How to Create a Travel Inspired Interior.
With the Easter break fast approaching many of us may be heading off to warmer climates for a spring time holiday or spending a few days exploring our favourite great British holiday destinations.
Us Brits have long been known for collecting trinkets, treasures and memoirs of our favourite travel destinations and they can often make up a huge part of our interior decor without us even realising. Souvenirs, tickets, clothing and photos are a great way of bringing a sense of life into your interior and create a personalised space that will bring back fond memories of travel and cultural influences.
Maps are always a great addition to a study, bedroom or home office space and create visual and artistic detail on a plain feature wall. Wall murals are a fabulous way of creating a full world map on the wall of your home and can be displayed in traditional satellite style colours or more bold and funky colour palettes for a children’s bedroom or nursery. You can also make your own map of the world by painting your wall pastel blue and then cutting out the shapes of the countries from mix and match samples of wallpaper. For a more chic and contemporary look then paint the wall crisp white and create silhouettes of the countries using plain black wallpaper. Chart your travels or ‘wish list’ destinations using sparkly pins, sticker dots or even caricatures such as kangaroos and camels for a fun and unique finish.
We all have that one suitcase that we simply cannot throw out. It has travelled to both local and exotic destinations by plane, boat, car and by foot and is simply too special to be parted with. If this sounds familiar then don’t just hide it away in the top of a cupboard or banish it to the attic, get creative and turn it into an item of furniture that will be unique and personal to you. Large or hard exterior suitcases make perfect occasional seating areas for a bedroom or living room area. Open the case up fully and then pad the interior with sponge for the seat and backrest design. Finally upholster the interior in a travel themed fabric to create a fun and quirky design. Alternatively use your old luggage for storage and display purposed by cutting off a wide section of your suitcase (the part that locks) and use these strips as shelving sections (Right) to display some of your many souvenirs and collectables. Alternatively select an open front book shelf and fill it with an array of old suitcases for a unique and eye-catching chest style storage space.
If you are anything like me then you probably have a shoebox hidden under the bed or in the wardrobe that is filled with photos, tickets, boarding passes, and trip receipts that remind you off all the special places you have visited over the years. With a few simple steps you can make a feature artwork with these small and overlooked items by creating a travel inspired collage that can be hung on the wall or displayed on a sideboard or bedside for a story telling focal point. Take a piece of white card and then cut out the name of the visited country or town from an old magazine, wallpaper or even some photos (make sure you have lots of copies obviously!) and glue them to the top of the card. Now arrange the rest of your items however you wish to the lower part of the card, try fanning out your tickets so they can all be viewed and add in anything you may have picked up along the way such as key rings, shells or restaurant cards for added detail. Once finished place your card in a glass fronted frame so your items remain safe but fully appreciated.
When shopping for furniture items select those that remind you of your favourite country or travel destination so that every time you look at it you will get swept away in the atmosphere and memory of that particular place. For me this is Greece and my array of stone and marble busts and Greek key plaques always create the sense of classical history that I love. If you love Morocco or Turkey then select an eastern tiled side table or coffee table and bold and bright tasselled cushions that embody the vibrancy of the markets and palaces. A stylish Japanese cupboard in luxurious jade and gold colour tones will look wonderful in a hallway or dining room area and will reflect the elegant and refined nature of oriental design. Can’t decide what country is your favourite? Mix and match these styles and themes to create a fusion of worldwide style and globetrotting flair that will provide a unique and eye-catching appearance.
Finally you can recreate your favourite hotel room and destination by creating a bedroom setting that is glamorous and relaxing and reflects the laid back and escapist nature of hotel living. Take yourself back to that chic weekend in Paris with a romantic boutique bedroom setting with hints of Parisian opulence and femininity. If you love nothing more than curling up in a farmhouse bedroom in a Tuscan vineyard then opt for chunky oak bedroom furniture with floral cotton fabrics and linens. For a more flamboyant Caribbean style look then select bold and vibrant satin bedding in jewelled tones and gold accents that embodies the opulent beauty of island life.
For more ideas on creating a travel inspired ambiance in your home interior, head over to our latest Pinterest board – Pinterest – Travel Inspired Interiors