Every October, just as the evenings turn softer, homes across India begin to change. Lanterns appear on balconies, fresh garlands are strung, and the first diya is set at the threshold. It is Diwali, the festival where we don’t just decorate our houses, we reimagine them.

For me, Diwali decor has always been about memory. The urli my grandmother filled with marigolds. The crackling fairy lights my father would test ten times before putting them up. And now, in my own home, the objects I choose carry both their echoes and my own sensibility. That is the beauty of Fleck’s pieces; they belong as much to tradition as they do to today.

The doorway is where the festival begins. Place a brass urli at the entrance and let it brim with water, flower petals, and floating tealights. There is nothing more welcoming than that quiet shimmer of firelight against still water.

On either side, tall candelabra hold their own, standing like sentinels of light. Above, a toran of brass or flowers or fabric signals festivity to anyone walking past. At the floor, a rangoli, whether drawn with powders or made with petals, completes the story. This little composition at the entrance does more than decorate. It embraces.

Step inside, and the foyer becomes a transition - from the noise of the world to the warmth of the home. I love lining it with small tealight holders, alternating brass and glass, so the light ripples like rhythm. On the walls, a mix of Padma torans and flower ropes makes the space feel both ceremonial and alive.

It’s a corridor that prepares you for what’s to come - family, laughter, and tables full of food.

If the entrance is a first impression, the living room is where Diwali truly unfolds. The console can hold a sculptural brass centerpiece surrounded by lanterns. A planter overflowing with fresh blooms softens the metal and keeps the space grounded.

On the coffee table, I prefer to keep things layered but never cluttered: a tray with candleholders, small plates of dry fruits, and a bud vase with a single stem. 

Along the beams, ornaments and fairy lights catch each other’s glow. Everywhere you look, there is light, but never in the same way twice.

There is something modern about today’s Diwali celebrations. They aren’t only about puja and sweets, but also about music, cocktails, and easy conversation. A pendant lamp above the bar sets the mood. A brass wine chiller doubles up as a vase when the night is less about champagne and more about flowers.

Stemware, small glasses, even the little brass stirrers and tongs, the details that make hosting feel special. Snacks in sculptural bowls, coasters slipped under tumblers, and a planter of greens on the side. It’s playful, but it never loses grace.

The dining table is, without doubt, the soul of Diwali. This is where stories are exchanged and memories are made.

Some like to keep it traditional: thalis and dinner sets in warm metallic tones, a brass centerpiece surrounded by fresh lotus buds. 

Others lean towards ceramics in softer shades, paired with glass tumblers and pitchers. Either way, the layering matters. Metal for richness, glass for sparkle, flowers for softness.

I always find that the smallest corners - window sills, ledges, balconies - often hold the most magic. Line them with votives or lanterns and a string of fairy lights. From inside, they frame the room; from outside, they signal festivity to the whole street.

And bedrooms too deserve a touch of glow. A bedside lamp, a bud vase with fresh flowers, sateen bedding, these details remind us that Diwali is not just for guests, but for ourselves.

What I love most about Fleck’s collections is how easily they move between past and present. A brass urli at the doorway feels as natural in a Mumbai bungalow as it does in a London apartment. A ceramic dinner plate can hold laddoos or canapés with equal ease. Glass stemware sparkles whether in a Gurgaon living room or a Dubai terrace.

These objects are not bound by geography. They travel with us. They let us celebrate Diwali not as something fixed, but as something alive. Rooted in heritage, but open to today.

In the end, Diwali decor isn’t about excess. It’s about essence. The small gestures - lighting a diya, setting flowers in a vase, softening a room with fabric - create the glow we remember.

This year, decorate with intention. Let your entrance be a welcome, your table a memory, your corners a surprise. Let your home carry both where you come from and where you are now.