The biggest festivals of Nepal – Dashain and Tihar – are knocking at our doors. And as per our tradition, during this time, we take special care in cleaning as well as renovating our homes. So, why not use this time to up your décor game? Decorating a home is something you should pay special attention to because how you feel in a particular space has a lot to do with it. It’s imperative to take special care while going about it. It might not be possible to do an entire overhaul of your space but here are a few tips and tricks that can have your home feeling like brand new. 

Frame your favorite films or music album posters
2019 is a year of self-expression. And what better way can there be to showcase your interests and preferences than by hanging up your favorite book covers or films or music album posters on your walls? And if you want to do things a bit differently, you can look up famous graphic designers and rock a feature wall that has posters designed by them. This way you can make a unique décor statement. We recommend looking at works by Saul Bass, Bill Gold, Tom Jung to get started. Similarly, for music album posters, ‘Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd, “Abbey Road” by The Beatles, and “The Velvet Underground and Nico” are a few posters with which you could never go wrong. 

Add small cute area rugs
In case your room is feeling a bit too dull or monotonous, one way to spice up your room is by adding new rugs in the space. If you have a wooden floor, a chic bohemian rug will add a whole another dimension to your room. Moreover, you don’t have to buy a new rug each time a festival arrives. Try switching them from one room to another as that too can give your room that feeling of newness. If you have a large rug that has been collecting dust locked up somewhere, bring it out and cut it into small pieces of rugs that can be kept near the door or outside the bathroom. 

Change up the curtains
Curtains play a big part in giving a room a particular vibe. While choosing curtains, one has to keep three things in mind: color, fabric, and length. It’s always best to have curtains that complement your wall color as well as your furniture. And since it’s 2019, we recommend you go green with curtains as well. This means buying curtains that are made of natural fabrics and are free of any toxic inorganic dyes. Choose curtains in neutral colors like white, grey, off-white, etc. We recommend fabrics like stone washed linen, hemp, organic cotton or soy silk. Let the occasion of festivals be a time when you make an eco-friendly change in your life. A green alternative to curtains could also be bamboo, woven, or solar shades.

Bring in some plants 
There is no place or time when a potted plant cannot work its magic. And especially during festivals like Dashain and Tihar, where we celebrate life, bringing in a plant or two into your home is a great idea. Having a succulent inside your home has countless benefits. According to extensive research done by NASA, it was revealed that houseplants can remove up to 87 percent of air toxins in 24 hours. Studies have also proven that indoor plants improve concentration and productivity, reduce stress levels and boost your mood. If they are looked after with care (which is pretty much just watering them regularly and providing them with ample light and air), these plants should last you several years so they are a very good investment too. A few indoor plants we recommend are Anthurium, Alocasia, Staghorn Fern, Coffee Plant, Snake Plants, and Crocodile Fern as these are pretty low-maintenance. 

Up your ceramics game
People have been using ceramics from the beginning of the Bronze Age, where glazed pottery was produced in Mesopotamia. And till date, they are used for home decor as well as for other purposes. Ceramic is a great way to bring texture and color into your home. It can be done on both large and small scale depending on how much ceramic you want in your home (they tend to be a bit fragile). You can incorporate ceramics in your décor by adding vases, lamps, cups, dishes, and planters. As it’s easy to mold clay into different patterns, shapes, and sizes, one can get creative when using ceramics. Ceramics, in the long run, is considered more sustainable than wood and even glass. Though energy is needed to fire a kiln, if the heat is well managed and distributed, and if no toxic materials are added to the clay or in the finish, there are few materials around that are as durable and eco-friendly as ceramics.

 
• festivals
 
• tradition
 
• cleaning
 
• renovating