With the onset of a five-day-long festival celebrated in Nepal and the Indian states of Assam, Sikkim and Darjeeling in West Bengal, it’s time for lights, color and flowers. The electric shops in New Road, small shops at Ason and flower shops in the valley have already been showcasing different LED lights, shooting hues of Rangoli colors and spreading fragrance of Sayapatri and the purplish glow of Makhmali.
The artistic tools, requirements and understanding of interior designing and its principles serves beneficial to the aestheticism of Tihar. Understanding interior designing through the pragmatic views of the designers and designing practitioners sheds some light on its essence and importance in our lifestyle particularly during this festival of home decorations.
“Interior designing is not just about buying furniture, painting, rearranging furniture or making a place look beautiful. Space planning is the most important aspect of interior design. Without proper planning a room can end up looking quite bad. You have to have a good floor plan to decide what furniture to put and where. It’s important to utilize every space, big or small, to have its own function and make sure that every item has played a role in the space for its enhancement,” says Sunita Lama, a student at IEC: School of Art of Fashion.
“Design creates culture, culture creates value, and value creates future,” she adds quoting Robert I. Peters. According to Lasata Shrestha, an interior designer, Nepali homes have always been rich in interior decorations and the differences in cultural communities have added uniqueness to the style and choice of materials for decorating spaces. But as a trade or profession, interior designing is very new to Nepal. However, the market for interior designers is growing gradually.
There are some basic things you should keep in mind while decorating your home this season, say designers. Avoid mixing too many colors as people usually tend to go overboard during Tihar. Decide on a color palate and stick to it. Red, orange, yellow look good to enhance the mood of the festival. Try to keep it simple and minimalistic, and create your space according to what you like and not according to what the trend is. Check out several DIY projects that can make the place look livelier and fun. Look for advice on Pinterest and décor magazines.
When asked about the requirements, ideas and tips for home decoration for Tihar, Alisha Shrestha, student of Interior Designing at IEC, suggested a few things that can make your home look beautiful. Here’s what she had to say.
Earthen lamps
Used to lighten the house, we can further decorate the decorative item by painting different designs on it or by using a little glitter to make it even more shimmery.
Colorful decorative Rangoli
It is Tihar, which eventually leads us to Rangoli after the earthen lamps. Decorating our homes with Rangoli using different colors, design patterns, flowers and some earthen lamps gives one a feel of traditional values. What we can do differently is combine several diyos to make a big one in the shape of flowers or others to decorate the artwork.
Floating candles
Take a glass or any type of decorative bowl you have and fill it with water. Add some flowers or petals and then put floating candles in them. This idea works really well for a night display.
Setting a benchmark in fashion industry
Floral decoration
Flowers are a must for Tihar. So besides using flowers in the form of garlands, try infusing it in the Rangoli or even in the lights. This will lend a certain uniqueness to your décor. Take care in choosing fresh, bright flowers. Alternatively, you can also use various color cloth pieces to accentuate your surroundings.
Fruity candles
Fruity candles can be one of the best decorations in our houses during Tihar. The candles made using fruit peels not only give out a nice smell when burnt but also look good.
Recycled materials
Use stained glass as decorative candle holders or use waste paper to make paper lanterns. Wine bottles can be repurposed to make lanterns. Use a glass cutter to make small holes in the bottle to stick the candles inside.
Deity for decoration
Using small or big statues of God and Goddesses to keep on your shelves or on a mantelpiece can be the ideal way to decorate your space on Tihar. Just make sure not to overdo this and just stick to one or two idols at the most.
Wall paint/art
If you don’t mind getting a little dirty, then draw a design symbolizing Tihar on a wall in your house and get painting. You could choose the symbol of Om or Swastika to start with or try the elaborate Ganesha if you have more time on your hands.
Pro tip: Keep it clean
Over decorating can make even large spaces look cramped and messy. So keep the house fresh and clean by choosing what you want to do and just sticking to a few ideas. It’s tempting to try many things but doing so will only negate all the effort you put in.
