South Indian House Tour in USA: This New Jersey home glows with Temple Decor Elements

One look at Thenmozhi’s home will transport you to India! With greenery and temple elements, this South Indian House tour in USA glows with abundance and piety.

Have you ever entered a room or a hall and felt like you’ve been transported to another place or another time? There are certain places like that, and this effect of ‘teleportation’ speaks of the power of a well designed space. Today we have a home which will instantly transport you to a temple in South India. So much so, that you can almost smell the marigolds and hear the clang of the temple bells. The strangest part is that this home is nowhere in India – in fact, it is in New Jersey, continents away!

South Indian House Tour in USA

Today’s home owner is Thenmozhi, an IT professional who’s originally from Pondicherry. She is now settled in New Jersey with her family, and has lovingly created a home that reflects her upbringing and her heritage. The first thing that strikes you in Thenmozhi’s home is her wide collection of brass idols and lamps, a sign of her South Indian roots.

“Growing up in a South Indian family we always had a dedicated Pooja room. Fridays were challenging and fun as we cleaned the lamps and idols for the morning Pooja. This has always inspired me to have my own Pooja room when I grew up.”

When it was time to set up her own home, she decided to dedicate a closet for the Pooja room, with just a silver lamp and some pictures. Thenmozhi started collecting brass idols and artefacts on her travels to India. She says, “I am a huge admirer of Lord Muruga but always seemed to end up with an idol of Lord Ganesha!” Unintentionally, this grew to be a habit, with Thenmozhi picking up at least one idol of Lord Ganesha every time she visited home.

Over time, Thenmozhi amassed a good collection of brass, but was unsure of how to incorporate it into her decor. She turned to Pinterest and Instagram for ideas, and she got lots of ideas from other brass-lovers like her. Her enviable collection now includes brass lamp shades, vases, wall lamps and of course idols – including her beloved Lord Muruga!

Indian culture celebrates colors, and so does Thenmozhi’s home. In this south indian house tour in USA , there are bright pops of blue and yellow across the space – on walls, on tables, in fixtures and furnishings. This adds a cheery vibe to the entire room without being overwhelming.

Interior design is Thenmozhi’s passion, and this has helped her design all her spaces with her own DIY projects, which includes lots of plants. This home is practically bursting with greenery, and all the green beautifully complements the brass. No corner is without some bits of green, and we particularly love the entryway that gives such a fresh welcome!

It helps that the home gets a lot of natural light and sunshine. Thenmozhi shares with us pictures of her sunroom, which is bright and cheery and makes a great spot to relax and read or listen to music. Bright pouffes and cushions add coziness, while wooden furniture provides warmth.

Thenmozhi’s home is decked up in brass and greens any time of the year, but during Diwali, she pulls out all the stops. All the brass lamps are lit, and little brass diyas are scattered across the home, adding light and love to every corner. Beautiful traditional urulis also make their presence, filled with floating petals and tea lights.

No temple is complete without flowers – either in the garland for the idol, or as offerings to the deity. If you’ve been to South India, you may have seen how the women love decorating their hair with fresh flowers. Thenmozhi’s home stays true to these traditions, with bunches of fresh flowers peeking out from corners and brightening up the entire area.

Thenmozhi’s home is a beautiful example of why classic styles are always in. By sticking to the aesthetics closest to her heart and with which she’s familiar, she’s been able to create a home that radiates positivity and shines with old world charm – much like her well maintained brass pieces!

You can see more pictures of Thenmozhi’s home on her Instagram account, Inspired Decor Art.