Let your travels design your home

Interior design inspiration doesn’t always come from glossy magazines or furniture stores, sometimes it can be found by chance in your travels either locally or abroad. As team Creative Style have both been in ‘holiday mode’ recently, we decided to look at the exciting design inspiration to be found in your travels.

Shangri-La Mactan Resort, Cebu, Philippines

What to look for

A hotel stay can provide plenty of design inspiration, such as bedding, bathroom finishes, décor, light fixtures, window coverings, furniture, flooring, decorative accessories and more. The way they put together a design style in the rooms, lobby, restaurants and local attractions can rouse your inner Interior Designer!

Rockefeller Centre “Top of the Rock”, New York – Swarovski Crystal wall

But it’s not just hotels

You can find design inspiration anywhere; an office building, a shopping arcade, a theatre, a bar, the beach, or simply in the street.

Cathedral Arcade, Melbourne, VIC

Looking for overseas inspiration?

While you can create an entire room around a particular international design scheme, often just adding a feature piece of furniture or some special decorative accessories from that design style can be enough.
 

Asian

Indonesia (Bali), Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines will provide plenty of ideas. Homewares can be inexpensively purchased from stores or markets, and freighted back. Expect plenty of carved timber, lacquerware and ‘silver’.

Shangri-La Mactan Resort, Cebu, Philippines

China, Korea and Japan respectively have well-known and distinct design styles. Feature pieces of furniture are commonly hand-painted or lacquered with inlaid designs, some more ornate and others quite minimalistic in nature. Accessories such as Willow Pattern porcelain, hand-painted jewellery boxes, woven tatami mats, richly embroidered silks and paper fans can be found in this region, as can larger items of furniture including privacy screens, ornately painted chests and lowline tables.

Art Deco

New York City

New York City is one of the best places to find Art Deco architecture and design. Lead light windows, sculptural patterns and rich finishes in reds, blacks and metallics are distinguishing features of the style. If you look closely enough, there are also plenty of examples of Art Deco design in our own backyard!

Regent Theatre, Mudgee, NSW

The Middle East and the Indian Sub-Continent

Countries such as Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Turkey & India have an ornate, decorative approach to design. You’ll be certain to find plenty of mosaic tiles, silk carpets & rugs, beaded and embroidered bedding and napery, and carved timber furniture with lush upholstery and bold colours.

French 

The provinces of France are littered with gems of beautiful design. You’ll find timber, both painted and polished, with luxe details including ornate handles, carvings, plush upholstery. You might find a 17^th Century Louis Chair or a weathered armoire to inspire your home décor.

Versailles, France

If you’ve been inspired by your travels, but need a little help bringing the look into your home, give Creative Style a call on 0416 190 792 or email [email protected] to book an appointment with Jenny.