Tips to nail traditional home decor this Raksha Bandhan without your house looking old fashioned

Traditional styles share the style synonyms of timelessness in a space and in the interior scene of a home, this timeless character opens up a number of possibilities—it can go all in like an antique, palatial appeal or strike an interesting balance like a chic, fusion twist. In modern homes that call for a fresh interior story, the traditional décor is best seen as a stylised juxtaposition of the old and the new.

Want to breathe a new life into traditional home decor pieces by playing with their compositions, materials and textures—while underplaying their regularities this Raksha Bandhan? In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Interior Designer Punam Kalra, Creative Director at I’m The Centre for Applied Arts, suggested, “An indigenous piece of art can be staged on a clean-lined pedestal, native textiles can be invited as framed artworks and antique tableware can be paired with modern counterparts like glassware to stand out. The statement spawns from the art of balance — how a part of the traditional character is retained and how a part of it is set for transitioning into a new contemporary meaning as reinterpreted elements.”

She advised, “The trick is to start with key elements and build up layers around it. the process then becomes mostly intuitive with layering providing the flexibility to build up spaces in patterns and prints, antiques and contemporary together. While taking the guise of wall accents, the décor pieces can be composed in a neatly composed framework such as brass sculptures carefully curated in a square niche grid, terracotta wall plates that can become a statement in clusters and bring in a bohemian vibe or a large reclaimed piece such as a reclaimed jharokha window or a haveli door can draw the focus along a featured wall. In the furniture layout, striking traditional pieces could create an island where standalone features like a low-lying tea table, vibrant floor cushions or artisanal overhead lamps can take the eye on different levels and slowly transition it to the modernity of the rest of the space. Historical context and narrative then become important to build the story that you want to build and achieve a fine balance in the entire interior decor.”

Punam Kalra furtehr added, “The colour palettes original to the style such as mustard, teal, ruby, emerald and more can be layered on the overall interior to create an ambience that bespeaks the stories behind the pieces. The material palettes can also play with the pairing of mattes and gloss as in ceramic and glass, or grains and smooth textures as in rough-cut stones and wood for a simpatico fusion statement. The overwhelm and understatement of the style is at the hands of the design—their freewill and creativity—to rise as a new aesthetic in a home.”

Bringing his expertise to the same, Sanjeev Agrawal, Founder and CEO of Orvi Surfaces, asserted, “Nothing creates an impression quite like a carved statement wall. Glyph surfaces are made by interlocking pieces of chiselled stone in an interlocking pattern to create a detailed wall. The shapes could resemble anything from petals of a flower to Origami folds, and the resulting depth of the relief work is enough to draw all eyes. It’s especially stunning under strategic lighting, and can create visual drama in your foyer. It also gives a new dimension to the white hue, with light and shadow creating drama and visual play. It’s perfect for creating a statement wall in areas like the living and dining room, family lounge, or even the entrance of your home.”

Highlighting that terracotta tiles merge the earthiness of clay with the charm of natural stone and the modernity of metal, Sanjeev Agrawal said, “These surfaces are created by firing and hand glazing by experts to reveal interesting patterns and colours that are entirely products of organic processes. Even within the sorbet shades, the colours can be unpredictable, and that’s what invokes real joy in the space. Grey is an absolutely befitting shade to use for living room floors. If you use this vivid shade for your floors, you’d be surprised with a visual illusion of increased space. With grey floors, the scope for using vivid colours for the room’s furniture and rugs increases.”

He recommended, “Any shade and design would simply pop out and look prominent on a neutral grey canvas. Grey tile floors along with metal inlay can lend a Scandinavian vibe to an ordinary space. The Chinoiseries set of surfaces is all about the summer. Inlaid with semi-precious stones like Abalone Shell and Lapis Lazuli in tropical patterns, these natural stone surfaces have splendid artworks and motifs. It’s not just the colours but also the patterns that will welcome vibrancy into your home.”