Earlier this year, we offered our tips for bringing travel inspiration into your home, without making it look like an Olive Garden. Since we’ve had such a great response to these ideas, we’d love to share our tips for capturing things that inspire us when traveling abroad.
Summer is the time when so many families venture off into the world. And it’s such a great way to get ideas and inspiration for your home. Not all ideas translate the same but you can readapt them to your space. Hot pink villas in Italy look amazing but are probably not going to work in most peoples’ hometown.
We once used pink awnings on a taupe house and added a pink backyard gate, to give the pop of color without overwhelming or going too “Old Florida”. You can use the color on an accent wall, or for an outdoor fireplace, to bring the spirit of the magical place you love into your own home.
With your phone it’s easy to photograph the places and things you love, but harder to capture the details. We always bring a paint book along on our travels, because we see so many great colors used on buildings and in interiors. Even with a photo, it’s hard to recapture the exact color from memory. Most paint stores will give you a paint book if you ask. And now there are even easier ways to capture and match colors that you love. Sherwin Williams has an excellent app that lets you use your phone to capture colors exactly.
And an interior designer would never go anywhere without a chic lightweight tape measure. Abby uses one of these from Mark & Graham. It’s all in the details.
We love boutique hotels and always seek out amazing places that are off the beaten path. Websites like Smith Hotels, i-escape, Jetsetter and Tablet all have reviews and allow travelers to book exclusive properties directly. Small, exclusive hotels offer intimacy and approachable design ideas that translate well into your own residence. We hope your summer is full of the kind of travel that brings you home refreshed, with your creative juices restored!