While we thought haute couture and prêt were words associated with the ramps of Paris and Milan, the year 2008 changed the rules, ushering a revolution into our bedrooms and living rooms.
The past year saw more people looking beyond flat-screen TVs and electronic gadgets. There was a new awareness when it came to doing up the interiors. ‘Stylised concept interiors’ was the buzzword. There was a focus on the aesthetic appeal, eco-friendliness and a soothing ambience for homes and offices. Although minimalism became the most popular approach to design, accessorising gained phenomenal importance in glamourising the look.
That smells good
Decor accessories were coupled with fragrances - soothing and exotic, sensual and mysterious. There was an influx of home fragrance products, which not only add value to the decor but also create a soothing ambience for the perfect, ‘evolved’ home. The selection included a range of candles, oil burners, potpourri and the drawer liners.
Mera wala pink
In the home furnishing segment, international colour trends found their way into Indian homes. Muted pastels were preferred to whites, taupes and sea greens for summers and classic black, charcoal, mahogany red and dusty browns for winters. Bed decor was revolutionised and quilted bedspreads were in vogue replacing the standard plain, woven or printed ones.
Mera wala pink
In the home furnishing segment, international colour trends found their way into Indian homes. Muted pastels were preferred to whites, taupes and sea greens for summers and classic black, charcoal, mahogany red and dusty browns for winters. Bed decor was revolutionised and quilted bedspreads were in vogue replacing the standard plain, woven or printed ones.
Colour co-ordination too played an important role. The trend was to keep backdrops in basics and infuse colour through cushions, throws and flower vases. For other accessories, shimmer in metals were preferred — whether in the stencil silver candle or the silver gold border on dinnerware. Then there were the foil-printed cushions to fluorescent glass candles that created drama around minimalism.