Indian furniture, distinctive and features and how to combine with other elements

India is a colorful, diverse country, full of bright colors and rich ornaments. Not surprisingly, Indian furniture fully embodies these qualities. Now ethnic motifs are at the peak of popularity. But so that unusual objects do not violate the harmony of the modern interior, you need to know their features and be able to combine with each other.

Features and Features

With one glance at Indian home furnishings, it becomes clear where they originate. Not only the bright color scheme distinguishes it from the rest, there are other features:

low height - comparing Indian-style furniture with domestic objects, their height is striking, somewhat unusual for us: tables on short low legs, low sofas, beds, cabinets almost never rest against the ceiling, as we are used to;
sophisticated carvings - typical of India. This method of decoration was originally used to protect furniture from high humidity and termites, but gradually became so "fused" with the culture that it became part of it;
inlay - this technique is a kind of mosaic when patterns from another material are applied to a wooden base. Common finishing materials: ivory, mother of pearl, glass, mirror. This option is expensive, so now, due to the popularization of the Oriental style, imitation of inlay made with white paint is often used;
in addition to carving and inlaying, forging, chasing, enamel coating, hand painting are actively used;
Handwork is a prerequisite for furniture from India. The complex elements of carved patterns or chasing are done entirely by hand, without the use of modern technology. For example, in the Indian "industries" it is almost impossible to find a saw and other technical means familiar to us;
natural materials;
a lot of textiles: pillows, curtains, canopies, bedspreads made of natural fabrics with printed patterns depicting floral and floral ornaments, animals. A distinctive pattern of the Indian canvas is a drop-shaped ornament called "Indian cucumber."

The rich finish and its luxury make real interior decorations from Indian objects, and the high quality of materials and work ensure its durability.

Varieties

Of course, the Indian interior is a complete set of necessary furniture, but in other cultures only a part is actively used. The most popular and famous are:

ottomans, stools - a mandatory attribute of the room. They are low square chairs without a back, the seat of which is wicker or soft, made in the form of a pillow. They do not take up much space, and their design allows you to fold them in the style of "nesting dolls" if necessary. Mandatory subject of the Indian interior is a low ottoman under the legs;
Upholstered furniture usually differs from the usual sofas in color and texture of the upholstery. As a basis, natural wood is used, from which short legs are made. The fabric is used bright, often with the addition of lurex or embroidery, which allows you to effortlessly bring the aura of the East into the interior. The sofa is usually thrown with many colorful and soft pillows;
a low coffee or coffee table - always on short thick legs. On the perimeter it is decorated with carvings or decor, and the surface of the countertops is often covered with glass;
a dining table is often large. In India, an interesting feature is associated with it - the table and the door are interchangeable things. The richer the family, the better materials are used for manufacturing: earlier marble tables, which were additionally decorated with precious stones, were popular;
the cabinet is usually low, but massive and heavy due to the completely natural composition. This piece of furniture is usually a real masterpiece that is generously decorated with carvings or forged lattices in the form of inserts;
screen - a very popular piece of furniture, with which you can easily fence off space. Most often, the screens are translucent, due to the completely openwork pattern.

Common features of the Indian "furniture" style are strength, roughness, attrition. And, of course, a lot of varied decor.

Upholstered furniture

Screen

Puff

Table

Stool

Cupboard

Color spectrum

The color scheme that is used in the manufacture of furniture amazes the imagination of European and Russian people. Their combination often seems incompatible, but in an amazing way very harmonious. Particularly striking is the variety of shades used in textile elements.

It can be noted that most of them repeat the colors of local spices, which belong to the warm spectrum: red, yellow, orange, sand, green, brown. In addition, blue, cyan, turquoise is common. At the same time, all the shades are very saturated, bright, the more surprising is their combination.White color is not used in the design of the Indian interior, since in this country it is considered "mourning".

Materials of manufacture

Unlike factory cabinets and beds, which are made of fiberboard, particleboard and other modern, not very environmentally friendly materials, Indian items have a natural basis. For work, choose solid varieties of wood: mango, rose, sesame, walnut, acacia, teak and rattan.

Natural material requires a long and painstaking preparation, in particular, good drying, which in the future will ensure its reliability, the absence of cracks and shape changes. For this reason, Indians are trying to bring wood from the arid regions, where it is almost ready for processing due to the suitable climate. Chemicals are not used for painting and polishing - these are plant-based dyes and beeswax. In addition to excellent fixing qualities, natural wax has a pleasant smell and allows the tree to "breathe".

How to fit into the interior

Indian carved furniture appeared in Russia around the end of the 20th century, but at first it was not popular and was inexpensive. After some time, oriental motifs in the interior became very popular not only in the world, but also in our homeland. Therefore, Indian furniture immediately became much more expensive. In addition, there are some features when arranging apartments with Indian objects, since it is easy to overload the room with them.

Of course, the classic Indian style is the ideal style for using such furniture, but not everyone can brag of it. The Hindi and ethnic styles are similar - the main difference is more restrained colors. Nevertheless, such a room will easily accept new furniture.

If the goal is not to restore an authentic Indian interior in a modern apartment, then for decoration it is enough to purchase just a few things. A large number of them in a typical Russian environment will look somewhat strange.

Decor - can be done using several accessories. For example, curtains with tassels, several bright pillows, a padded ottoman under the legs, a mirror with a carved frame or a carpet. Such decoration of the room does not oblige to anything: there is no need to make a stylized repair, and if necessary, the pillows are easy to remove. In addition, combining 2-3 exotic objects with a modern interior is quite simple - the main thing is to choose the right colors.

Scandinavian style and minimalism are absolutely opposite to the Indian in interior design. If the housing is designed this way, then adding bright color will be very difficult. Although there are many stylized minimalist gizmos that can remind of India, but still they do not have a certain "spirit".

It can be noted that the production of furniture in India uses a radically opposite approach than in the "consumer" countries. In many ways, this justifies the high price of genuine Indian home furnishings. But it’s good that you can even bring a piece of India into your home with a small, bright decor.