When we started this hashtag party on Instagram last year, little did Preethi or me know how many hearts it would touch. 52 weeks later, we have over 21k shares on this hashtag, hundreds of participants every week and many happy sponsors. And then, of course, the 52 pics of these 21000 that were pic-of-the-week, week on week. For all of you who have loved and lived this hashtag party with us, here is a roundup. Presenting to you, the 52 winning pics of #MyDesiSwag 2018. 

#MyDesiSwag 2018:

For those of you who are not familiar with it, here’s a little synopsis of what exactly #MyDesiSwag is. This is a hashtag party hosted by Preethi and me on Instagram. Every week we announce a theme. Participants click photos accordingly and share these pics using this hashtag. At the end of the week we select our favourite pic and the winner goes on to host the next week’s party with us.

We’ve had some exciting themes and many stunning pictures and more often than not, it’s been difficult to choose just one winner. But we do, and the party continues in the same fashion. It’s been a whole year now, and we are very proud to bring you all 52 winners of #MyDesiSwag 2018.

Week 1 – Coffee Table Decor

Our first theme was coffee table decor and our very first winner was Bharti. This vignette, with brassware dancers right alongside crystal tea light holders, stole our hearts. It embodied perfectly our vision of this hashtag. Of how we proudly hold on to our desi heritage in this modern world. Pic-Of-The-Week by: @bharti244.

Week 2 – Tricolour

Republic day was in the middle of our second week, and so our theme was styling with orange, green and white. We loved this click by Vinanti instantly. Using these three colours in decor doesn’t come naturally and can look quite forced and artificial if not done right. Vinanti’s colours were beautiful and along with the greens, everything fell into place perfectly. Pic-Of-The-Week by @vinilogues.

Week 3 – Cushions

The theme for the third week was cushions and Anuradha nailed it with this pic. The bright, well coordinated cushions along with the amazing gallery wall of masks and beautiful coffee table decor made for a perfect living room in every which way. Pic-Of-The-Week by @anuraya_by_anuradhakapoor.

Week 4 – Kitchens

The fourth week of #MyDesiSwag 2018 was all about kitchens and we loved Mamta’s happy space. Can’t think of a better way to brighten up a kitchen than with a pop of colour and some fresh greens. Pic-Of-The-Week by @thecreativeaficionado

Week 5 – Gratitude

We decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day on #MyDesiSwag by talking about gratitude instead of romance. And we picked Gayathri’s beautiful dining table not just for how beautifully it is styled, but for her beautiful words that came with the pic. She said she was grateful for her “cozy corner where we all gather to share a meal , laughter and make memories“. Pic-Of-The-Week by @g3vinod

Week 6 – Plants

We picked an ever-green theme for week 6 (pun intended!). Most of us love our greens as much as anyone else, and can’t do without them. But when it comes to plants, Raina is the first among equals. Her beautiful balcony and the way she styles with plants and flowers continues to inspire many of us every day! Pic-Of-The-Week by @srain_a

Week 7 – A Riot Of Colours

With Holi coming up, we decided on ‘colours’ as our theme for week 7. We wanted to see how you mix colours in your decor, and Rohit’s colourful living room was just the riot of colours we were looking for. Pic-Of-The-Week by @rohitmohanraj

Week 8 – Dining Spaces

We desis love our food, so it was only a matter of time before our dining spaces made an entry into #MyDesiSwag 2018. This beautifully coordinated tablescape by Gargi with her vintage crockery and stunning glassware made us want to join her at her table. Pic-Of-The-Week by @gargi_khosla

Week 9 – Woodcraft

Our theme for week 9 of #MyDesiSwag 2018 was wooden handicrafts. We have such a rich heritage of various handicrafts in our country. It was time to share that with pride. This image by Reshma absolutely blew our minds. From the beautiful gallery wall to the driftwood bench, we loved it all. Pic-Of-The-Week by @reshmakadvath

Week 10 – How You Display Flowers

When I think of a floral display I think fresh flowers, some dried ones maybe, a beautiful vase or an earthenware pot. Sujatha thought coconut trimmings… and we thought ‘Wow’! Pic-Of-The-Week by @sujatha.giri

Week 11 – Songs of Summer

As the April heat began to make it’s presence felt, our theme turned to summer styling. And Rima’s light, white balcony seemed like the perfect place to catch some summer breeze. Pic-Of-The-Week by @abohemianrapsody

Week 12 – Metal Magic

The theme of week 12 of #MyDesiSwag2018 was your favourite piece of metal art and how you style it. We loved this beautiful piece and how lovely it looked in Reema’s balcony. Pic-Of-The-Week by @m_n_r_homedecor

