Pack
a bag, get away, and bring back more than a souvenir. That is what we can do when we really take in
the scenery, the culture, the atmosphere when we travel. Traveling can have a huge impact on design,
whether that be what we fill our homes with, how we dress, and what we serve up
around the kitchen table.
Where
we travel often says a lot about what appeals to us already. Avid beach goers, for example, who enjoy the
sand and surf, could easily be drawn to the use of light blues and khaki
shades, white woods, and shells and grasses in their décor scheme. So whether you rack up airline points, are a
road trip veteran, or simply enjoy other locations vicariously, tune into what
appeals to you and see if any of those elements could find a home in your home.
Metropolitan
ventures could leave you wanting sharp lines, leather finishes, nailhead
detailing, and the use of metals. A
coastal cottage retreat might inspire some natural jute rugs, indoor/outdoor
accent pillows, Adirondack chairs, and white
wainscoting on the lower portion of the bathroom or dining room walls. An escape to the Far
East could be filled with bold colors in jewel tones, elaborate
fabric prints, ceramic figurines, and the use of lattice in lanterns or room
dividers. A European excursion might
bring back a desire to create an alfresco dining space, display a
museum-quality piece of local art, or make some countertop upgrades in your
kitchen. Some time away to relax in a
spa setting may leave you wanting to deck out your own bathroom with plush,
white towels, dimmable lighting, teak accent pieces, and pretty serving trays
for soaps, a rock display, or rolled guest towels.
In
addition, really going somewhere could bring home photos aplenty that could be
framed as a collection or turned into wrapped canvases for display. When you love the look of an area, remember
to take photos that do not feature people.
Use scenery and cityscape photos as art.
Take a stack of souvenirs, like brochures, coins, ticket stubs, maps, or
trinkets, and arrange them in a shadowbox to hang on the wall, stand in a
shelving system, or lay on a coffee table.
Use
a love of travel and destinations to inspire some elements of design and décor
in your space. It doesn’t matter if
you’re a world traveler or a travel magazine enthusiast, you can still bring
home a little piece of the world at large with some larger than life
designs.
DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star February 17th.
