Festive Home Styling and Decoration Ideas for Onam

Long ago, there was a great King called Mahabali. Known for his generosity, wisdom, and fairness, his rule was a golden age—no one was mistreated, hungry, or sad. His fame spread to the heavens, making the gods worried. Lord Vishnu, disguised as Vamana, visited Mahabali and asked for three pieces of land. Mahabali, readily agreed. With each step, Vamana grew bigger, covering the earth with his first step and the sky with the second. For the third, Mahabali humbly offered his own head to fulfill his promise. Seeing his humility, Lord Vishnu allowed him to visit his people once a year. We celebrate this visit as Onam—a festival of thanks, joy, and togetherness.

India is a place where festivals are widely celebrated and considered very special. With bright flowers, colours, decorations, and food, Onam, Kerala’s big harvest festival, brings people together and turns ordinary spaces into warm, traditional homes. Here are some easy home styling and decoration ideas for Onam to invite the spirit of the festival inside.

Onam Styling and Decoration Ideas at Home

Make your home bright.

Lamps and diyas are indispensable in Indian households. During festivities, install lights that make your home more luminous. Light some diyas, colourful scented candles, fairy lights, modern chandeliers and antique lamps, and let your personal flair shine through.

Bedroom Onam decoration

Redecorate your bedrooms with white-gold curtains, bedsheets and jasmine flowers to leave a lingering fragrance in your room. You can get the curtains from your local store or online. You can also try placing an Onam-themed lamp, which evokes a warm and inviting feeling. Adding cushions embroidered with Onam themes or Kathakali faces is a smart way to add to the festive decor. Do note the primary colours of Onam are the flowers blooming in that period. Bright yellow, red, white, orange, and purple are the primary colours. You can also update your painting into a theme-based one, taking inspiration from the Onam colours.

Decor for the perfect Onam sadya

Most traditional Indian festivals revolve around food. And in Onam, food plays an important role, and therefore, do not forget to include beautiful tablescapes, beautiful table runners and place some flowers and lamps. When it is time for the delicious Onam sadya, serve it on fresh banana leaves, and if getting the leaves is difficult, use a traditional-style brass dining set. If you want to amp up your dining area further, install a Kathakali art piece or a wall art of a boat race to represent Kerala beautifully.

The floral arrangements

The easiest way to set the festive mood is to have floral decorations. Flowers also create a soothing vibe. Flowers are pleasing and give a fragrance that adorns the entire space. You can also adorn your pooja or living room with a toran with fresh leaves, hanging lamps, diyas or floating lamps.

Other decoration ideas for Onam

If your friends or family are having a gathering, create nettipattam, elephant masks or even dress up to show off the folk art tiger dance, also known as the pulikkali. It would also be a great idea to create a boat craft during the season. Another way to infuse Onam festivity into your decor is by showcasing jewellery pieces or handcrafted items.

Choose a Decor Idea That Fits Your Requirements.

As the vibrant festival of Onam beckons, let’s welcome your guests and family with stunning pookalam and warm hues of living space with cosy seating arrangements and dining that exudes Onam’s essence with tradition and modernity. Let’s decorate the home with festival spirit and deepen our connection with our roots, and ensure we pay homage to our traditions. Let us all embrace the beauty of our culture that tells a story.

Feeling inspired? Book a free consultation with an interior designer today and create a home thoughtfully handcrafted by talented artisans, ensuring your place is not only beautiful but also reflects the essence of this festival.