Décor Jabber – Holi Home Décor Ideas

Move over neutral homes or monochrome decor, with Holi around the corner, our homes need a colorful makeover to reflect the festive spirit. So it is time to splash some red, splish some green and dunk it in blue with a healthy dose of yellow, in fact  every color in the 1024x768 color spectrum, after all Holi hai!!

If you guys followed my earlier post on trunks, you would have seen that my living room is a riot of colors. I love color, I just can’t live in a neutral (read dull :P) room. I know neutral rooms can also be nice with the right use of textures and patterns, but I am more of a rainbow room kinda girl. I love the vibrancy and the energy that colors bring into a room and that keeps me cheerful. Here are my two cents on what to keep in mind while using color in home décor to bring out the desired effect:

1. If you are scared of going over the top with the use of color, the best way to infuse some color would be to use pops of color throughout a neutral room. A few colorful cushions on a seat, a bright lamp at a corner or a bunch of colorful glass bottles on a console table. You can make it more “seamless” by repeating the pop of colors throughout the house. Like if you have a statement chair in a bright color, use the same color lamp in a different part of the house and  use a vase of the same color in another area and create the seamless look.
2. White is a very good canvas for any color palette and ties everything beautifully. It makes the statement pieces stand out and best part is you can change the whole mood of the room just by changing a few pieces like the curtains, the floor rug and the cushions. Like you can make it summery with a dash of yellow and orange or make it cool and serene by using aqua and grey.  
3. Don’t shy away from using bold contrasting colors in a room, blue and orange or yellow and pink if used right can create a dynamic space. It is important to break this high contrast with one or two more colors used sparingly. For instance while using a yellow and pink palette, use orange to tie the two colors and add a dash of blue to break the high contrast.
4. Alternatively, if using all the colors on the rainbow is not your cup of tea, use different hues of the same color family. For example, use shades of blue from ink blue to ash blue for various elements for creating a colorful yet subtle look.
5. Use different textures and patterns of different colors for extra drama. A few printed cushions of different prints over a solid color couch or a printed rug over wooden flooring or a geometric print table runner over a floral table cloth, all juxtapose different textures and patterns in interesting ways.
6. Forget all of the above tips and just use all the colors in any way. A cheerful colorful home decorated lovingly will exude warmth and love and will always be beautiful!

Here are a few ideas for an easy Holi makeover without painting a wall or buying expensive colorful furniture, just a few small changes to add the burst of color:

Use colorful knick knacks around the home

1. Display your cherished memories in colorful photo frames (fabfurnish)
2. Colorful clocks to keep track of the festivities! (fabfurnish)
3. Holi means lot of water balloons and colors, keep tissues handy in this cute tissue holder (fabfurnish)
4. Throw in a colorful lamp in the mixture (fabfurnish)
5. Add some color on your vanity display to hold your accessories (fabfurnish)
6. Give your balcony or the garden a bit of color (fabfurnish)
7. Impress your guests with these colorful hand towels placed at the entrance or on a side table (unless they like gulal coated gujjias!) (fabfurnish)
8. Don’t reserve colorful lights for Diwali only, use them during Holi as well (fabfurnish)
9. Dress up your balcony or the gulal station with this quirky accessory. Can be used to keep/diplay pichkaris (aka color pump :P) (fabfurnish)
10. Replace your boring grey mouse pads which came with your system with this colorful one (fabfurnish)
11. Create a colorful vignette using this colorful tray (fabfurnish)
12. Casually toss this cute notebook somewhere in the living room for a chic effect (fabfurnish)

Give your walls a splash of color

1. Give your walls a color-lift by using wall decals (wall stickers). They are easy to use and instantly change the look of a plain wall. No need to go through the hassle of painting for a wall makeover.(fabfurnish, fabfurnish)
2. Use colorful artwork to reflect the spirit of Holi. I especially loved this Bombay Bindas one which aptly captures the Holi spirit J (fabfurnish, fabfurnish)
3. Use colorful shelves to display your knick knacks (fabfurnish, fabfurnish) 

Add color using curtains or cushions or table cloths.

Here I have given an example of going colorful but with a color scheme of orange and purple. Mix and match various prints and textures for a rich contrast.

1. Cushions are perfect accessories to uplift a drab and safe couch (they go surprisingly well with any beige or brown couches or sofas). In fact they are quite versatile, just pile them up on a diwan or a low floor seating created with mattresses and a nice colorful corner for playing cards or having a cup of tea is ready. (fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish)
2. Brighten your dining room with a colorful table cloth or a table runner and nice placement mats and napkins to add another dimension. (fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish)
3. Use colorful (oh how many times have I already said colorful in this very post!) throws on your recliners or sofas for an instant makeover. Easy-peesy J (fabfurnish)
4. Use festive (see I avoided using colorful :P) curtains and mix and match two colors  or mix and match different prints like these plain ones in purple and the printed orange ones. (fabfurnish, fabfurnish)
5. Add color to your bedroom as well with these colorful bedspreads/bed sheets. Notice how the same purple-orange theme can be carried forward in other rooms as well. (fabfurnish, fabfurnish)

Add color on the floor as well

Use colorful (ok I give up :D) carpets (fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish)or durries (fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish) and welcome your guests with colorful door mats.  

Holi means lot of color spilling and the carpets and rugs might get stained, so it is better to use dark colored ones or multicolor ones to hide the Holi color stains.

Use small accent furniture for a burst of color

(fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish)

And last but not the least, entertain your guest with these Holi appropriate games to throw a kick-a** Holi party!

(fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish, fabfurnish)

Disclaimer - This post is as part of the Fabfurnish Holi makeover contest. I have not been sponsored by it in anyway. You can just take the ideas for inspiration :)