How Travel Inspires our Work
For as long as I could remember, traveling has always been a great source of inspiration in the work I do. In fact, it was a trip to Bali with my mother that opened my eyes to the world of design and set me on the path I am on today. In this month’s blog, inspired by my recent trip to the Azores, we’re sharing a few ways that we are often inspired by our travel experiences, both near and far.
Traveling internationally has always been a love of mine. And tying it to the work we do is just one of the many ways I can connect these two passions together. Travel can be inspiring and, in my case, it can also be career changing. When on a trip to Bali, I was so mesmerized by the colors and textures of the silks and designs that it influenced my decision to change my career path from advertising to interior design.
Seeing new worlds and how people eat and live can not only open your mindset to other cultures and beliefs but also refresh those creative juices when you feel exhausted or just out of fresh ideas. A new travel adventure is a great way to re-energize the mind and spirit. And because you are usually in a more relaxed state you are far more aware and appreciative of the little nuances around you. Subtle details that often go unnoticed. Exploring areas like color scheme, textures and patterns along with unique cultural characteristics can all help to create new ideas and design concepts that our client’s can benefit from.
With recent travels in mind, here’s a look at how pulling from colors, textures and culture inspire our future design projects.
Color
When arriving on the Azores, I was immediately blown away by the rich green landscape and the miles of vibrant blue hydrangeas. Set against the orange and brown backdrop of the rugged cliffs, thermal pools and waterfalls, you can really envision how these two very different geographies can co-exist so purposefully. And this feeling can extend to interior design concepts. Much like creating a sense of place, pulling in the colors from a home’s natural surroundings is an authentic way to bring the outdoors into a home. A great example of this is in our Renovation with Artful Flair kitchen design project. The varying green waves of the tiles combined with the moss colored cabinets, gracefully tie in the vegetation found along its Cohasset coastline.
Textures
We’ve always said that inspiration can come in many forms. And local artistry is just one of the ways we can pull from textures around us to create a design project. Custom made tile and stone work can inspire a new way of connecting and layering dissimilar elements and styles. One unexpected place that I also found texture to be an inspiring source for design was touring the Azores’ pineapple plantations. Complex with texture and patterns, this native fruit is not only delicious but also instills lots of creativity. Whether a tile, pathway or fruit, textures of all kinds can inspire elements like rich velvet pillows, wall coverings and antique glass across the design of a space.
Culture
Whenever we travel, we love immersing ourselves in the local culture and traditions we are visiting. From grabbing a meal at an off the beaten path restaurant patronized by locals to hiking along a mountain trail with a local guide, hearing the stories from a resident helps to better connect with the place we are visiting. Kristina’s recent trip to Bolivia is a great example of this. Drawing inspiration from deep rooted traditions like a culinary experience or the style of window treatment in a home, can create a one-of-a-kind look to our client’s home.
We hope that this encourages you to look for the uniquely unexpected ways travel can inspire design on your next trip away.
Bon Voyage!
Until next time,
