It’s nice to pack up and get away for a while. No matter where you go, in the USA or abroad, traveling somewhere else transports you. As a professional interior designer in Bergen County, NJ, traveling somewhere else is inspirational for my creative side.
#1. Why does travel inspire you?
In other parts of the world, color combinations are used differently in both their fabrics and architecture.
They may not be the right colors for our area of the world, or climate, though.
They are amazing to see when you are there but would not look right here. Yet they are imbedded in your brain. But it does get you thinking. These fabrics above are from here but have some of the influences from abroad.
Sometimes inspiration comes from something simple, like nature. How various colors look together could give you some ideas for home. You may go right past it and not see it! Would you have seen this group of bridal attendees and their flowers? Would it have registered?
Traveling opens your eyes to other possibilities. You see things you may never have seen. It might be a shape or a texture. This happened to Adam Tihany, a famous interior designer, when he was trying to figure out the design of a cruise ship. He had visited the rice paddies in Vietnam.
These shapes translated later to this design for the ship…you just never know where inspiration comes from.
#2. How can you hold onto the ideas and bring them home?
Local Finds.
Everywhere you go, some object will speak to you to say that’s where you were. Buy it. But don’t try to replicate the whole look! Be authentic and keep it small. It could be a piece of fabric or even a stone!
I liked this idea when I saw it! Foreign coins collected all over.
My favorite thing to do is to purchase a piece of jewelry from that city or town. Then I can remember that place every time I wear it. I used to collect pins and that was a great way to add to my collection. When pins went out of fashion style, I placed them strategically on pillows as a collection. Maybe they will come back yet again!
Photography.
Art is a great way to remember where you were and what you saw. It captures your travel. Pick one or two iconic images and add them to your travel wall. It will remind you of your trip each time you pass it!
As a photographer, I usually create a coffee table book from my hundreds of images of a city or town. I also keep a diary of the itinerary since each place starts to look like the other one after several days! Then you know in the progression of the shots exactly where you were.
Travel inspiration is a great way to make your home into a very personal space that reflects your interests.
Can’t wait to put my thoughts into my new projects and help inspire them.
Foreign coins collected all over.