Sakal Times

Diwali Lights in Home Decor

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This Diwali make the perfect excuse to bring light into your life – whether it is in the form of lamp shades, light fixtures, diyas, traditional lamps or candles.

‘Light attracts light’ ~ Warsan Shire. It is the season of all things bright and all things light. Well it is Diwali and the time of the year when lighting up your home is also about adding a welcome touch to the festivities.

Courtesy Livspace

Light it Up

Floating candles, fairy/rice lights, pendant paper lanterns, glass and metal lanterns and tea-light holders are some of the most preferred lights during Diwali. Wall mounted metal candle holders in vibrant colours and in a composition that’s inspired by the traditional ‘jharokha’ style can create an ethnic feel. Similarly, wall mounted candle holders with backdrop designed in ‘jali’ work give a glimpse of the vintage metal art. “One could refurbish a string of lights by cutting colourful papers in floral shapes and using them as a cover for each of the bulbs in the string. Similarly, the LED candle lights could be embellished with hand-cut papers in glitter for a glam festive touch. Using sheer curtains and pairing them with complementing fairy lights can help create a festive scene. Reusing old glass bottles by inserting picture of loved ones and pairing it with fairy lights lends a personal touch to the festive decor. Alternately, the family photo wall could be accentuated with a combination of wall mounted tea-light holders and fairy lights. One could also reuse old glasses or wider glass bottles or bigger glass bowls by placing colourful candles in them on a base of sand for an exotic touch,” says Radeesh Shetty, Lighting Designer and Director, The Purple Turtles.

The Purple Turtles
The Purple Turtles

Festive Hues

There is a deeper significance to the celebration of the Festival of Lights; that of dispelling the darkness of ignorance with the light of knowledge and spirituality. Lighting is an integral part of the spirit of celebrating this much loved festival. “You can create the prettiest hanging lamps with warm golden lights inside old Mason jars. Sprinkle some glitter dust on the outside of the jars to get myriad tiny sparkles, and do remember to hang them at staggered heights to add interest. A lighting tray can be crafted out of some old wooden reapers, joined together in a crisscross pattern, with LED lamps in simple glass holders. LED lighting strips are readily available and can be affixed around your cabinets, window frames, picture frames and mirrors to get a tiny glow of festive warmth. Use recycled handmade paper to create Zen-like tall lanterns that cast a soothing glow,” says Basob Majumdar, VP – Design, HomeLane.

Courtesy Design Cafe
Courtesy Design Cafe

Do it Right

When using flamed candles or diyas it is best to use them in and around ‘urli’ or bundle them creatively in a corner to avoid any accidents. Buying traditional diyas is also a novel way to support local artisans. Adel Sajan, Director, Danube Home says, “make sure outdoor lights are not used for indoor purposes as outdoor lights get hotter quicker than the ones designated for indoor purposes. Using coloured lights for one corner and white for another makes the place look cluttered. Follow one pattern or style to also establish a particular look you wish to go for. If you have a large foyer or portico area, a nice touch is to go for, are the fibre glass mega sized tea light holders to give your home a grand look.” Balance the lights carefully. Ambient light with an accent light is good. If you prefer natural lights then go for tea holders with tea lights rather than strip or LED lights. A strict no for big bulbs and instead use smaller lights to create mood lighting. Gita Ramanan, CEO and Co-founder, Design Café says, “elegance is truly achieved with minimalism. The best way to maintain the perfect balance between elegance and glam is to pick one single object or corner in every room and have only this be the focus of attention. For example, if you pick the center table to be the focus of your living room, try and get creative with it. An eye-catching sculptural item like a family heirloom along with a vase with your favorite blooms is sometimes all that’s needed to complete that coffee table. To take things to the next level, you could also add in a duo of candelabras to theme your living room elements together in glamorous harmony with the Festival of Lights.”

Courtesy Livspace

Go Green

While plastic LED lights are handy, they are not environment friendly. Hence, limiting their use in quantity or ensuring they are not limited to one-time use would be better. Disposing off any such electrical item responsibly or if possible, giving it away for recycling is a more sensible way to celebrate the festival of lights. Reuse terracotta diyas that are left over from last year’s decorations and light them with leftover kitchen oil rather than using fresh oil. The wicks too can be reused. Stubs of old candles can be melted and the wax used to make new candles. Add some coloured wax crayons to the mix and a touch of essential oils, and you can have the prettiest aromatic candles for the festive season. Sonal Tayal, Head of Design and Sales Ops, Livspace avers, “candles create magic on a budget and light up your home like no other. You can use decorative candles on your centre table in the living room. Put them in holders and place them all around the table. Alternatively, you can also place a traditional lamp with candles to give it a festive look. Floating candles are a classic way to add festive decor at home and this is also good according to Vastu so it’s a win-win.” So this Diwali usher in light into your home it is the best way to welcome the festival to which it is an ode to.

This story first appeared in Sakal Times dated Oct 24, 2019 here:

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