We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
Indian decor has a deep appreciation for traditional handicrafts and all things handmade— from handwoven textiles to handcarved wooden furniture. Natural and sustainable materials, like real wood, real cotton and silk, are popular. More is more when it comes to colours, patterns, and textures— this is a bold, maximalist style, and even relatively minimalist styles of Indian decor tend to have a lot of flair. Popular themes and motifs include nature, animals, romance, scenes from village life, love for home and family and all things esoteric. Antique items passed down through generations are treasured. Showcasing one's heritage, like the unique state you're from, through your home decor is also important, and comes through in various ways, like the choice of textile.
1. Choose real wooden furniture wherever possible. Furniture should be low profile. Hand-carvings add a nice Indian touch. You can also go for a very simple and functional single mattress on the floor for seating, with cushions.
2. Sustainable and eco-friendly wicker furniture is hugely popular in the Indian decor style and looks both traditional and modern. It's also relatively affordable.
3. While 'wabi-sabi' or embracing the beauty of the "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" is a Japanese concept, India embraces this in spirit too. If the walls in your home are old, or sinks have a patina, embrace this! Give furniture a distressed look with chalk paint.
5. Keep walls neutral, and don't worry if they look a bit old or have a patina. A labour-intensive DIY idea that will look absolutely gorgeous and quintessentially Indian is to use block-printing stamps or rangoli stencils to create patterns and murals on your walls.
6. Keep your favourite ghazals, Bollywood, regional and indie songs always playing in the background with the Saregama Carvaan Mini Speaker. Available in 8 colours, it comes preloaded with 351 classic Indian songs, lets you enjoy your personal collection through USB and Bluetooth, and listen to AM/FM radio as well.
7. Cotton curtains in bright colours are popular in the Modern Indian decor style. A looped top has been trending hard for at least a decade.
8. Block printed curtains in neutral colours like white with small, colourful block prints also look incredibly modern. Popular motifs include paisley, flowers, trees, and leaves.
9. If you want to keep it simple, go for sheer, ivory curtains. Layer them with opaque ones for privacy from your neighbours.
10. Traditionally, luxurious Indian rugs were intricately hand-knotted in silk or wool, though now machine-made varieties are also available. While Kashmiri and Persian carpets are still classically popular, for a modern take on the same, go for transitional style rugs in colourful jewel tones or earthy tones. A slightly distressed look can also look very modern.
11. Thin, low-pile rugs in bright colours make for a casual, boho look that pairs well with Indian decor.
13. Most of India has three seasons— hot, hotter, and hottest. So ceiling fans are a mainstay of many Indian homes. Additionally, vintage or modern table or pedestal fans will look industrial and keep you cool in the summer too.
14. Use a colourful dhurrie instead of a throw blanket, and also to cover a chatai or mattress on the floor, for extra seating. Blockprinted styles are popular.
15. Silk or cotton cushion covers in vibrant colours with gold motifs or embroidery will bring an elegant vibrance to any room.
16. Colourful pouffes and floor cushions are a must as extra seating for when your gazillion friends and relatives come over.
17. Intricate inlay work in wood, marble and brass is very popular, as seen in these side tables.
18. A vintage trunk is great for storing all your things, and is a cute decor item too.
19. This traditional brass uruli crafted by artisans in Moradabad is bound to become a family heirloom. It's perfect for floating flowers and candles. Available in multiple sizes.
20. Some simple yet elegant cups for when you want to spill the chai or filter coffee. Clay, glass, ceramic, brass or steel are popular materials.
21. The centre coffee table or the chai table is an important piece of furniture if you're Indian, given how we measure our day in cups of chai. For a more traditional centre table, get one with some hand carving and art.
22. For a more modern center table that'll fit in with your Indian decor, get one in an industrial style or a cart style. Tables nested with chairs are very trendy right now.
23. Get a low-platform wooden bed with or without a headboard. Canopy or four-poster beds also go well with Indian decor. Bedsheets may be plain and bright or neutral and printed.
24. If you love maximalist bedsheets, you're in luck, because bold colours and patterns go really well in the Indian decor style! Print-wise, go for mandalas, nature-inspired florals, or exotic animals like peacocks, tigers and elephants.
25. Do invest in some thali-style dinner plates with compartments for all your different food items, or in a beautiful banana leaf plate.
26. Branched and shaded chandeliers and candle chandeliers are popular
27. This gorgeous, multicolour fabric embroidered umbrella makes for a great statement piece, both as a single item and in multiples too.
28. Get a dining table made of real wood in any shape and size of your choice. Protect it from all the dal you keep spilling with a colourful table cloth or runner.
29. A masala box or a spice rack to store all your different cooking spices is an integral part of every Indian kitchen.
30. Animal figurines are a popular choice for sculptures and showpieces in Indian decor.
31. A Godrej metal almirah is a vintage staple that will be in your family for years to come!
32. For scents, use heady scents like sandalwood, Indian rose, jasmine, nagchampa, oud, and frankincence. Smokey incense sticks, oud, and dhoop are popular.
33. If you're not a fan of too much smoke, scented candles and room sprays are all fair game in Modern Indian decor.
34. Indoor plants and garlands and bouquets of fresh local flowers like Indian rose, jasmine, marigold and rajnigandha are popular.
35. Most Indian homes feature artwork with themes spanning nature, village scenes, scenes from mythology, romance and erotica. Tallenge on Amazon has some cool prints of classic works by popular Indian artists, and those featuring scenes from India.
36. If you prefer kitschier art, get sassy posters, vintage calendars, Indian movie posters, or posters by contemporary Indian artists.
+1