Tuesday, May 12, 2009

How to decorate like a global traveler

Although travelers have always brought home treasures from their trips, the much-touted global village has helped give birth to the Global Style. Here’s a decorating style with attitude. It portrays the homeowner as knowledgeable, adventurous, and sophisticated.

The rich and colorful histories and cultures of the Caribbean, Mediterranean, European and Far East countries continue to fuel this trend. Their furniture, furnishings, textiles and accessories are finding their way into our homes. Even their cultures are influencing our design decisions.

Some homeowners scramble up the steps of a plane, while others are happy to scour local flea markets. Countless people travel the world by television, the Internet, or in the pages of books and magazines. Regardless of where and how we travel we are intrigued by a home that portrays the mystery and excitement of far away lands.

The challenge is how to integrate the treasures we acquire into our homes and maintain a personal space with international flavor.

So, what should be considered when planning to travel and purchase items for our homes?

Decorating style - When you travel and shop make choices that speak to your personality and design preferences.

You may not be able to articulate your decorating style in precise designer terms. However, you should attempt to describe your style in words that best convey who you are and what you love. Then look for furnishings and accessories that will enhance and color your home and your life.

If you like the mix and match look of an eclectic style, disparate furnishings could live happily with each other. Just be careful of clutter or over-dressing rooms in your home. Think twice, then buy or not.

Lifestyle - Always aim to fill your home with things that compliment the way you live.

Do you live in a tiny studio apartment, work sixteen-hour days, are gone most weekends, and rarely entertain? Expensive, high maintenance items may seem like a waste of time and money unless you plan to own a large home in the near future and decorate it in a style that will enhance the lifestyle you envision. Arrange to store your pieces in a manner that will preserve their quality and beauty.

Does your life revolve around rambunctious toddlers? Then delicate crystal pieces, large chunky furniture, rich silk fabrics, and wool rugs may not be suitable for your living or family room. Nevertheless you don’t have to deprive yourself of the things you love. You could still fulfill your design fantasy in your bedroom, which may be out of bounds for the children.

Access – Suppose you come across a large piece of furniture that you feel you must have. Would it fit through your front door? Could you carry it up the stairs or in the elevator to your apartment on the 12th floor?

Designers are famous for getting large items into a home even if they have to dismantle the piece and reassemble it in the room.

Space – Always remember you need walking space in your home for ease of movement from one room to another and between furniture. Will there be enough space to accommodate your new items and still prevent bumping into other furnishings?

Storage - Sometimes the treasures you bring home will be used occasionally. Where will they be stored?

Display - Some of the things you bring home from your travels will be just decorative. How will you display them? Are they more suited to being displayed on a tabletop or mantle? Or is it large enough to be placed on the floor or wall? If the piece is a delicate antique or a priceless treasure you may prefer to house it in a cabinet with other pieces that cater to a particular theme.

Function - Instead of storing or displaying the things you’ve collected consider using them.

· You may not want to use it everyday but your collection of teapots can turn a simple visit from a friend into a very special occasion. In fact, make it a ritual to serve coffee in one of your teapots on weekends, by yourself or with special people.

· Use dishes for special occasions like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Anniversaries etc.

· Throws are to be thrown. Bring them out of the closet in the colder months.

· Place a handful of real or dried flowers in the water carafe and use it to add some cheer to bedroom.

Get the look on a budget

- Duplicate the colors of Italy on your walls even if you have only a few Italian furnishings.

- Create the hot spicy look of Morocco with fabric. Drape them from your windows or on bedposts. Sew a comforter for your bed and a few throw pillows. Bundle them on your sofa or scatter them around the room.

- Bring the Zen experience to an unused spare room with a screen, a bamboo or bonsai plant, and a small water fountain. Introduce Chinese lacquer red paint as an accent color on one or two accessories and floor cushions along with simple low furniture to help authenticate the Zen-like calm.

- Build a beach wall to celebrate your love of vacationing in the Caribbean. Treat the wall to a paint technique to resemble a sunny sky or use wallpaper. Hang a fishing net and several overlapping coconut tree branches on the wall. At the base of the wall, assemble one or two large shells, a small umbrella, beach chair, ball and your surfboard on top of sand in a shallow box.

Whether you travel overseas, out of state or to the local flea market don’t be stymied by a small budget. There are always ways to get the “world traveler” look for less. Ensure that furnishings and accessories you buy suit your present lifestyle or the lifestyle you want to live. Make sure your have space to display and store them. But more importantly, think of ways to incorporate into your daily life the things you accumulate on your travels.

6 comments:

Janice Lynne Lundy said...

Cheryl,
I never did around to commenting on this but wanted to tell you I did enjoy it. I've had a fantasy for a long time now of having a house where each room was decorated in a different style, and it is global in focus. There would a Zen living room, an Old English library, a Caribbean sunroom, a Southwest (USA) kitchen (I sort of have one of those already), a French bedroom, and so on. I also love African, Southern (ala New Orleans), Italian (Tuscany!)Hawaiian, oh so many. With a very large pocketbook, I could have my own travelogue! You really have shared some great ideas here. :-)

Cheryl Wright said...

How interesting that you envision your dream home with rooms decorated in different styles from different countries.What diverse tastes you have.

It will probably drive me crazy. My decorating style hovers around simple country cottage. I am willing to be adventurous and go the way of a French Cottage look for the living room, English Cottage in my bedroom, Spanish Cottage (my favorite) in the kitchen and family room, Italian Cottage on the porch - that kind of thing. Each cottage room will feature just a hint (a slight hint) of clutter, which will consist mainly of books, magazines, pens and notebooks piled in an assortment of baskets.

Don't you sometimes get lost in your fantasy - seeing it in every detail, smelling the distinctive scents of each item? I do.

I love to daydream about living in my fantasy home (with a writing room) overlooking a small water feature in the garden.

I'll stop now before I get lost again.

Janice Lynne Lundy said...

Yes, I often do get lost in daydreaming about these spaces. Guess what? We are definitely on the same page here. I would describe my taste as cottage style too. Nothing grand and glorious for me. Comfort is too important. I LOVE cottage style, whatever the culture. Though I will take a grand and glorious view with each one!

Cheryl Wright said...

In real estate it is location, location, location. In interior design it is personality, comfort, view.

Anonymous said...

I love shopping for things to bring home when I am on trips. It's fun to be reminded of special times when I look at "souvenirs" I've brought back. I think this style of decorating makes a room more personal and interesting. You've got a lot of interesting blogs, Cheryl. When I get a little more time I'll explore the others too.

Cheryl Wright said...

Hi Cindy,

The treasures we bring home from places we visit tell something about us - our stories, personality and our passions.

What stories your treasures must have to tell.

Thanks for visiting Cindy. I look forward to seeing you and reading any comments you leave on my other blogs.