Week 13 – Love For Vintage

Whether it was a real antique or vintage inspired decor, we asked you to share your love for vintage with us. Pearl’s vintage typewriter, along with all the other beautiful vintage pieces styled on that table, had our hearts at once. Pic-Of-The-Week by @decoaddict_pearl

Week 14 – YOU

It was summer vacation time and we took a break too. Instead of coming up with a theme, we let YOU decide it. We asked you to share pics with us that described your style, your decor, or YOU the best. Krittika described herself as “Rustic, vintage, white loving, crazy dog lady; whatever you want to name it. All this and more defines me and my decor style.” And her pic described that beautifully too! Pic-Of-The-Week by @krittikasrikanth

Week 15 – Flatlays

This was also one of those moments of change on #MyDesiSwag, where we allowed YOU to take over some of it. Instead of selecting a theme every week by ourselves, we decided to let your pics select the theme for us. So the theme of week 15, inspired by the beautiful flatlay by Krittika, was ‘flatlays’. And this gorgeous blue, vintage flatlay by Vasudha was a favourite with all the cohosts. Pic-Of-The-Week by @vasudha.dilip

Week 16 – When I’m Feeling Blue

The theme of week 16 was inspired by Vasudha’s blue flatlay and this beautiful song by Phil Collins.

“When I’m feeling blue
All I have to do
Is take a look at ____________”

We wanted you to fill in the blank with a pic of what drives away your blues. This pic by Neha melted our hearts. Pic-Of-The-Week by @nehadesor

Week 17 – Patterns

We asked you to show us how you use patterns in your decor and we absolutely loved the vibrant cushions and how they brought Preeti’s living room and Preeti’s balcony to life. Yup, we really had two Preeti’s stealing our hearts in the same week! Pic-Of-The-Week by: Left – @preetisusant | Right – @preeticdeshmukh

Week 18 – Pairs

Inspired by the pair of winners we had over the last week, our theme for Week 18 of #MyDesiSwag 2018 was ‘pairs’. In this glamorous pic, Divya spoke not of the pair of candle stands, but the pairing of gold and silver to make a stunning vignette. Pic-Of-The-Week by @desi_diy_divyakandala

Week 19 – Candles

This simple and elegant vignette by Divya instantly made it to the fave-3 list of all the hosts of #MyDesiSwag in week 19. Pic-Of-The-Week by @divyajujaray

Week 20 – Pottery & Ceramics

We usually think India when we think ‘pottery’. So Sruthi’s collection of pottery from around the world had us amazed. That she styled it so beautifully was an added bonus. Pic-Of-The-Week by @sruthimalapaka

Week 21 – Clusters

Week 21 of #MyDesiSwag 2018 was all about clusters. And Seema’s unusual cluster of cloches, twinkling away in the pretty lights, had our hearts instantly. Pic-Of-The-Week by @seemasingh0365

Week 22 – Twilight Tones

The delicate glow of the twilight couldn’t be captured better. A lovely composition by Nain that you cannot not fall in love with… and we did too! Pic-Of-The-Week by @houseof9design

Week 23 – Style With Books

Books are such an integral part of our lives. Wouldn’t it be just perfect if we could make them look pretty in our homes too? We got a whole load of amazing styling ideas, but this pic by Rashmi stopped us in our tracks. I’ve never seen a more unusual side table. Pic-Of-The-Week by @colours_and_aromas

Week 24 – Monsoon Diaries

Seasons change faster on #MyDesiSwag than they do in real life. 🙂 We asked you to share with us how you like to spend a rainy day in your home. This pic by Pratiksha had us wanting to head straight to her window for a cup of tea! Pic-Of-The-Week by @ahousebythebay

Week 25 – Indigo

In continuing with the rainy themes… and inspired by all the blues in the Pratiksha’s beautiful pic above, we asked you to share how you style your blues with us. This pic by Honey had us smiling from ear to ear. She added her vibrant, happy, Honey style to what we thought would be a calm, quiet blue. (I still can’t get over the indigo footwear perfectly styled in that corner!) Pic-Of-The-Week by @honeyaulakh9

Week 26 – Honey Style

Though Honey’s style is quite indescribable, we did give it a try. “Think vibrant, happy, confident and fun with a special ‘Honey-ka-takda’ on top.” Sweta’s pic, we thought, nailed it. An eclectic pot-pourri of many different elements coming together to make one cohesive, happy picture. Well done, Sweta! Pic-Of-The-Week by @swetashaktipanda

Week 27 – Yellow

This was a special week on #MyDesiSwag 2018. We loved Honey’s vibrant energy and sweet style and just didn’t want to let her go. We enthusiastically welcomed her as the third co-host of the hashtag party. The yellow from Sweta’s pic and Honey’s sunny disposition pretty much decided the theme of the week.

