By Punam Kalra
New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANSlife): The interior characters of homes in the monsoon can be as temperamental as the weather -- there's a need for daylight and open windows at one point of the day, while there's a rush to shut the drenched doors at the other. The whole space calls for a new, effervescent outlook that brings a tasteful mix of sensible layouts, gratifying experiences and mindful choice of decor.
So how does one prep contemporary homes for the season?
Repaint your furniture
The saturated climate is a breeding ground for termites or other decor predators that are waiting to devour those wooden consoles and metal seaters handpicked by you. A generous load of enduring polishes on the furniture is the ideal escape route for your beloved pieces. Laminated paints, varnishes and lacquered coats give a second skin for the furniture and keep the pests at bay. Textured wood tables, handwoven wicker seaters or antiquated wrought iron accessories get a new look with paints, made better in cheerful colour palettes that make all the noise about lively corals, modest peaches, bold neons and a dash of the eternal red. Prudently cleaned surfaces of these assorted layers radiate a healthy glow in the indoors amid a reassuring resilience.
Invest in your shades
Indian monsoons are seen as beauty and rage, all in one frame. This is the time when the windows call for all those outdoor shades, indoor blinds, multi-layered curtains and sheer shutters designed to watch over your space. The cloudburst and drizzles are cloaked in all different forms -- intricate finespun drapery, clean-lined bamboo louvres, woven jute rollers and quilted curtains have a unique take on the interior persona. The sheer choices befit the spaces overlooking good vistas and lighter shower, while opaque alternatives become the first choice for a rougher micro climate. With an aesthetic overlay of motifs, botanical prints or chintz patterns, these shades are everything we need on a rainy day.
Go dry and clutter-free
The palettes are easy to get muddled with the still air of the season. Ward off the damp patches with drier, spruced up finishes that comfort you inside-out, amid the stubborn gloom from the outdoors. Mattified textures, dainty brush strokes and uniform palettes signal the counterpoise of austerity in the space. Furniture pairs break up for accommodating a decluttered layout and there is more room for standalone bespoke pieces, aesthetically spaced-out for an airy ambience. Humidifiers further promise a dry vent while rugs and carpets vow to guard the floors. More air and less drear makes a stunning monsoon home.
Satiate your senses in the season
This once-in-a-year experience can be overwhelming and indulgent at the same time. It is time to introduce an artisanal coffee table along the balconies, relaxing reading nooks along the window bays and a close-knit furniture setup staged in the living. Share the cheer with your plants that love the overdose of moisture, bring them closer to your seats and give a whiff of rejuvenating scent from the flowering, aromatic houseplants. Snake plants, Boston Ferns, jade, palm and other hydrophilic greens soak up the excess moisture, leaving an ambient indoors. Interior indulgence comes from a dose of nostalgia reflecting along the souvenirs lining the shelves, lore hidden in the artistic centre pieces and everything bespoke. Listen to the mood and go with a free flow of choices that rewrite all the thumb rules in design.
(Designer Punam Kalra, Creative Director of I'm the Centre for Applied Arts)
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