Indian summer

With lavish textures, bright colours and ornate decoration, more is more in a new trend to marry Indian traditions with
contemporary design, writes ALANNA GALLAGHER

GO EAST TO INDIA and let the sun shine into your home. The country has been inspiring Europeans ever since Vasco de Gama discovered a sea route to this rich land. Let the riotous colours, lavish textures and intense sunlight lift the mood of your home. Open your senses to the more is more maximalist and technicolour world of ornate decoration – a mood-enhancing mode that lifts the senses and the spirit.

The work of Indian couturiers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla marry eastern traditions with original contemporary design. They have been credited with reviving traditional crafts such as chikan (whitework embroidery) and zardozi (gold thread embroidery). They also use local artisans to reinvent their heritage. Some of their most inspiring, privately commissioned interiors incorporate art, artifacts, antiques and vintage textiles, and are visible in India Fantastique, a two-volume taster of fashion and interiors published by Thames and Hudson in September.

Spicy and richly pigmented colours form the base of this look. Two paint companies have nailed the ethnic vibrancy here. Crown Paints’ Summer Jewels collection will jazz up exteriors and interiors. Farrow Ball’s rich colourscape will spice up your decor. Try Blazer No 212 a warm cinnamon, Charlotte’s Locks No. 268 a burnt orange and India Yellow No 66, a pot of burnished sunshine.

Enliven mealtimes by using rich pattern and colour. India is a dinnerware pattern by Wedgwood that will work in period and contemporary homes alike. Coloured glass will introduce light play to the table. Jerpoint’s Colour Range Twist adds pops of colour to simple stemware and comes in blue, green, pink, amethyst and honey-coloured options. Marks and Spencer’s textured tree glass tumblers, which come in jewel colours, are another option.

Take the mood into the bedroom by dressing beds in decorative prints. MS Autumn Trees duvet and two pillow set is perfectly on trend. A double costs €54 at Liffey Valley. It can be ordered from other MS stores. Biba’s bed range for autumn/winter also fits the mood. Kareen is a soft paisley-style print in mustard and black that will be in House of Fraser, Dundrum, early next month. A double duvet cover costs €117. A pair of matching pillowcases costs €52.

Another way of working colour into your home is through the use of textured fabrics. Interior designer and writer Eoin Lyons recommends a visit to the small Indian shops that line Dublin’s Clanbrassil Street. Many sell saris in amazing colours and fabrics. These can be used to cover soft furnishings such as scatter and floor cushions. Large panels of textured fabrics can be stretched and framed to add drama to a wall. Ross Souter Johnson (tel: 087-6503470), son of interior designer Peter Johnson has a framing business that specialises in fabrics. Prices range from €120 to €250 for pieces measuring between one and two metres in length.

Intricate patterns and print can also be woven in through clever carpet choices, decorative paint work and mosaic tiles. Apply to walls, ceilings and carpets. Sicis, an Italian mosiac manufacturer, has gorgeous gold patterns for walls that are available to order through TileStyle.

The light in India is different. Voile curtains will help transport your mood. Murphy Sheehy in Dublin 2 has a selection in linen and also sells raw and embroidered silks that make wonderful curtains. Embroidered and patterned silk suitable for curtains and blinds is perfect for creating a “last days of the Raj” feeling in even the most modest of homes. It is down from €59 per metre to €25. Brian S Nolan in Dún Laoghaire also has decorative fabrics by Zoffany, Jab and Zimmer + Rohde that fit the bill.

Hurricane lights, parasols and wire frame bird cages are all touches that will add character. Hammered metal light shades in metallic finishes, such as bronze and brass, will warm up a room. TK Maxx usually has a potpourri of madcap decorative accents from lighting to occasion pieces that will transport your home eastwards.

India Fantastique, a two-volume book on fashion and interiors by Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla is published by Thames Hudson on September 3rd. Price about €121.