Colours and decor inspiration from India’s most famous architectural gems

India - a tourism hub for culture, colour and a trove of design. Our palaces are treasure houses of inspiration, our architecture is breath-taking, and our love for colours, unparalleled. Let's take inspiration from the trove of colour and design that is seen in these architectural gems and link them to our home interior choices in interior wall paint and décor as well as for home exterior paint colors.

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal in Agra, is a mausoleum, and an eternal ode to love. The white building and minarets with their ivory white marble exterior, the lush gardens and the red pathways are fantastic colour inspirations. Would you like to mimic the pristine beauty of the Taj Mahal in your home? Here are some pointers

You could opt for a marble white paint colour on the walls, and white marble on the floors. We recommend white jaali Mihraab-shaped windows, a rug to mimic the Moghul art motives that are so beautifully inlaid on the window borders of the Taj.

Go easy on the colours, and celebrate white. Your furniture could be in white too, but you could also use wood to provide a contrast to all-white. Incorporate features of the Taj Mahal in little accessories throughout the space – domes, jaali-work etc, and you would indeed love the outcome!

A touch of gold and some texture may not be out of place, as your space needs to be functional as a home too!

For exterior paints, you could opt for a weather-proof white shade.

Chowmahalla Palace in Hyderabad

The Chowmahalla Palace in present-day Telangana was the official residence of the Nizams of Hyderabad, while they ruled Hyderabad. The palace is a perfect example of the Neo-classical style. It’s opulent, but warm interiors speak of great taste and the ornate gilt touches vouch for the wealth of the Nizams. However, this style is not showy. The riches are displayed in an elegant yet subtle style, all the more reason to adopt it in homes!

Decorating your home in this style, is a great choice. The predominant décor colours in this design are dull gold, a warm base colour such as muted yellow or beige, and rich, elegant décor touches. It would help if your home has a double height ceiling, because a chandelier would add a wonderful touch too!

To get it just right, you would have to start with the right colour of interior wall paint. The paint colours you can consider are the deeper shades of yellow, veering towards orange. Mustard is a safe choice, but remember not to go overboard, and to always tone it down with a base colour of cream.

It is also better to have an accent wall or half-painted wall instead of the whole room painted in a shade of yellow.

These shades from the JSW Paints shade card are just perfect for this look.

Remember to install full-height curtains but again, remember to keep them light and subtle, with no prints! Your upholstery can have a brocade finish if you wish, but do remember to tone it down, and pick the most subtle designs you can manage!

Chettinad in Tamil Nādu

Not a palace, not a home, but an entire region of wonderful colours, architecture and riches! Chettinad in Tamil Nadu is indeed an architectural must-see, the run-down, but still beautiful remnants of a place known for its mercantile legacy.

If you wish to replicate a Chettinad home, may be suggest that you start with large wooden pillars, and a beautiful hand-made tile floor! These are the most defining features of a Chettinad home!

Next comes the furniture – elaborately carved teak or rosewood furniture, with tile inlays. A little borrowed from travels across the world, and a little of our own Indian culture.

The people of Chettinad however, managed to pull it all off brilliantly, and from there, a style of their own emerged. Paint colours that will go well with the Chettinad style are yellow, beige or white walls with windows in lime green or feroze blue accents. Don’t worry about where you will find all these shades. We can help you with the right JSW Paints shades to go for. For instance, for Chettinad-inspired windows (or even accent pieces on the wall) you could consider these paint colours from the JSW Paints catalogue

Chettinad homes have either bold exterior paint colours, or sometimes just white. Go with an exterior paint colour that works best for you.

Hawa Mahal - Jaipur,

Located in Jaipur, Rajasthan the Hawa Mahal is a dream palace with its trademark pink sandstone. Other than its colour, the most noticeable feature are the Jharokhas, in intricate lattice work. The jharokha shape is prominent even through the interior of the palace. You will also see stained glass windows in some areas.

If you wish to use the Hawa Mahal as your inspiration to decorate, may we suggest, a salmon pink wall with natural textures on the paint? Any experienced painter will be able to give the textured finish on your JSW Paints.

Jharokha windows may not always be possible, but a great way to replicate them is by having jharoka wall mirrors or wall décor in the form of a painting of a jharoka. You could also go a step further and replicate the stained glass mirrors, say, on a room divider, or as a door at the end of your entryway, before you step into the living room.

Mysore Palace

Belonging to the Wadiyar dynasty, and currently a museum, the Amba Palace is located in Mysore, Karnataka. The palace is vast and imposing, it’s exterior dotted with beautiful red domes (they are actually pink marble but they take on a deep red hue when the sun shines on it) and minarets.

To draw inspiration from this beautiful architectural wonder, one can opt for a dual paint shade for the interior wall paint, imitating the exterior look of the palace – light yellow with brick red accents. One could also consider these shades for the home’s home exterior paint colours. One could also turn to blue accents, as some of the durbars favour blue as the primary colour. Infuse your décor with brass accents for a stunning effect.

Elephant motifs on your cushion covers, or as a wall motif, will bring in the feel of the south Indian palace. You could also use floral motifs. Some of the ceilings have glass panels, with beautiful peacock designs on them. The peacock motif is another idea for your home décor.

As you can see, taking inspiration from a well-known monument adds a great new kind of inspiration for those who are looking to decorate. When you get the wall colours right, everything else will fall into place. To ensure that you get that perfect shade of wall colour, do check out the JSW Paints shade panorama curated with over 1800 shades of colour inspirations from India.

Author Bio

Sharon Dsouza is a Pune-based décor blogger, stylist and décor product designer. She is passionate about simple, doable home décor with an emphasis on comfort and smart storage.