxed yet chic." 

The checkered entryway is adorned with a beguiling combination of family treasures and new finds. It aptly sets the tone for what lies ahead. A plethora of lit diyas (in brass and terracotta) cast a warm glow, while blushing rose petals in brass urlis glamorize the entrance to the home and incontestably announce that the Prrithviraj residence is all decked for the upcoming festivities.

A cornucopia of brass artifacts displayed in the entryway introduces us to the couple's penchant for brass and antiques. Uma further asserts this love by saying, "Faded treasures and antiques are great not only for their excellent craftsmanship and beautifully aged patina but also because they impart soul to a home with their inherent sense of a bygone era." Uma's signature style of housing fresh potted plants in antique brass containers can be observed in every vignette in the home. 

Once in the foyer, you can tell of the couple's love for books and art. Uma has a weakness for antique fabrics. A treasured piece of antique fabric from Rajasthan has been framed  and displayed in happy conjunction with other favorite Tanjore paintings.

The juxtaposition of an acrylic on canvas by eminent artist Jagdish Dey, the antique statues - a travel find from Malaysia and the crimson glass vases on a contemporary style console, make for an appealing display.

The living room is unburdened and is given an opportunity to breathe with greater ease, in sync with the gusts of wind that freely waft through large windows. With a neutral color palette serving as the backdrop, splashes of color are added through paintings, soft furnishings and other decor accessories. The couple's zest for entertaining also played a key role in designing a space that echoed an open floor plan. Having considered various seating options, they finally settled on the L-shaped couch  that  perfectly optimizes the use of space. 

When wintry Gurgaon weather rolls in, the couch is a perfect place to take afternoon cat naps and offers a seductive inducement to settle down with a good read and a nubby throw.

Uma's decor mantra that she lives by, "A style like ours requires judicious editing. Though I love all my pieces, I bring out only a few at a time. This process of rotating my treasured pieces not only gives me an opportunity to mix and match things and come up with new vignettes and displays every single time but also keeps things looking fresh and interesting." That is one important decor advice, as one needs to know when to stop adding pieces to a room or may even require subtracting a few pieces to achieve the perfect balance to a space. 

A close up of some of the simple Diwali touches that Uma has put together for this festive season.

The couple is also passionate about collecting antique silver artifacts. Most of these are sourced from Rajasthan and Gujarat, while the others are heirloom treasures. Every festive season, Uma brings them out from storage to add to the celebratory ambiance in their living room.

A few close ups of the treasures that came home with the couple from their various travels: Clock wise from left - An intricately carved Buddha statue from Ladakh. Top right hand corner - A woven antique bamboo box from Bhutan (it's more than a 100 years old). Uma fell in love with it and had it brought back to Delhi and got it professionally restored to its original glory. Middle picture on the right -  A few brass heirloom treasures displayed in the kitchen. Bottom right hand corner - Prrithvi unearthed this antique metal jewel box from a shop in Jewish town in Cochin.

Adding a touch of Indigo and red to this corner of the living room is Prrithvi's find, a Krishna painting by Suva Prasana. 

Form and function come together beautifully in this dining room. The minimalist design concept adopted by Uma and Prrithvi is yet again effectively put to work in this space. Prrithvi says, "We wanted good food and great company to be the focus of our dining. We deliberately did not include too many elements that would vie for our attention." 

And finally a peek into a few other corners of their beautiful home :

Fresh cut plants in vintage brass containers make a decorative statement.

A collection of  semi-precious stone Ganesha Statutes, an antique brass Kamakshi lamp and an exquisite Tanjore painting of Radha and Krishna completes this vignette.  

A Buddha statue from Srilanka and more potted plants, makes for another charming and tranquil display in the entryway to the master bedroom. 

With that we come to the end of our tour of Prrithviraj  and Uma's charming and serene residence. I was excited beyond words to showcase this home as Prrithvi and Uma are none other than my wonderful uncle and aunt:) Their home not only encompasses their warm and wonderful personalities but is also a manifestation of the fact that form and function can come together to create a space that is both stylish and refined. I'd like to thank them for being such a sport and throwing their doors open to the readers of TECD! 

Images: Clicked by Prrithviraj. The images may not be used without prior written permission from the home owners. 

Glitzing it up for Diwali (Festive decor Ideas)

Diwali is all about the hypnotic dancing flames, the sweet fragrance of - flowers, scented candles and incense sticks, the luxurious feel of silk cushions, the sound of laughter and crackers and the melt in your mouth motichoor laddoos and kaju katli !!! While decorating for Diwali, you will be deluged by dozens of decisions. The choices you make on some of these details can make or break the look you are intending to achieve. Here are some simple tricks and tips to  help you create the festive ambiance and entice all your 5 senses this Diwali season.

Pick Your Color Palette: 

Choose a color palette to work with as it simplifies the need to analyse what you already have and what you need to include in your Diwali shopping list. An intuitive decision maker, this year I'm inspired by the traditional Indian color combination of red and gold. This classic combination is not only festive but can also be effortlessly adopted throughout the home with a few building blocks like fresh flowers, textiles and a few brass decor accessories.Diwali is the one festive occasion that cajoles me to boost the glimmer and shimmer quotient without any limitations. With my love for the golden patina of brass, Diwali is personally the most revered of all festivals, as I get an opportunity to shine my brass, decorate with flowers and light up as many lamps and candles to create an ambiance that's bathed in a golden glow.

