Diwali Drama

Everyone who has walked through the bright blue door of the Hyderabad- based lifestyle store Room Therapy would agree that the space and its carefully curated line-up of furniture, accessories and furnishings leave a lasting impression. So, we invited the brain behind the store, interior designer Sona Reddy, to share her unique decor and styling ideas for the festival of lights. Here, she creates five settings for the more public areas of the house — the entryway, lobby and living room — each with a strong personality, and most definitely visually impressive.

- Deepa Nair

SETTING THE SCENE 

In keeping with a growing trend that Sona absolutely feel in sync with — introducing Indian elements into a modern decor would be the perfect choice for this Diwali. The palette used for the entryway is a combination of blue, green and grey with lots of gold. The flower-shaped ornaments on the wall and blue and white pottery brighten up the space and make for a lively yet simple setting for the daytime. Come evening, the entryway can be further decorated with well-placed festive accessories such as lanterns, diyas, t-lights and candle stands, which are both functional and pretty even when not lit.

The antique wooden seating completes the entryway and would make a fabulous space for some family photo-ops. The designer has complemented this with a few garden stools that can be used as additional seating or storage space. As always, cushions add character and colour to any setting, and Sona suggests adding a rug as well. While fewer accessories can be incorporated during the day, once the area needs to be party-ready, flowers can be used to adorn the life-size bird cage and partitions behind.