Sunday, October 19, 2014

Blushing Pinks and Sparkling Silver this Diwali.

In India, weeks leading to Diwali: The festival of Lights I would spend looking for interesting diyas ( earthen or ceramic oil lamps) flooding the local markets.
Back here in Minnesota what do I do?
I visit estate sales. 
They are treasure trove for people like me who are on the look out for unique finds.
I love combining vintage with the new. Styling classic with a bit of kitsch.
So this Diwali I decided to put together some colourful vignettes with things collected, gifted, bought and inherited.

I picked up some vintage white & cream doilies at a church sale recently and the hot pink & orange ones were leftovers from a sewing project my mother was working on when she visited us in Spring.

A palette of hot pink, orange and white. A pair of floral silver-plated tealight holders from the estate sale gets teamed up with a Good Earth Silver cup with parrots engraved gifted by a dear friend.

The warm glow of sesame oil lamps. A divine photo card engulfed by dried rose buds and placed in a silver plated hinged box with painted roses...

The silver cup with engraved parrots transforms into a vase holding a bunch of blushing roses…
Single blushing rose buds in my favourite 'chai gilaas' adds fun element to the arrangement.


A closer look at the the floral tea light holder…


The sparkling bokeh sets the mood for Diwali festivities...

Add loads of fragrant candles and scattered some delicate metallic flowers...
The silver tea light holders standing out against the hot pink doilies…


A closer look at the silver-plated hinged box with painted roses…

A side view of the photo card…


This is a simple but charming piece, I took a 'chai-gilaas' filled it with a handful of dried rose buds. Placed a floating oil lamp on the rim of the glass. Voila!

While I was shooting this vignette I realised that  the colours in the frame were Rang Decor's masthead colours!

This is a simple Diwali vignette that can be created on your coffee table or a hallway table. It's all about combining different elements & textures, vintage & contemporary and most of all going with your heart!

Hope all of you have a wonderful Diwali surrounded by beauty, happiness, family and friends!

( Images styled and photographed by Archana Srinivas. They are copyrighted. Please do not use without permission)




6 comments:

A Treat for the Senses said...

So beautiful !

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous!! Estate sales are like gold mines... I have collected so many little and large treasures over the years...started this pursuit around 7 years ago....Now my home is filled with so many estate sale finds.. each with the story that I feel I just cannot go to just plain retail anymore...Combining the two to decorate my home is my most fulfilling creative outlet. I really enjoyed reading this post. Thanks for sharing! Wish you and yours a Bright, Beautiful and Happy Deepavali! Pachhai

By Deepa and Supriya said...

So cool! I love how you've pulled everything together so effortlessly. And still managed to keep that ethnic flair! So glad you moved here- fun to see how you use vintage and western elements in an ethnic palette!

Happy deepavali to you too!

~deepa

http://aalayaminpsiration.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Thanks for beautiful ideas :) happy diwali

Unknown said...

Hi archana,

I stalk your blog whenever I am a little low or a little happy or every time i am brimming with ideas or when im lacking inspiration... at times when motivated or demotivated and i know there will be something - a pattern, a play, a hue, a steam fairy or a doily! They are gorgeous. keep the lights twinkling. i look forward to more posts from Minnesota, the design patterns, the flora and the fauna. I have recently been dislocated as well and i miss all the pottery, coasters, wooden blocks, dyes, fabrics... (sigh) that once adorned my home and had to be left behind.

shreya said...

Just phenomenal decoration. I love to decorate my house as well in Diwali or any such grand festival. After looking into your blog I got another idea of decoration. Thank u.