Blend Bangali rusticity with modern living spaces

Bangladeshis seek to add a hint of homegrown ethnicity to almost everything, but our houses are often neglected from this treatment. Fortunately, there are more than enough ways to incorporate the deshi flair to our non-traditional homes.

Here are four ways to wrap home interiors in ethnic aesthetics.

Handicraft clay pieces

The origin of handcrafted clay pieces date back to the Mohenjodaro and Harappa civilisation periods, but its availability and charm remain unmatched even today.

Intricately decorated masks, pots and miniature rickshaws are some of the common items found in almost any Bangali household.

You can put a bunch of leafy plants in clay planters to decorate your living or dining area - both environment friendly and adds a rustic finish to the spaces. For a change, dish out the ceramics tableware for artisanal clay ones.

Nakshi Kantha

These colourful and delicately hand-stitched blankets are predominantly the most Bangladeshi addition to any home. Popular for the motifs, Nakshi Kanthas can be used in a variety of ways - framed, bedding, table covers, and more.

Using Nakshi Kanthas to give a house the timeless Bangladeshi look is effortless yet effective. It adds a flair of colour, a sprinkling of finesse and a dusting of ethnic vibrancy to any home.

Wooden furniture

Almost every home has a longstanding heirloom furniture, originally owned by grandparents. While many like to reconstruct furniture from the wood, many prefer to preserve it as a marking of the family's lineage. If you also happen to have furniture like that, you can decorate the whole room to match its deshi flair.

Opt for wooden furniture to complement the rusticity of the age-old piece. If it's a bed, complement it with an equally rustic nightstand carved from wood, preferably darker Mahogany or Shegun wood. A stroll down Old Dhaka's alleyways can help you spot the exact piece you're looking for.

Paper and fabric lamps

Lighting fixtures such as chandeliers are more common in homes than the more traditional paper and fabric lamps. But if you prefer a warmer and softer shower of illumination, locally crafted sustainable lamps are what you're looking for.

Local artisans craft lamps from homegrown fabrics like gamcha, and many times out of paper as well - giving way to the warm and soft light. If you more prefer the antique look, hurricane lamps can illuminate your home the deshi way.