Astha Kethan, Founder-Director of House of Things, is no stranger to travel. She travels far and wide across the country and internationally to source stunning products for her home décor and accessories brand. In this month’s column on home décor trends, the design aficionado lists down 5 guidelines to decorate your house with travel-inspired décor and accessories.
Travel-Inspired Home Decor
Travel informs design. Homes should reflect the lives of the people who live there, and mixing different styles inspired from travels is the secret to avoiding ‘embassy decorating’. Since a young age, I spent all my money on travelling and seeing the world. In a lot of ways, my personal style is a collection of all my travels. It is a mix of sorts, like Balenciaga and Hermès: it’s timeless, classic and comfortable. With a bit of pre-trip planning and some careful shopping during your explorations, you can source travel souvenirs that you will be proud to display at home.
Get the Travel-inspired look for your home with this inspiration gallery:
Here’s a round up of travel-inspired décor tips for every room:
1. Home Decor: Personal Your Space
While thoughts can be penned down in a diary or blog, souvenirs from journeys can find a place in our personal spaces. A home is like a canvas and mementos picked up from travels can be used to make this canvas joyful. I suggest searching the local flea markets to find something to satiate your design soul. I recall a trip to Venice and Paris, where I picked up barware and cocktail accessories for a loft bar at home; it is now the centre of many parties I host. In my home office, the souvenir wall has handcrafted décor objects from Udaipur and Jodhpur, a traditional dress sculpture, books from a recent trip to Beirut, and a picture frame from Istanbul.
2. Home Decor: Incorporate Indigenous Textiles
Most regions around the world have fabric patterns or embroidery styles that tell a story about their culture. For instance, use of Suzani (embroidered and decorative textiles from Central Asia) or Ikat (a weaving style common to many cultures but said to originate in Indonesia) can give a neutral room a pan-Asian flair.
3. Home Decor: Go Big on Vintage
This is a design trend that’s here to stay and for good reason! A vintage travel trunk lends character and history to your space. We’ve all seen the classic travel trunk as a coffee table, but you can also use the top as a standalone shelf highlighting an accent wall.
4. Home Decor: Frame Your Travel Memories
Take a few of your favourite photographs and make a grid of pictures on an accent wall. Let them merge into one another. You can also make small stamps out of the pictures and frame them on a display board in your bedroom or home office.
5. Home Decor: Junk the Tried and Tested
Transform ordinary things that you buy into objet d’art. For example, a lunch box from a local flea market can be converted into a unique lamp. Try grouping together all your collectables from various travels. This creates an interesting focal point in your room or coner and can act as a conversation starter. Remember, it’s your story. So, let it be told with panache and incorporate it in your home with a certain je ne sais quoi that is inherent only to you.
