Who doesn't want their house to look beautiful? In urban areas like Dhaka, there is a tendency to make the interior of the house as tidy, beautiful, and colourful as possible. But decorating a house doesn't come cheap. Usually, it costs a lot. Many can't decorate their houses according to their choice because of budget constraints. Is it possible to decorate the house's interior at an affordable cost?
The answer is yes, and the trick is to find the right place and buy the desired items at the right price. In Dhaka, the budget-friendly home decor items are Copper, Brass, and Silver utensils, earthenware, flower pots, kula, wind chimes, wooden masks, etc. The prime locations for these items are roadside shops in Doel Chattar, Shakharibazar and Tantibazar of Old Dhaka.
In the olden days, whether it was a zamindar bari or a house of an aristocratic family, copper and bronze tableware were used to decorate the dining room inside the house.
Even today, many people look for copper and bronze utensils in the alleys of old Dhaka during puja-parbon or wedding season. Prices of copper utensils are slightly higher now, but prices of silver dishes have decreased. Like copper, using silver utensils also increases the immunity of the human body.
Earthenware is commonly used for eating Panta-Ilish in the morning of Pahela Baishakh. But the use of earthenware shouldn't be limited to it, as they can adorn the house interior every day. Eating on an earthen plate rather than melamine utensils is also healthy.
Everybody wants to adorn their living room corners with flower pots. Flower pots can be made with various materials. Among them, the earthen ones are the least expensive. Earthen flower pots can be of golden colour or various colours, and they cost Tk 150-500 depending on sizes and shapes.
The use of handheld fans dates far back to when people used them to alleviate the summer heat. Aristocrat families, especially the zamindars, used to own colourful handheld fans with intricate designs. Nowadays, these fans may have lost their importance because of electricity, generators, and IPS, but they still regain the glory of old times by being adorned inside homes.
Earthen kulas and sharas were popular to decorate homes during weddings and puja occasions. They aren't produced much nowadays, but they can be unique home decor items to bring diversity to the interior.
Earthen or wooden masks become very popular during Pahela Baishakh processions. The wooden ones might cost a bit more than the earthen ones, but they are worth the value of using them as home decor.
Native Americans believe that dream catchers trap bad dreams and release good dreams to come true. Believe it or not, dream catchers made with colourful jute rope, beads, and feathers are great accessories to decorate the house.
Windchimes are an important part of Chinese culture. In their culture, the melodious sound of a windchime vibrating in the wind is considered soothing. However, the use of wind chimes is also quite old in our country. Windchimes can be hung on the side of the living room or balcony wall.
These home decor items can be easily found in the aforementioned primary locations. They don't cost a fortune, as any middle-class family can buy them to decorate their whole interior with a 3000-5000 taka budget.
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