We loved this view of Neha’s living room. The light filtering in through those yellow drapes was ‘sheer’ romance, and it easy to pick our next theme. Pic-Of-The-Week by @raveenandinii

Week 28 – Sheer Curtains

We had so many beautiful pictures to choose from, but this one from Supriya took our breath away. She has used so many different elements so wonderfully well in her living room. From the layering of her window drapes to her collection of cushions and glass lamps, we loved it all. Pic-Of-The-Week by @suplilspace

Week 29 – Block Prints

It takes courage to use one bold print right alongside another one.. and self confidence to know you’ve nailed it. Jitneesh showed enough of both with her beautifully styled bedroom and we had no hesitation in selecting this pic as our fave. Pic-Of-The-Week by @_libra_arts_

Week 30 – Style Your Bed

I can see a striped rug, ikat drapes and a floral cushion and throw on the bed. Another beautifully styled bedroom with so many different elements complimenting each other perfectly well. Bhakti’s warm and welcoming bedroom stole our hearts. Pic-Of-The-Week by @bhakti_achara

Week 31 – Rugs

We asked to see how you style your rugs, and this simple yet bold geometric pattern caught our eye instantly. Notice how Snigdha has used solid colours to offset the bold pattern? We thought it was great styling! Pic-Of-The-Week by @tsnigdha18

Week 32 – My Desi Heart

It was Independence Day week, and we asked you to share your Desi stories with us. Stories of kindness, generosity and love… the kind that move any Desi heart.

Suraksha shared her experience of the time in 1992 during the Babri Masjid riots. She wrote of how her Muslim milkman would send his little kids to her place in spite of danger to make sure her family didn’t fall short of milk. The story moved us and you can click here to read all of it. Pic-Of-The-Week by @suraksha.kumar

Week 33 – Diyas

The beautiful diya in Suraksha’s pic inspired our theme for this week. And the rustic charm of this pic by Beena had us floored. The stone urli, brass diyas and flowers and foliage to go along took us into an era bygone. Pic-Of-The-Week by @beena_mumbai

Week 34 – Plants

Since Beena hosts the #mygreentreasure hashtag party, it made perfect sense to merge the two parties this week.. so our theme was plants.

Naina’s book case was a perfect example of using plants in decor. She has used plants as her primary decorative here, and the result is stunning. Pic-Of-The-Week by @nainabaliga

Week 35 – Shelfies

What we really loved about Sandhya’s shelfie is the ‘little bit of this and the little bit of that’. Books, plants and decoratives. Indian, African, Arabic.. and so much more. We loved how she put it all together into one delightful shelfie. Pic-Of-The-Week by @j_abode

Week 36 – Around The World On MyDesiSwag

Our theme in the 36th week of #MyDesiSwag 2018 was inspired by Sandhya’s eclectic decor collection. It literally had us singing with joy…

‘Mera carpet hai Afghaani
Yeh cushions hain Suzaani
Chhat pe Moroccan jhoomar latke
Phir bhi ghar hai Hindustani’

And we asked you to show us how you use decor from around the world in your Desi homes. Rashmi’s glorious gallery wall had us speechless… it still does! Pic-Of-The-Week by @shabby_viola

Week 37 – Gallery Wall

I don’t really need to tell you what inspired this theme of #MyDesiSwag 2018. 🙂 What is not so obvious was the pic that stole our hearts. We had expected to see glamourous, elegant or maybe a little flashy. We didn’t expect cute! Pic-Of-The-Week by @sahejwithsumedha

Week 38 – Kids Rooms

Lakshmi’s pic got a thumbs up from all the cohosts that week. A clean, clutter free space with just the right amount of visual interest had us all say ‘aye’. Pic-Of-The-Week by @dressyourhome.in

Week 39 – Your Home At Night

With Navratri coming up we decided to add some sparkle to #MyDesiSwag 2018. We asked to see your homes glowing in the night, and this pic gave us all kind of bedroom goals… the lighting being only one part of it! Pic-Of-The-Week by @b_n_n_take_a_joyride

Week 40 – Victory of Good Over Evil

It was Dussehra week and we celebrated it on #MyDesiSwag 2018 too. You shared stories about your big and little victories in day to day life, and we were all inspired.

