Getting Your Home Ready for Diwali

With Diwali less than a fortnight away, for most of the households it's time to give homes a makeover. helps you with a ready reckoner.The festival of lights is almost upon us and people are going frantic doing up their houses. For a lot of us, festivals like Diwali spell an annual makeover for the house and here's a look at what the city has to offer, in order to help you spruce it all up:Fabric-ate itNew soft furnishing actually is the closest you'd get to a shot of Botox for your home. If you're not going all out for a redecoration job, then just change the curtains, the upholstery, the table and bed linen and throw in a few colourful cushions for good measure.Fab India has a fabulous range of table linen, bed linen and curtains that you could choose from. In white or cream with prints in soft pastel shades or gold print embellishments, the table linen start at Rs590 for a four-seater. Their chanderi and mull curtains are worth a dekko too and the embroidered silk cushion covers must not be missed either.Nas Home is another good place to head to for some festive buys, while Ants, the store that stocks up on products from the northeast is another place to look up. Of course, Good Earth in UB City is another must-visit destination on the list. From peacocks to poppies, maharajahs to tigers - they have an eclectic range of motifs on their bed linen and tableware. Take your pick of silk cushions from Golkonda, their festive collection 2011, in vibrant shades and motifs. Or, you could even pick up quilted, woven or silk screen printed bed linen and cushion covers.Table talkThis is the season to entertain. Diwali parties, with liquor, cards and an excess of good things in life, are the par for the course. And crisp, clean table linen and elegant crockery give any home a festive feel. Make sure, you keep a lot of fresh flowers around the table too.On top of the wish list for many are dinnerware and tea sets from Rosenthal. This iconic German luxury brand truly recreates beauty in porcelain. Head straight to UB City to take your pick.For those more inclined to keep things traditional, we recommend kSemya. They bring to the city a range of silver-plated household utensils, tableware, pooja items and some home accessories from Deval. They make a beautiful statement for any household. Incidentally, kSemya also stocks select luxury appliances from the ber cool Bugatti.And then there's Nikaara, a store where you get very out of the ordinary accessories - kitchenware, lighting, furniture and others - sourced from all across the globe. Standing out from amongst the crowd are their wood and mother of pearl chip and dip bowls, along with bamboo, sea-grass and coconut shell kitchen ware.Light it upIf you're indeed at Good Earth, do not miss out on the lights, an essential for Diwali. From tea candles to votives to more dramatic options, you have a fair range to choose from.And while we're talking of lights, Philips has a very interesting collection out for the festive season. The classic home dcor lights see a fusion of Continental and Oriental designs with lace, fabric and treated glass. They come in rust, bronze and gold finishes, and more. If you're looking for something a bit more unusual, go for a LightStrip, which can be placed along furniture or in a corner, along windows or floor borders. They look like a trip of small LED fairy lights and come in seven colours. There are coasters and platters that are lit from inside, LED-lit flower vases and that one essential for your Diwali party - a wine cooler that keeps your bottles cool as well as providing an interesting lighting option.For all out quirky lights, head straight to the Quirkoshop for cartoon tea-light holders and funky candles like the classic Quirko cutting chai and plastic bucket ones. Shot glasses, chocolates shaped like firecrackers and playing cards are also for the picking.And while you go about town picking up stuff for Diwali, do not forget to drop in to the Diwali special Flea By Night at Olive Beach on the 19th. From what we hear, apart from clothes and jewellery, there's some home dcor accessories to be picked up there as well.