This post has been inspired by a new hashtag party we’ve recently started on Instagram with the #mydesiswag tag. You can check out the details on my Instagram account, but it’s been great fun with more than 500 entries coming in, in just the first 2 weeks, and so many gorgeous Indian decor ideas for all of us to enjoy.

I’m quite certain that soon we’ll be talking about hundreds of entries coming in daily, not weekly. So for all of you who love the desi look… for all of you who would love to join in but are a little hesitant to do so… and for all of you who are already pros at this… this post is for every one of you! 

What is this desi twist then? Have you ever gone through a Pinterest search, and suddenly stopped at a pic which has ‘Indian’ written all over it? And when you check where it’s from, sure enough, you’re right! It is this decor style, which is unique to us Indians, that we’re talking about. It helps us to identify one pic from thousands, and gives the same unique look to our homes and decor too.

Indian Decor Ideas:

When you start seeing all these amazing pics, you begin to notice certain common elements in them… which is what makes our decor ‘desi‘. In this post today, I’ve divided these elements into 6 categories.  You’ll also see that most of these pics will have not only one, but usually a group of these elements put together to make a gorgeous vignette.

(1) Brassware:

The most oft repeated theme in desi pics is the use of brassware. Whether it is statues, urns or lamps, we love to display our brassware. And why not? It’s very Indian and even a single piece can make an entire vignette.

(2) Diyas:

Diyas, again, are very desi. Though candles make gorgeous vignettes, it’s diyas and ethnic tea-light holders which make them desi. So whether it’s an earthen diya or a tea-light holder in brass or glass, go ahead and add a few to your Indian decor.

(3) Local Flowers:

Plants and flower are always great in any space. But here I’m not talking about tulips and carnations. For a desi look I would use locally available flowers, like a bunch of freshly cut bougainvillea…

.. or a scattering of jasmine or marigold.

(4) Indian Fabrics and Prints:

Indian decor is incomplete without the use of ethnic weaves and embroideries, especially because we have such a wide variety to choose from. Use block printed bedcovers, kantha cushions, silk runners or bandhani throws.

(5) Deities:

There is a debate on how many million deities we have, but I think it’s safe to say that we Indians probably have the largest number of Gods and Goddesses in the world. And being the religious people that we are, a large part of our arts, whether it be music, dance, painting or sculpture, is dedicated to them. Paintings and statues of Ganesha, Buddha, Natraj, Laxmi… and so many more, are beautifully handcrafted by artisans from all over the country.

Adding these to your decor is a great way of giving it an Indian look.

(6) Indian Handicrafts:

Again, so much craft work, wood work and metal work to choose from. We’re a bunch of really lucky people, completely spoilt for choice! We have at least 1 different craft type from every state of the country. So whether you pick a carved mirror, or a hand-painted box, it all adds up to the desi look.

This roughly distributes Indian decor elements into 6 basic categories, but this is only the tip of the ice-berg. There are so many desi looks and so many ways to achieve them, that I don’t think it’s possible for a single person to list them all. So why not make it a team effort?

Get Your Pic On This Post!

Here’s what I have in mind. Since the inspiration for this post has come from all the lovely pics that all of you have been sending in to the hashtag party, it’s only fair that your pics feature in this post too! And here’s how you can get your pic here.

1. Head over to my Instagram account and follow me.
2. Post your decor pics, styled the desi way. Tag me on them and add the #RittikaLookAtThis tag (remember my name has 2 ‘t’s in it!) and I promise I WILL look at them! 🙂
3. I’ll choose my favourite 3 to add to this post AND feature on my Instagram account.

Your Pics, Your Style!

Tamanna:

This beautiful vignette by @tamanna_chopra3649 is the first reader’s pic from Instagram to make it to this post. The brassware, the diyas, the Ganesha and the flowers.. it has it all in absolute perfect harmony.

Here is what she has to say about it. “I have a console sitting tight between 2 doors of 2 bedrooms opposite to each other. I wanted to create a dramatic scene on the console as the passage leads to a dead end. So I did a mix and match of vintage lassi glasses with a carved wooden box…sitting atop is a baby dancing Ganesha. To add some height to the tiny Ganesha I placed 2 brass bowls upside down and added a small round wooden box as an aasan to the Deity.

To keep Ganesha happy I added small brass peacocks in crystal diyas nestled in decorative glass votive candle holders. Added 2 brass lotus lamp oil wick diya stands… one small and one big, to give it a layered look. I threw in some faux flowers and that’s it.

I believe in keeping it simple while still retaining the elegance of the look. And most importantly, I use whatever is lying around the house and give it a twist to create a new look.”

Lakshmi:

I love this corner styled by @lak5hmig . It has so many different elements of different styles. The beautiful brass stool, the solid wooden centre table, the pretty bunch of flowers and a bright jute bag all add the desi touch to the eclectic mix of furniture.

Here is what Lakshmi has to say about her Indian decor. “Finding the right furniture for the home requires a little bit of luck and a whole lot of patience. This is specially true for me because my ideal home decor is the vintage Indian look. Shopping for that kind of stuff in the US is incredibly hard, so every piece in this frame has a story.

The coffee table is one of the rare finds we accidentally stumbled upon in a furniture store in Oakland, California. It’s a marquee piece, also incidentally, made in India and was a no brainer of sorts to buy. The accent chair is meant to be 60s throwback custom ordered from the same furniture store.

Other two major items are from the largest flea market in Northern California, the Alameda Point Antiques fair – the Thai table was a real steal as was the antique brass feet warmer used in olden days. The entire corner took almost 5 months of effort but I’m happy how they all came together so harmoniously.”

Mamta:

That gorgeous, deep blue creates the perfect mood for this reading nook by @thecreativeaficionado. Her desi wall art, is laid out in no particular pattern to make a pretty gallery wall. And the beautiful chair with its bright pop of red ties it all in perfectly.

Here’s what Mamta has to say about her reading nook. “For a long time I had been wanting to colour an accent wall in our home but couldn’t decide which wall to use. Finally, me and my husband decided on this wall in our bedroom and painted it in a beautiful blue shade.

We had this corner in our bedroom close to the windows which could be used as a reading nook.The captain’s chair and the corner shelf were bought from an antique store. We added some decorative pieces to the corner shelf. The blue accent wall served as a pretty background for our wall decor pieces.

I had bought the dhokra art pieces from Dilli Haat in India many years ago, but they never looked as good on the lighter shade wall as they did against the darker background. The Madhubani painting was also bought from Dilli Haat. The Jaipur mirror was a lucky find from a home decor store here in US.“

 

I couldn’t possibly put every picture I received on this post, but thank you all for sharing your homes and your Indian decor with us. I loved seeing all the pics. In case any of you missed it, you can search #RittikaLookAtThis on Instagram and you’ll see all the beautiful pics shared by everyone.

Here’s to beautiful Indian decor and loads of desi swag!

Until next time,