Navneet’s story about following her love made us smile. Click here to read all of it. Pic-Of-The-Week by @designdecortravel

Week 41 – Float Them

The urlis in Navneet’s vignette above, inspired our theme of floating decor. We saw so many beautiful vignettes with floating flowers and candles, but this one stood out. For me, it was the gorgeous stone urli that took it away. Pic-Of-The-Week by @sun.ghar.203

Week 42 – Stone

And so stone it was in week 42 of #MyDesiSwag 2018. Pebbles, rocks, stone pottery or sculpture or a beautiful stone facade.. we wanted to see it all. And imagine the coincidence… it was another type of stone urli that took our breath away this time. Pic-Of-The-Week by @artbyarmaya

Week 43 – Dressed Up For Diwali

Diwali week was on us and can we have any other theme for Diwali week? This time we asked you to share yourself too. You in your homes, festive and glittering, all dressed up for Diwali. You shared so, so many beautiful pictures, but can you really pick one beautiful home over another?

So for the first time in #MyDesiSwag 2018, we didn’t select a winner. We couldn’t.

Week 44 – Art In My Home

And so we started afresh, with no co-host and a theme we picked. This time it was all about art. The way Sunita styled her art was a piece of art in itself and we had a new co-host again. Pic-Of-The-Week by @spacesandthensomemore

Week 45 – Give Me Red

The reds in the pic above set our theme for us. And Saima styled her red kitchenware beautifully to give us this striking vignette. Pic-Of-The-Week by @thehomecanvas_

Week 46 – Serveware

And just as quickly as Honey joined us, she left us too. Hosting the hashtag party started to take a toll on Honey’s time, and she decided to leave. This was the last week she hosted with us.. and we still miss her!

Of all the amazing pics we got, we couldn’t get over Garima’s simple flatlay with a piece of rope and a few spoons. Pic-Of-The-Week by @my_apartment_life

Week 47 – Domestic Goddess

The simple little things in that picture, added up to such a beautiful and wholesome whole. It reminded us of how we ‘Domestic Goddesses’ do a million little things every single day that keeps our families and work spaces all running like a well oiled machine. Prachee said ‘When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you….’ The intricate details of her art made such a pretty picture… and her words moved us as much as the picture did. Pic-Of-The-Week by @pracheevash

Week 48 – Florals

Most of the entries we got in the first couple of days were floral arrangements. We were looking for floral patterns and prints in decor. Eventually, when you started sending them in, we had some stunning pics to choose from. But Chitra’s charming chair won most of our hearts. The bright, water colour, floral print makes me take a second look every time. Pic-Of-The-Week by @dwellbychitra

Week 49 – Hot Seat

Inspired by Chirtra’s chair, we asked you to share with us your favourite sitting spots at home. Janaki’s favourite chair, upholstered in her Kanjeevaram saree, was definitely special… and very hot! Pic-Of-The-Week by @jans_thehomewitha_swing

Week 50 – Christmas Decor

And just like Diwali week means Diwali decor, Christmas week on #MyDesiSwag 2018 had to be about everything Christmas.

This gorgeous vignette by Priyanka with candles, garlands and the perfect Christmas tree, had us singing carols in our head. Pic-Of-The-Week by @ahomediary

Week 51 – Decor Goals for 2019

With the New Year coming up and everyone writing their resolutions, we thought we’d ask everyone about their decor plans for 2019.

Saranya said her plan was to “add more plants and add more color to add more drama while learning and spreading knowledge about sustainable living”. And that stunning pic showed us she meant every word of what she said. Pic-Of-The-Week by @throughthegreenlens

Week 52 – Accent Wall

We couldn’t get our eyes off Saranya’s bright and beautiful wall, and so for the last week of #MyDesiSwag 2018, we asked to see more accent walls.

We’re so glad we did, because this one by Nidhi has us equally spellbound. Pic-Of-The-Week by @abounding_in_grace

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And so the journey continues. 52 weeks and 21,000 posts later, a whole year of #MyDesiSwag is over. When Preethi and me started this hashtag party, it was a journey into the unknown for us… a shot in the dark. We fumbled, stumbled and learnt along the way… and it helped that you supported us at each step.

Now we step into the next 52… with the same excitement and enthusiasm we felt when we first started… still wondering where this journey is going to take us. Only this time, we know we’re not going it alone. This time, we know you’re with us.

Together, for the next 52,

PS: If you didn’t join us for #MyDesiSwag 2018, don’t miss the coming year. You can get details on our Instagram profiles. Click here to visit Preethi’s Instagram. Click here to visit mine.