Nothing conveys a festive mood better than sprucing up your abode. Sometimes, finding the perfect decorations can be a bit of a challenge, putting a damper on your plans. If you have been bitten by the home visualiser bug and are keen on transforming your space to bring that festive vibe to it, take these interior design cues from Gurugram-based Priyanka Singh, founder and studio head, Chalk Studio, and Shreya K Punj from Noida, founder of Studio DAT. We are sure these tips will help elevate your décor to the next level this time around.
Let there be light
A top-tested interior trick is to focus on the right lighting—from stylish fixtures to modern pendants or even the humble tea light, there are a slew of options to choose from. Priyanka concurs, sharing that decorative lighting can accentuate one’s home. She adds, “Festive lamps, lanterns, candles, and twinkling lights; these can help set the mood for friends and family this season.” Shreya, on the other hand, is an advocate of the good old glass jam jars, “You can add salt and glitter in them,” she says, adding, “and place tea lights in them. You can also dress up the jar with cinnamon sticks and ribbons. This is the perfect décor for tables and fire mantles as it helps create a warm vibe.”
Natural and easy
There are a number of ways to add an organic, natural touch to your home décor. Shreya recommends starting with the table, “Add a rustic centrepiece by reusing a food tin can; you can dress it up with a jute cloth and burlap. Then, add some branches, pine cones, and pampas grass to complete the whole set-up.” Priyanka mentions, “Dried natural elements are great to make fragrant potpourri or Christmas staples such as wreaths and tinsel.”
Texture play
Stay warm and cozy this winter and complete your festive décor by working with multiple textures. “Textures bring to mind feelings of warmth and coziness. Use a number of accent cushions, floor rugs, sofa, throws, etc., in festive colours of white and red for this,” shares Priyanka. Shreya advises, “Play with the colours of Christmas—white, green, and red. You can bring out your velvet and plaid shawls and style them as sofa throws to create a fuzzy mood. Also, add cushions of varied sizes and hues to scale up the styling.”
Eco delights
Those looking to hop on the sustainability bandwagon, this is the right season to do so. Priyanka shares to start with items available at home: “Try and make a conscious effort to re-use common, day-to-day items to revamp and spruce up your home while prepping for the festive season. You can also stitch together vintage fabrics in interesting patchwork patterns to make decorative throws and accent pieces." Shreya mentions something similar, adding, “One can reuse old clothes or fabric to stitch cushion covers. You can then wrap it with cute belts to match the décor.” Choosing alternatives to paper while gift wrapping is yet another way to be eco-friendly. Priyanka adds, "Another easy, sustainable way is to wrap gifts using old pieces of cloth.”
It's DIY time
What’s Christmas without a family get-together!? Nothing's better during celebrations than coming together as a family. Shreya says, “An easy and fun way to ring in the Christmas spirit is to get together with your family and enjoy DIY activities, especially with your kids. To add good vibes and energy, create origami ornaments (below) using old newspaper, magazine pages, to decorate the Xmas tree or place on centre table trays.” With the trend of upcycling catching up, Priyanka shares that it is best to enjoy these mini projects as a family, “Make décor ornaments by creatively upcycling and re-painting old glass bottles, corks, ribbon, pine cones, etc.”