Vibrant hues, motifs bring flavor of India to home
The power of color is a wonderful gift. By choosing the right combination of hues, we can transform a room to suit whatever mood or style we favor.
Colors are packed with memories of places we have lived or visited — they layer the landscape of our minds with visions of beauty and majesty. We cherish images of fields of lavender or a summer harvest of golden wheat, rocky gray mountains, soft green meadows and seaside shades of sand and turquoise water.
I am often asked if it is possible to integrate the colors and styles of other countries into one of today’s modern homes. Today’s architecture tends to be serviceable but not inspiring; plain walls with little trim detail is the norm.
I say, take advantage of the blank canvas and run with whatever your heart desires. The secret behind good decorating is a blend of imagination and continuity. If one or two elements flow from room to room, the overall effect will feel cohesive.
A friend of mine moved from India to Canada and asked me to help her integrate her past and present homes. She brought to her new home a treasure trove of glorious sari fabrics ranging in color from deep emeralds to lemon yellows. Cushions, ottomans and carpets vibrated with the textures, designs and colors of India. However, her living room was painted in a shade of yellow that did not have the right energy for her style.
To add depth and vibrance to the walls, I chose a deep yellow ochre and orange terraBy themselves these shades would be too heavy for the walls and would feel somber. However, by mixing each of them with glazing liquid and applying them over the existing pale yellow, the colors were broken up and became textured layers of paint color. I applied a yellow ochre glaze over the pale yellow base coat using a colorwash technique, rubbing back the glaze with a soft rag to create light and dark areas and dabbing out any hard lines.
The fireplace had good lines that could be accentuated with some exotic motifs. Because the fireplace was to be the focal area, I wanted a slightly different texture. I rolled the terra-cotta glaze over the colorwash and then used a stippling brush to create lines that imitate the look of fabric weave. To do this yourself, drag the stippling brush in a straight line through the wet glaze, wipe off the glaze collected on the brush, and then repeat until all of the horizontal lines are finished. Then repeat the process, moving in straight vertical lines.
The design for the decorative trim around the fireplace was traced from sari fabric. Choose your design, and draw a template on a piece of cardboard and cut it out. I taped the template in position and used a pencil to trace the design around the fireplace surround. I painted the forms freehand with jewel-tone acrylic paints and a small artist’s brush. You can add more detail and sparkle to your design by outlining the forms with a gold paint pen (use a ruler to keep the lines straight). The circles were cut from mirrored Con-Tact paper and outlined with contrasting artist’s acrylic.
We made simple curtains using some of the sari panels, and the room was complete. My friend is now happily surrounded by the colors and textures that she loves — and that makes her house a home.