To realize the Indian style in the interior of the modern house will not be difficult, if you take the national coloring as a basis, add gold colors and elegant furniture. Let’s tell you what other characteristic features the direction has, what elements of decor can best emphasize the identity of the culture of the bright eastern country. Read and find out what accessories you need to buy to form the right atmosphere.
General characteristics of the style
India is a big country. It is inhabited by people who attach great importance to the spirituality of being. Their life is orderly, austere and full of asceticism, but even the most modest housing is able to demonstrate the presence of fine taste. It necessarily has a touch of sophistication. And this is the most important component of Indian design.
Another is the presence of arches, columns and niches. Their creation is a costly affair. It’s cheaper to paint them all on the walls or use them to frame mirrors, chair backs, cabinet fronts and kitchen sets. The headboard of a bed or the back of an upholstered sofa can have an arch shape.
The walls are dominated by bright colors. A lot of orange, crimson, yellow and turquoise. Warm colors are necessarily diluted with cold ones. In this way it is possible to give the finished interior depth. The white color is not suitable for the realization of Indian style. It is considered a temple color and symbolizes the rejection of the world of wealth and luxury. In its homeland, the soul of all decoration in general is the color of the melon nutmeg. Its core has a pleasant color, which has notes of rich orange and red. Wood, metal, ivory and rich textures of fabrics are in harmony with them.
However, such juiciness and brightness is not considered to be mandatory today. It is possible to fully comply with the basic concept, even with the application of a calm neutral color scheme, against which the decor will then fully unfold. Beneficial in this case, use sand colors, shades of dark brown or delicate orange.
Indian interior gravitates towards floristics. Therefore, there are many living or artificial plants around. They decorate the living rooms and bedrooms. The image of flowers can be present in finishing materials and in fabrics. All plumb surfaces are traditionally wallpapered with gold or mother-of-pearl patterns. Some walls are draped with beautiful fabrics, while others are decorated with carved wooden panels or paintings depicting Indian deities.
The ceiling decoration can be just as rich. The installation of multilevel structures made of plasterboard, the use of stretch ceilings, the creation of a tent of material is appropriate. Against the background of such design, a chandelier made of brass looks luxurious. The light coming from it, getting into the formed folds and curves, is reflected from them and creates the right atmosphere.
The floor is usually lined with ceramic tiles with characteristic Indian ornaments or natural stone of light shades. Since in India, wood is a symbol of wealth, its use can be called quite appropriate. If you choose the right laminate or parquet, it will fit perfectly into the overall picture of the interior. At the finishing stage, you need to fume it with the fragrance of sandalwood or patchouli, and then everything will come together.
Furniture
In the beginning, even the filling of the palaces and houses of the rich nobles was as simple as possible, the furnishings were formed using roughly chipped objects. Today the national Indian furniture is a work of art. It is made of natural wood and then further decorated with carved ornaments and elements of artistic forging, inlaid with stones, and at the finishing stage is covered with glossy varnish. Tables and chairs, doors and shutters are made in this way. The interior necessarily includes elegant screens, panels made of wood, panels and other decorative elements.
Traditional furniture has no backs, armrests. It is all very low. There are both sofas and armchairs, and the Indian style suggests choosing velour or suede with a national pattern for their upholstery. It is acceptable to use leather for this purpose as well. In any case, the upholstered group, as in Europe, is additionally decorated with cushions. There should be a lot of them. The pillowcases for them are sewn from different “rich in texture” fabrics, and then additionally decorated with beads and large beads. The sofa can also have a coffee table with a glass top with massive, intricately curved legs.
The storage system is created by wooden cabinets with hinged doors. Their fronts are beautiful and openwork. Carving and inlaying are considered mandatory. In simpler models, the doors are decorated with inserts in the form of a lattice. And also chests with brass, chests of drawers are painted. They usually have figures of animals, girls dressed in traditional saris or gods. All the furniture has a solid appearance. The abundance of decorative elements turns it into a masterpiece of applied crafts.
The interior is influenced by the functionality of the rooms. Sofas and cabinets are for the living room, the bedroom in the Indian style is a corner of paradise. Its center is a bed made of natural wood, massive, with carved wooden posts on the sides. On them is attached a light airy canopy of bright red or crimson color, sewn from organza. The floor is fully carpeted with a high pile. Cushions are scattered everywhere. The presence of other furniture is masked and made completely invisible.
The kitchen in the Indian style is also a bright space, radiating harmony and comfort. The furniture for its filling is made of teak or bamboo, rattan or boxwood. Such wood itself looks very impressive, but the addition of painting or inlaying in the facades of the arched form makes the sets even more beautiful and attractive. Hindus themselves are practical people. They do not use bright colors in the working area of the kitchen. Therefore, on the apron can appear a simple ceramic tile, which can be easily washed. The countertop is better to do under marble.
When buying appliances, it is better to give preference to vintage models. They fit very well into colorful interiors. To find an oven and a stove hood is not so easy, but there are manufacturers, in the collections of which there are necessarily instances in the retro style.
An abundance of decor and luxury items is characteristic of any functional room decorated in the Indian style. In the kitchen, all of this can be used to create a dining area. It should turn into a place for relaxation and rest, so if the area allows, it is necessary to put soft sofas in the kitchen, to cover them with blankets sewn from expensive fabrics of rich bright colors, cushions embroidered with gold thread. Instead of sofas it is acceptable to use sofas, ottomans, instead of chairs, poufs and benches.
Additional decorative elements
In addition to bright fabrics and a lot of cushions, accessories will help to add completeness to the interior. These can be elephants displayed in a caravan, made of natural bone. Or wooden figurines of the gods. Since India has an incredible variety of them, there are items on sale that can help decorate both the bedroom and the living room and the kitchen.
Buy any accessory with a religious theme, and you can’t go wrong. Paintings depicting scenes of Buddha’s life, sculptures of Shiva – it is difficult to imagine the Indian style without them. Houses in India are also actively decorated with clay figurines of birds or animals. Most often they are sacred cows or antelope, crocodiles or snakes. In any Indian house you can see a heron as tall as a man. There are also a lot of candles and lit fragrance sticks.
Fine metal vases and utensils made of copper, complemented with embossing, are another group of traditional accessories suitable for creating a style of any oriental design. You can hang metal bells in the rooms directly above the doors, which emit subtle melodic sounds when the wind blows. They will bring harmony and lightness to the house, which will have a positive effect on the microclimate in general.
Flowers alive or artificial, made with their own hands from bright materials, can also be actively present in the design of any room. And also a hookah, it is necessary to bring it into the decor, even if no one smokes at home.
Briefly about the main thing
It is unreal to reproduce exactly the Indian interior in a modern house. You can try to create a special colorful atmosphere. To do this, you need to paint the walls in bright orange, crimson or turquoise tones, lay on the floor dark-colored laminate, part of the walls draped with richly textured fabrics with traditional floral ornaments.
To fill the interior, the most suitable furniture is made of natural wood. It should have a simple streamlined shape and “low landing”. Upholstered group is covered with materials, embroidered with gold thread, chairs, tables, beds, cabinets are additionally decorated with inlaid and necessarily lacquered.
If you put a statue of Buddha or Ganesha with many hands on a carved chest of drawers, metal crockery decorated with embossing, and a brightly-colored carpet on the floor, you can create the Indian spirit.
