Home décor : nurturing a sentiment!

A stunning array of furnishings, contemporary international textures right from curtains to pillow covers to bed linen. When it comes to beautifying your home, the list could be endless, evolving and enchantingly unique. With consumers willing to go to lengths to transform their fantasies into reality, the presence of retailers like Pantaloon, HyperCITY, Fab Mall, Nilkamal, Welspun et al on the home décor scene has solidified. Ekta explores home spaces and trends in furnishing them

 

 

“I was totally awestruck when, during a week-long tour to Kashmir, in the late 40s, I had my first chance of seeing the shikara house boats from close quarters. Today, my own house is almost a replica of the same, and the peace I experienced during my stay in Kashmir then is with me in my own home now. Thirty years back real estate prices were not so high. Also, if my family had not supported me, my dream would not have been realised," says Kumar Anand, a retired engineer in his late  60s.

Today, real estate prices are sky rocketing, yet, families earning double incomes have come up with ample earnings to feed their desire for constant renovation in home decor.

Salil and Alicia, working professionals in fine arts, nurtured a dream of having their own house, a unique one, housing every comfort, after marriage. Both saved generously for their dream house. Now, a decade later, with their dream realised, Salil and Alicia still feel a yearning gripping them, whenever they leave their habitat, to come back home. Ask them to recount their journey home, and the duo chirp in unision, “An idea of having our own exclusive domain filled with moments that we would cherish later, fascinated us so much that we at once thought of translating this dream into reality. After years of living on a tight budget, when we finally bought and did up our apartment, located in a posh area in the city, we named it Vaatika where our dreams would flower and love would flourish.”

 

Home – A synergy of creative minds

From a primary cave dweller to the current resident of towns and cities of ecstasy, man has become supraliminal of the choice of his environment. Each house reflects the synergy of creative minds that have turned it into a living, asthetic experience. Right from the living room, kitchen, to the bedrooms, every single room stands as a testimony to the denizen's home-making skills and finesse, on one hand, complemented by his rich artistic sense, on the other.

 

Creating a world of your own  

If furnishing your home gives you special delight, and renovation is an ongoing process for you, you probably belong to the creative lot who takes interest in living life to the hilt.

To this Abha Kaul, a homemaker who is a passionate collector of artwork, comments, “For me collecting paintings means a lot. I have in my collection, replicas of paintings by Raja Ravi Verma and Amrita Shergill as well as murals of Jatin Das. I do not mind saving for replicas of ultimate masterpieces. A painting almost always lifts you from a gloomy mood and takes you to a whole new world within itself.” Along with decorating her home with paintings, Abha also keeps in mind the age-group of the people in her family in order to make living in their home a pleasure for everyone.

 

There are many aspects to home decor, each with the capability of adding soul to every corner of your home. Let’s take a look at some of these aspects, including latest trends, in home decor.

 

Furniture: Blending comfort with style

The whole environment of the house is created according to the furniture we choose. The choice of furniture can range from wooden to metal to cane for some. While cane and metal furniture do have a charm of their own, wooden furniture can be used in a versatile manner. It can be crafted to look formal, elegant or just plain comfortable. Wooden furniture can fit into virtually any background, because of its appearance and uniqueness. Cane furniture is generally used in gardens and terraces and can also be arranged indoors to give the home an earthy feel.

Adding a touch of class to the room, metal furniture can make it a delightful experience for a person to be in a room adorned with it. A combination of all the three kinds of home furniture can give your home a spirit of its own.

 

Flexible furniture

One stylish trend is the use of flexi furniture that serves a dual purpose. A sofa-cum-bed is an example. Likewise, a stool  is a multipurpose item that can be converted into a table. A long, low, bookcase could serve as a sofa table or buffet.

Thus, in a general sense, buyers can look for furniture that has the ability to change size. For example, a dining table with leaves that can be folded in is ideal for saving space, and can accommodate extra guests over for a meal. Similarly, trundle beds or camp cots offer additional sleeping space.

 

Build a theme with your furnishing

Create a dream abode with the right mix of furnishing items complementary to each other. Here are some suggestions.

Cover upholstered furniture in a sturdy fabric of a pleasing natural colour, like tan, camel, dark green, navy, black, et al, which can be made your anchor colour.

Once you have chosen your anchor colour, you can collect pillows, fabrics, and accessories that match with your anchor colour.

You can also economise by using  new slipcovers, on sofas and chairs, that go well with the theme of the room. This way, you can avoid buying new furniture.

While building the theme, you can take care of space requirements by using two comfortable chairs instead of one bulky sofa.                                     

 

Ecstasy in the lampshade

The lighting of a room influences the occupant’s mood. A lampshade can lend a transcendental effect to the appearance of a room. It can also create a soft romantic mood to the evening along with music playing.

