Pictures by Pabitra Das Courtesy: Cocoon

Themes are no longer restricted to a fashion designer’s mood board. Stepping out to style more than just a person, themes today are an inherent part of many homes.

While some houses shout out a specific theme the very minute you step inside, others blend various concepts to tell a tale of their own.

Starting with a Zen-style home, GoodLife takes you through various themes to do up your dream home.

Theme talk

A Zen-style home exudes quintessential Zen qualities of peace, serenity, calm and spirituality almost effortlessly. The cumulative effect of essential elements like typical colours, furniture, upholstery and artefacts merging seamlessly sets up this scenario.

“The Zen mantra concentrates on the saying that less is more. Hence, minimal elements come into play to create maximum impact,” explains interior designer Vivek Rathore.

Kanupriya Jhunjhunwala, one of the four partners of interior design firm Bonne Design, says: “The Zen look is all about functionality and there’s a lot of purpose behind each piece. It emphasises the need to remove clutter.”

But is the Zen look suitable for the entire home?

Not really, feels interior designer Charu Rajgarhia. “It goes best with an informal drawing room, a bedroom or even the passage, but the look would be inappropriate for the kid’s room,” she says.

Nature plays a crucial role in Zen and hence we see lots of raw elements in their basic form, not embellished and mostly kept matte. This explains the partiality towards natural bamboo and alba plants. “Another Zen basic is the importance of light and water,” adds Vivek. While a flowing waterbody is said to create dynamic energy, static water must be steered clear of.

Similarly, Zen treats the light source, a lamp or a candle, not just as a bare function but also as ornamentation in the house.

Colour call

Off-white, white and black are the main colours on the Zen palette. A very strong presence of “walnut wood” is also felt. The flooring in a Zen home is best kept wooden. Easy to maintain, it also imparts a nice, warm look.

“This neutral colour story reflects the dweller’s mindset and lends a sense of calm and well-being, breaking the monotony once in a while with some red, orange or green,” explains Rohini Singla, another partner at Bonne Design.

Design detail

Vivek points out that the furniture in a Zen home is placed in a flexible manner that can be altered as and when needed. “Design never dominates the furniture,” he explains.

so common are fuss-free rice paper screens acting as light partitions between two rooms since the use of glass is limited in a Zen home.

Charu Rajgarhia lists a few decor basics to keep in mind while setting up a Zen home:

• The furniture is essentially low slung and laid-back.

• Curtains and drapes are minimum. Use cane or rafia blinds; if you prefer a flowy look, opt for sheers as the double layer.

• Deep cushions are favoured.

• The upholstery fabric should always be of a natural fibre, soft in texture and colour. Solids look best and prints and checks are a no-no.

Add-on appeal

Though the basic look is minimalist, a few pieces in the form of finishing touches are always welcome. Like the furniture, artefacts too boast of clean, straight lines and no drama. Lamps of rice paper, natural fibres, branches and twigs are typical Zen as are Goza and Tatami fibre mats.

The centrepiece of a Zen home is an eye-catching stone sculpture.

“These sculptures in wood, stone or papier mache have a tranquil expression that give out peaceful vibes,” says Sheena Rawla of Cocoon.