Choti Diwali 2022 decoration: Unique and budget-friendly home decor tips

The festive season of Dhanteras, Choti Diwali, Diwali or Bhaidooj is all about the joy and the light and this year, in particular, has welcomed the décor trends with a soft spot for lighting elements that give the subtle hint of drama, much essential in a space open for celebrations. The spirit of celebration rejoices in details with mood lighting that experiment with every scale of light from extravagant setups to bespoke miniatures where the aesthetic, warmth and the make of every lighting element get into the spotlight and our homes need nothing more than a blank canvas to get them talking.

Everybody would love a beautifully decorated home, especially during Diwali, the festival of lights, where homes are filled with brightness and vibrant surroundings but sometimes, amidst all the planning and preparations, our budget becomes a hurdle. For a festive look that’s easy on your wallet, we’ve rounded up some fine ideas for decorating on a budget that doesn’t skimp on style.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Husain Johar, Creative Head and Co-Founder of Makemyhouse.com, suggested the following unique and budget-friendly home decor tips for festive season:

1. Working with furniture – Pieces of furniture are the accessories of the decor world. Furniture adds functionality into space while accentuating the whole aesthetic but they can make a big hole in your pocket while the purchase. Worry not, nothing can remain unsolved without a little use of the reuse and recycle method.

2. Some minor fixes and a few coats of paint may readily turn antique and used items into a new form. This is one of the easiest ways to keep your budget under control as the furniture comes expensive. There are many DIY methods that come in handy such as using metallic paint to spice up a glass table or using other materials to cover the furniture and more.

3. Rugs and carpets – Consider using organic or ecological materials like jute, organic cotton or bamboo when buying a new carpet, drapes, flower vase or wall hanging from your local vendors and artisans. Not only are they pocket-friendly but eco-friendly as well since they will guarantee that your carbon footprint is maintained to a minimum while also ensuring that your home stands out in terms of appearance.

4. Hone your green thumb – Having greenery around is one of the finest methods to make your house seem energetic and revitalized. Plants offer a breath of fresh air to your room at a low cost, making them ideal décor elements. If gardening feels like an extra chore for you, you can always opt for low-maintenance houseplants like bamboo trees, succulents or money plants. You can always decorate the pots with jute rope or wool, or paint them with chalk paint to give them a matte finish. These paints can easily cover cracks on the pot and can be easily cleared since it is made of water-based paint.

Talking about how you can make the best use of lighting in your home on a festive occasion in a budget-friendly way, Interior Designer Punam Kalra, Creative Director of I’m the Centre for Applied Arts, advised:

1. Talk about whimsy with glass installations

It is that time of the year that demands an out-of-the-world appeal. Festive settings can tell the tales from the past in its best version when sparkling glass luminaires give them company. Set your soul free by inviting pieces in blown glass or the vintage crystal —there can be a contemporary statement with bulbous spheres locked in metal frames or a crystal design that evokes a welcoming feel. Widen your imagination with glass pendants that have a statement form.

2. Give a Nordic touch with the frames of wrought iron

Nordic statements are timeless. They blend into any theme and are happy to take the backseat when it comes to staging. Give them the right amount of focus with framed pieces in pitch-black wrought iron for a dim-lit glow in your space. You can take a trip to the past with retro pieces that interlace the tubes and bulbs as in spider lamps. If you are contemporary by heart, bring in the singular pieces with geometric frames as in diamond cages, linear rings and more that underline the Nordic vibe in their detail.

3. Reimagine copper in sheets and clusters

We all have seen copper in its vintage avatars as wall sconces or hanging lanterns that bespeak the originality of the material. Try making your lighting statement stand out from the usual by welcoming copper in bold, modern looks. This can include pendants and chandeliers with copper sheets rolled as a cone or copper pipes interlocked as a cluster, depending upon your taste. Take the edge of art and bring in the industrial elements with copper and brass dome pendants and explore more unique, untamed pieces and more than challenge the norms whilst creating the fun, festive emotion. You could go completely traditional and introduce Moroccan curvy shades in brass or copper.