There are intricate and never-ending varieties of lampshades available in the market. A lampshade, be it a Faux Weatherd Leather Lamp Shade or a Mushroom Pleat Lamp Shade, with stunning hues to add character to the environs, can fill you with ecstasy.

 

Carpeting luxury

Each one of us has heard the story of the flying carpet and the mesmerising look and feel of the Persian rugs that flew in the azure misty skies. Coming back to reality, though as amazing as the reverie, these days wall-to-wall carpeting is becoming as common as it was owning any luxury item in the house, once.

Different rooms require different kinds of carpeting. Bedrooms could have carpets with a soft feel and lighter shades. Carpeting for dining rooms, kids’ rooms and the stairway could be covered with darker, resilient covering. Rugged carpets woven from coconut called 'sisal' are fast becoming users’ choices, however expensive they might be.

 

Glass: A touch of class

Trends keep changing with time, but the purity of glass along with its delicateness makes it the most popular, evergreen concept in both homes and offices.

Living in a high-rise apartment, overlooking the city, Mohit Suri, an IT professional in a blue chip company, has glass panels fitted into the doors of his balcony. “It makes me feel as part of the universe at one time, and as part of the world and its people at the other. I do not feel like leaving my home even for all the wonders of the outside world.”

Indeed, glass is a resourceful material that lends a new, graceful and glossy dimension to a home.

 

Colour of Paint : Choose with care

While deciding the colour of the paint, you must keep the colour of the rugs or floor, wallpaper, and fabrics in mind.

Being meticulous will help. Do carry all of your swatches: carpet, tile, wallpaper, fabrics, trims, etc, with you when you shop for the paint. Chances are you would be able to select just the right paint for every room. Generally, the background colour of your fabric or a lighter version of it is an ideal choice for the walls. Keep in mind the warm and cool tones of individual colours before selecting your favourite colour.

 

Bathrooms to match your biorhythm

One of the five basic elements in nature, water is a synonym for freshness, clarity and piousness.

A TV newsreader by profession Anjali Kanwar loves to relax in and have an evening shower in her luxury bathroom. She has added accessories right from sleek hardware fittings to décor pieces including green plants, music, perfumed candles, rugs, furniture, beautiful tiles and pictures. For her, a bathroom is a place ‘to be herself’ and she feels bathrooms must be designed to match your biorhythm.

Purpose, spaciousness and easy maintenance are some factors that are worth giving attention to, while designing a bathroom. Accessories might include:

Bath hardware: Variation in features like finish, style, and colour offer a large variety of choice.

Bathroom tiles: Be it ceramic tiles, resilient vinyl or anything else, the bathroom floor must be made of slip-resistant material.

Acrylic bathtubs: Bathtubs are now available in many shapes or can be custom-made so that they fit perfectly in a corner allowing space utilisation.

Colours: Colours can elevate moods and add extra style to bathrooms.

Glass: Glass, in place of shower curtains, can add a touch of sophistication in the form of glass walls, glass blocks and sliding glass doors.

Palms and Gladioli: Flowering plants and even bonsai can thrive well in a bathroom that is well lit and has proper ventilation. If you cannot find a plant to go with your bathroom décor, a flower vase with fresh or dried flowers can look just as good.

Bathroom fixtures: Very stylish looking fixtures can be bought in matching colour combinations along with other accessories, such as soap trays, bathroom shelves, towel racks, toilet paper holders, hooks.

Luxury tips: Amenities like hydro baths, whirlpools, spas, jacuzzi, saunas and shower cubicles with fitted telephones can be added to the bathroom.

Finally, it is your innovative and aesthetic sense that will govern your bathroom décor.

 

Very common, yet very essential

Pottery is generally arranged in homes with aesthetic considerations. Most common also are electronic items like plasma TVs, home theatres or any type of music system.

Wall hangings give your room a  touch of artistry, and wind chimes bring good vibes into your home.

Bed covers, elegant bed linen in various textures can be used to beautify a room.

Curtains, be it any fabric, should be bought keeping in mind that they add to the harmony of the room.

And if you are religious, space must be provided in the form of a separate room to God to bring in peace and prosperity into your lives.

 

Home, sweet home

Who would not want to rest in the lap of a welcoming chair, or breathe fresh air at the porch in his dream abode? A home is where you unwind as you watch the sinking sun inflame the horizon (and if you are lucky, the snow capped mountains), where you feel at ease with yourself.

Your home, like life, is ever evolving.  Comprising your tastes, moods, comfort. It is like a constant companion in your life’s journey. And when you are tired during this journey, you come back to this place that provides you soft sanctuary. Then it is just you and the place you call home sweet home, that matter.