19th March 2021
With less than a month to go before the Holy Month of Ramadan commences, it's time to start thinking about how you will be decorating your home. With strict restrictions now in place in the UAE for family gatherings due to Covid, will this be affecting how you decorate?
Over the past year, as a direct result of Covid and the various lockdowns and restrictions on gatherings, one of the trends in interior decor which has seen a massive spike in popularity is holiday and seasonal decor. It is believed to be a way for people to look past Covid and look forward to celebrating something to keep their spirits up. I hold my hands up - I have been totally swept up in this trend myself, creating displays in my home to mark various occasions - just a couple of days ago, I was celebrating St Patrick's Day and had created a small display and I'm not even Irish!
Living in the UAE, it is impossible not to experience Ramadan. So this year I'll be decorating my home with a Ramadan wreath, which my Emirati business partner affectionately describes as 'Ramadan blended with Christmas', my first ever Ramadan countdown calendar and candle-lit lanterns in the evenings among other things.
5 Ideas for decorating your home this Ramadan
Ramadan Wreath - this can be adorned on either your front door to welcome your family and guests as they arrive or hung inside on a wall or door so that you get full enjoyment of seeing it whilst you are inside your home. Check out our one-of-a-kind Ramadan wreaths in our online shop. And, for the first time, we are giving you the opportunity to customize your own Ramadan wreath, which gives you the opportunity to have a wreath made up in your choice of colours, so you get exactly what you want.
Wall Decor - the sky really is the limit here. There are so many styles of Ramadan wall decor to choose from. Popular items include: Arabic Calligraphy, bunting, star shapes, moon shapes, garlands and signs. These can of course all be purchased, but they can also be homemade. Children enjoy making paper lanterns, decorating letters to spell out Ramadan and the likes and its a great way to involve the whole family. Check out our beautiful Arabic Calligraphy design plaques, which are available for pre-order,
Lanterns - again, these come in all shapes, sizes and material. Some will be for outdoors and others to enjoy inside the home giving off a comforting light. Have you considered making your own? This could be another fun activity for your children and family to enjoy together in the run up to Ramadan. Upcycle glass jam jars or mason jars with some glass paints in your favourite colours and Islamic designs - these can then have either a tea light candle, a battery-operated tea light candle, or battery-operated string lights inside.
Ramadan Countdown Calendars - these can be wall hung or table mounted, they might be made from paper, wood or stitched fabrics. They may be designed for single use for just this year or reusable year-after-year. You get the idea - there are so many different designs and styles available, it really comes down to personal choice. Do you want a traditional calendar with dates, a chalkboard which you can update daily, or a design which will provide small gifts or treats each day. For the first time, we have some gorgeous handcrafted and finished Ramadan Countdown Calendars available for pre order. We think that both children and adults will love them as they hold Ferrero Rocher chocolates.
Ramadan Tabletop Decor -
trays of dates. chocolates and sweets treats are popular for Iftar tables
Ramadan letters, signs and messages look fabulous on console tables and shelves. We have some lovely intricately etched and hand painted Ramadan Mubarak tabletop messages in the shape of a moon resting in the moon-shaped stand.
vases of flowers
ornaments in the shapes of stars and moons
decorative serving bowls and trays
traditional Arabic coffee pot and coffee cups
lanterns and candles
garlands
I also love the idea of using favours / return gifts as part of your interior decor. These can be beautiful gift bags or wrapped presents carefully positioned near to your entrance for guests to each pick up as they leave to take home and enjoy along with the memory of celebrating Ramadan with you and your family in your home.
How will you be decorating for Ramadan this year? Take a few minutes to get inspired by our collection of gifts, greetings cards, home decor and art carefully curated especially for Ramadan.
Ramadan Kareem.
Written by Jenny Hunt
Founding Partner & CEO, Gateway Art Sales LLC & FORBES' Top 100 Most Influential Women In The Middle East