4. Break the rules with twisted acrylics

Twisted lamps are out of the ordinary, yet they bring the right amount of drama called for in the season. These twisted pieces can be best conceived in materials like acrylic that carry an innate flexibility, along with the glam quotient. Acrylic lights can be bent and twisted like a bunch as in a branching chandelier or singled out to create a statement as in a bespoke luminaire with concentric rings. You can also turn them into a ceiling installation with wavy profiles or any other customized outline that could eliminate the need for an artwork in the space—the light fixture will become an artwork by itself.

5. Mark your home’s character with handcrafted pieces

Some pieces in our work are close to our heart—most of such favourites will be a handcrafted one because they is something special about them. Something more like a story that moves us. You can always add more of handcrafted lights into your home to keep that personal connection alive. Try including the authentic Indian hints with woven bamboo drums, rattan cages and cane meshes in your hanging pendants. You can also go a step further with terracotta pendants, beaten brass pitcher lamps and more that give a new face to the native material palettes.

6. Make things exclusive with light installations

Festive season is all about the stand-out matters. Achieve that by lighting up the space with an exclusive touch of LED art installations like RGB light orbs, mono-colour light shower etc. that set the theme of the space and create a new activity to roll by the customary practices. You can make is as immersive as a party and create an event-like setup with projection mapping or dynamic LED screens that say that your space has more to offer as an experience.

Anand Ojha, Principal Designer of Anand Atelier Associate, said, “Diwali is around the corner and our excitement can be guessed with the sparkling houses and streets. Isn’t this the best time of the year with everything being lit up so gracefully? Adding all the glamour and drama in our lives. Lighting is an important part, they help in setting the vibe. Festivals are all about brightness and light and good fancy light can add a fresh look to your space. Every festival we are so excited to light up our houses and get it all set for Diwali and all upcoming parties with it.”

He listed some of the best ways to use light in your home:

1. Layering the lights

A space feels complete with the right combination of lights. No one better than designers knows how important lighting is. Right lighting layout can totally transform the space. So whenever we are lighting up any space, add layers to it, the accent lighting, task lighting, and ambient lights. Ambient light helps us in illuminating the space and accent lights help in adding the focal points into the space. To highlight any wall or an art piece we use accent lights. Adding hanging lights and floor lamps will accentuate the look of your space.

2. Mixing modern with contemporary

With traditional chandeliers add accent lights in the ceiling and to add your personal touch we can always add a few terracotta diyas surrounded by lanterns which will play a beautiful effect of shadows in the space. At noticeable spots, fill a nice traditional brass finish bowl with water, and add some flower petals and scented floating candles to it. Always look for unique fixtures to draw attention and not be afraid to experiment with them, it will add grace to the areas.

3. Less is more

Whenever we are adding lanterns or task lights or any other focused light into the space it is very important to consider how warm the light is and the amount of light or how lit up it will make the area. It is important to keep the lighting simple and balanced but we should not forget to add the focus points into the space, like adding the statement pieces. It can be a floor lamp or a hanging light or maybe a fairy light in the space. These small yet significant pieces add a soft glow to the space, making it all time ready for any party or any function.

4. Outdoor lighting

Ohh the outdoor spaces can look glamorous with proper light arrangements, good light arrangements are enough to set the magic. Just imagine you have a beautiful garden outside your house and you have started decorating it for Diwali, fairy lights on the trees with string and lantern adding the drama , up and down light on the walls, Strip lights under the steps and around the corners of that beautiful architectural planter detail, bollard lights in the garden and it is all set for your Diwali party. Putting lanterns on each table decorating with diyas and adding some flowers around it will create a nice cozy corner in your Diwali party.

5. Using spotlights

To highlight that wall painting or new wall art you have just installed, use spotlights. It will not only help you in enhancing it but will add warmth and elegance to the art piece. These lights are very important tools that would create the mood of your décor. Spotlights are that finishing touch that can help pull a space together and make it feel finished. It is just that little touch that can transform your space.

6. Toe-kick lighting

We remember the spaces with the memories we create, festive season is the time to enjoy with friends and families which makes it more special. Sometimes a space needs only love, care, and creative design ideas to transform it into a beautiful and treasured place. Don’t think that adding lights to your toe-kicks is a frivolous, aesthetics-only decision. Strip lighting at the underside of cabinets or other furniture is a great way to create a focal point in the space.

These are small but significant design elements that will draw the eye into the space. Adding lights as decorative elements helps in setting the mood of the space. Provided that general lighting is already installed, using concealed lights can be a decorative way to provide ambient lighting.