Flower Power:

I've said it earlier and I say it again, "You cannot go wrong with flowers". I love to weave the beauty and magic of fresh flowers into my festive decor. The classic floating flower arrangement is something that I include year after year but always find ways of adding a fresh twist to the display. This time I've chosen an antique brass thali to serve as my container to float a bunch of flaming red Gerberas. Making her appearance again this year is my prized heirloom piece, "My Lady with the Lamp". Placing her in the center of the thali, no denying that she looks majestic when lit. 

Another simple arrangement of Carnations with their irregular edges vivifies this corner of my living room. I restrain from using conventional vases and look for innovative container to display my flowers. This time, I've used an antique tea pot to house the carnations that have subtle hints of red that tie it in with the designated color palette.

Gather similar items to make an Impact :

For this Diwali vignette, I've rounded up my brass Ganesha statues and have placed them at various height to keep the eye moving and keep things interesting.

To add color to this vignette, a small urli is used to float few Magenta New Guinea Impatiens from the garden. Remember, a little color can add a lot of drama !!!

Colored glass tea light holders are a must.........I love how the gently flickering flames create an ethereal mirage of warm hues. Keeping the color palette in mind, a collection of colored glass votive  holders in warm tints are en massed on a brass vintage tray to pack in a wallop of punch to my decor. And what's wonderful is that they can be easily moved around to light up any corner that you choose to.

It's all in the Details: 

Using scented candles is a great option for setting a festive mood and making your house feel like home. You also want to sort through your collection of CD's or create a playlist before hand, so as to have your choice of music ready for the evening of Diwali. As the wax melts and the fragrance engulfs the air and the mellifluous notes of the sitar from a Hindustani music piece reverberates through the home, it sure feels festive in every sense of the word. 

Mix old with the new : 

This has always been my mantra to decorate. Work with what you got and only splurge when you need to. If your like me and are lighting up to the idea of using lanterns this festive season, do check out World Market. I found mine as seen in the picture above at World Market and have paired it with antique brass kundas (the brass containers belonged to my grand mom) with single stems of Dahlias tucked into them. 

The one decor accent that you cannot have too much of this festive season are candles. I'm convinced that my home looks its best when bathed in the soft forgiving glow of the candles. I wanted a low lying console to create another festive display and went with the idea of using books and a wooden ledge to create one. Taking the center stage of this display, my wooden Ganesha and a row of votive holders alternated with flowers, looks stunning. 
  
Experiment with Textures for Dimension : 

Consider integrating a medley of textures found in natural elements like wood or jute, the shimmer and worn patina of metals,  the opulence of silk or the distinctive reflective luster of glass. Orchestrating different textures not only adds the much needed dimension and movement to a space but also makes it feel complete.    

Here a potted plant, a brass Ganesha Statue and a mother of pearl votive holder are placed on a DIY tray to create a festive oasis. 

When the formal dining is not dressed for the Diwali banquet, a beautiful handcrafted Kutch shisha work wall hanging now serving as a table runner, shimmers in the glow of black metal candle holders from Crate and Barrel.

Smart Entertaining : 

Indian festivals are incomplete without our spread of glorious food and playing the perfect host to our friends and family. Find innovative ways to serve mithai and other savory snacks so that after party clean up becomes easy on you. One such tip for entertaining that I use is Doubling up Cupcake liners to serve starters and other mini party snacks.

I do hope this post has been resourceful and inspirational in helping you create a festive ambiance this Diwali. With these simple tips and tricks you can be the perfect host/hostess and celebrate Diwali in style !!!

Images: Clicked by Sruthi Singh. Please do not use without prior written permission. 

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright.

A Medley of Influences (Diwali Tablescape)

It's that time of the year again........Diwali is fast approaching and like me, for most of you'll, the festive season is all about jazzing up your home to create a special festive ambiance and making it memorable for your loved ones. Another significant aspect of Diwali is planning the big Diwali banquet. Its occasions like these that we look forward to connecting and creating special moments with our family and friends. I bet you've been brainstorming to come up with fresh ideas for your Diwali tablescape and want to go that extra mile to make it an unforgettable evening. 

But given our busy lifestyles, planning a party may seem like a daunting task. To make this task a little less intimating, I've put together a global tablescape that takes less than 20 minutes to bring to life. Inspired by Morocco and our very own India, the medley of influences is sure to create the perfect backdrop for good food, conversations and loads of laughter.

For the base of the table setting, I've used a neutral colored table runner sporting a festive border so that other accent colors pop. You could also substitute a dupatta or stole with a heavy border in a neutral hue for a table runner. Next place 4-5 handmade Kundan Rangolis (available online and in stores) through the length of the table runner. My Rangolis were handmade and sent over by my sister-in-law from India. What a thoughtful gesture.   

Place Moroccan tea glasses in coordinating hues of fuchsia and teal in the center of the Rangolis and place tea lights in them. To add more drama to the tablescape, bangles echoing the same color scheme as the Rangolis were placed around IKEA tea light holders. 

Instead of the traditional napkin rings, use bangles as napkin rings. Tuck in single flowers and silver ware into each of the bangles and you have yourself a table setting that is a medley of influences. (Party Tip: Once the dinner party is over, the guests could take the bangles home as party favors. )

Now wasn't that easy ??? I do hope you've found inspiration to create your very own Diwali tablescape this season.............

Here are few links to help you recreate this look : 

- Kundan Rangoli available at Nirman on Etsy

- Dinner plates are from the IKEA Forsla tableware collection 

- Moroccan Tea glasses are available at World Market. (I found mine at Home Goods for 1/3 the price, so keep those eyes open if you plan to visit HG). 

For more Diwali Tablescape inspiration click here and here. 

Images: Clicked by Sruthi Singh. Please do not use without prior written permission. 

Images are the property of Sruthi Singh and subject to copyright.