Festival of Lights: Decorating Your Home for Diwali
by Carlisle Homes
Fill your home with light, colour and joy to celebrate Diwali, Festival of Lights, with these great decorating tips.
This Sunday marks the start of Diwali, the most cherished Hindu festival. A celebration of good over evil, and light over darkness, it is a time to give thanks and offer prayers for health and prosperity. Prepare your home for the joy of the season, and create a warm welcome for friends and family, by filling it with light, flowers and festive touches.
Carlisle Homes Sales Consultants, Gurwinder Randhawa and Umme Merchant (pictured above) share their Diwali home decoration ideas.
Welcome Diwali’s festive vibes by giving your home a spring clean, and then beautifying your front door and entrance with colour, lights and festive motifs.
Start with a top-to-toe clean
During Diwali, Hindu deities Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi, the patrons of wealth and good fortune, are said to visit your home to bring their good blessings for the year ahead, so you’ll want to ensure that it’s looking its best.
Before the festivities begin, do a thorough declutter of anything you no longer use or need, wipe down all surfaces, vacuum carpets, curtains and mattresses, and remove any cobwebs from your ceilings, so your home sparkles from top to bottom.
Add magic to your exterior
Create an entrance pretty enough to welcome in the Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha. Start by draping your porch and portico with strings of energy-efficient LED fairy lights – a practical alternative to traditional diyas, or oil lamps, which can easily get blown out by the wind.
Then, decorate your doorway and balcony (if you have one) with garlands of beautiful, scented marigolds – a flower associated with fire and purity, and considered auspicious.
Finish off with a toran – a decorative wall hanging made of fresh leaves or green craft paper – above your entrance.
Create a warm welcome
No Diwali celebration is complete without plenty of bright, joyful colour. Consider painting a feature wall in your entry in a festive shade, such as deep red, magenta, green or orange. Not only are cheerful colours such as these said to usher in good vibes and positivity, but they create a wonderful backdrop to take photos with visiting friends and family.
Dial up the festive vibes further by laying a traditional urli bowl full of colourful flowers or petals on your hallway console, with a Diwali-themed artwork or wall decal above it.
Diwali is not only a sacred celebration, but a joyous time to spend with friends and family. Make your home feel festive, comfortable and inviting with plenty of comfortable seating, bright colours, opulent decor pieces, and platters of traditional sweets and treats for all to enjoy.
Decorate with rangoli
Rangoli are religious motifs that symbolise prosperity, abundance, and joy. During Diwali, you can create these beautiful, traditional floral patterns yourself using chalk, colourful flowers and powders, or edible materials, such as rice flour, turmeric and lentils, to decorate your doorstep or inside your entrance.
Beautify your puja space
Your home’s prayer area is likely to be busy during Diwali, so ensure that it’s looking fabulous. Decorate the area with candles, fragrant incense sticks, decorative diya, garlands of flowers, holy symbols, and plenty of comfortable cushions and seating for visitors participating in prayers.
Add light and cheer to your living area
Give your living area an easy, festive makeover by switching out plain scatter cushions for embellished ones in vibrant shades of yellow, red, pink and orange, paired with a brightly coloured rug underfoot. Arrange candles in different shapes, sizes and colours around the room, or add a contemporary edge with sleek, glass jars filled with coils of LED fairy lights.
Your coffee table is the first thing guests will see when they take a seat on your living room sofa, so ensure it’s nothing short of stunning. Adorn it with festive figurines, decorative plates and bowls filled with dry fruit, nuts or festive sweets, a coloured glass vase of fresh flowers, and décor pieces with a gilded finish.
Now that your home is Diwali-ready, all that’s left to do is enjoy the celebrations. Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Diwali!