Home decor tips: Reinterpret stripes, checks, and temple motifs to uplift your living space

Modern Indian homes are no longer shy about playing with colour and form. While tradition has always been a rich source of inspiration for design, modern home dwellers are using old motifs and weaves that once defined heritage craft and expressing them in a way that feels current, functional, and deeply personal. Stripes, checks, and temple motifs are classic design languages, yet when adapted through contemporary silhouettes, fabrics, and palettes, they move beyond nostalgia and become essential tools for shaping fresh, modern interiors.

Balancing modern décor

Although a bold choice, stripes in multi-chromes can dress up a living room wall or a mix of checks can breathe new life into upholstery and layered cushions with bands of hues that feel both playful and chic. By using sustainable yarns like handwoven Madras checks, soft linens, upcylced cotton etc. interior experts are ensuring that these reinterpretations aren’t just beautiful, but environmentally mindful.

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Stripes and checks, for example, have long histories in South Indian textiles, but designers today use them in ways that reflect our fast-paced lifestyles and changing aesthetic appetites. As Rishabh Khosla, Business Head and CEO at Freedom Tree, explains, “Modernist and experimental, the stripes and blocks allow for structure, yet can change direction or be layered. The intensity of colour is arranged in a harmony or cacophony of hues and is moderated by intensity of the colour or the width of stripe. For designers it is most often restful, like playing a rhythmic digital game. Our stripers and checks for example pay homage to South Indian weaving traditions in bright polychromatic and contrasting colour tones that are familiar and comfortable for the vibrant colour appetites.”

Traditional touch

Equally compelling is the reinterpretation of temple motifs. For instance, a temple arch re-imagined as a bold graphic print for curtains, or rhythmic patterns derived from temple architecture used on accent walls not only adds narrative richness but also makes for a memorable addition to the overall theme.

(Image: Freedom Tree)

Traditionally rooted in religious and architectural symbolism, the designs are now being woven into narratives that blend storytelling with functionality. Think of temple-inspired motifs not just as ornamental prints but as visual cues that bring rhythm, depth, and character into a space. Khosla observes, “One can be inspired by the rhythms of south-Indian temple towns, coastal idyll, prints inspired by ancient architecture, or bucolic pastoral forest scenes injected with whimsical modern elements. The prints and designs can be directly inspired by traditional forms and motifs. And, with the layers of colour one can find a modern approach and sensibility with practical daily use for the home.”

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Sublime additions

In modern décor, minimalism plays a big role in ensuring these traditional influences don’t overwhelm. The goal is clarity and freshness for designs that feel rooted yet light. As Khosla highlights, “I would say minimalism is a big inspiration. Trends come and go but good design is forever. Our colour palettes change across seasons, and across years and different trends come to the fore. We also look to set the trend, thinking ahead to how colour will change in the coming years. You will often see the same prints coming back year after year, re-interpreted in new colours and palettes that suit the zeitgeist of the times.”