If your suitcase is always half-packed and your camera roll filled with sunsets, breathtaking landscapes and impressive skylines, you’re probably someone who lives for travel. So why not let that wanderlust inspire you in your home?
Designing a travel-inspired interior can be a beautiful way to reflect upon your journeys, tell stories, and retain wonderful memories. However, if you’ve bought a lot of trinkets and keepsakes along the way, it’s easy to get carried away with displaying them.
One minute you’re hanging a Chinese lantern in the dining room. Next, your living room looks like a souvenir stall from a Marrakesh Bazaar.
But while it is great to showcase the items you’ve accumulated on your travels, sometimes, less is more. This post will highlight how you can design a stylish, global travel-inspired home without going overboard.
Hopefully, it will help you create spaces that will resonate with your soul.
1. Clear the Clutter First
Before you start layering in new pieces, it is worth taking a moment to assess what’s already in your space. This is important because if you can create a clean, calm foundation in which to work with, it will help to display travel decor that really stands out.
Having been on the road as much as you have, the chances are you have got a backlogue of possessions you need to clear out. If that is the case, consider using this link to book professionals who can help you declutter responsibly.
2. Draw Inspiration, Not Imitation
The key to designing a travel-inspired space is to take cues from your favourite destinations without copying them too literally. This means that rather than turning your home into a themed room, look for subtle ways to weave in a global influence into it.
For instance, think of a woven pendant light that nods to Bali, or a sleek timber bench that reminds you of Scandinavian design. These global decor accents add depth and personality without feeling contrived or forced.
Ideally, you should let your interiors reflect the essence of your travels and not be a replica of a hotel lobby you liked abroad.
3. Curate, Don’t Collect
We all love a good souvenir. But cramming every snow globe, keyring, or fridge magnet onto shelves makes a room feel chaotic rather than curated.
For this reason, it is a good idea to choose pieces that genuinely mean something to you. A single ceramic bowl from Japan or a handwoven basket from Namibia will carry much more visual and emotional weight than a dozen random trinkets.
Try to group these items together thoughtfully, perhaps as part of a souvenir display idea or focal point. Doing this creates a collected look full of character that feels lived-in and layered, as opposed to staged.
4. Let Textiles Do the Talking
Nothing adds warmth and personality to a space quite like textiles. From Turkish kilims to Indian block-printed cushions, fabrics tell rich stories of the places you’ve been and the memories you’ve created.
Where possible, incorporate cultural textiles into your living spaces that hint at your favourite places. These could be draped over the back of a couch, hung on the wall as art, or used to re-cover a chair. By placing them there, they offer texture, pattern, and colour in a way that’s soft but striking.
Ideally, you should look for layered textures and patterns that complement your space, rather than clash within it. Moreover, if your room is already bold, stick to muted fabrics. As a general rule, the more minimal it is, the more room you’ll have to put a display.
5. Stick to a Neutral Colour Palette
If you are pulling in patterns from different parts of the world, keeping a neutral colour palette underneath can help to tie it all together.
The likes of whites, creams, beiges and natural materials such as timber or linen can all create a calming base that makes colourful accents pop. This strategy helps avoid visual overload and keeps your space from feeling chaotic.
If you want to add splashes of colour, it is a good idea to do this where they’ll have the most impact. For example, via a Moroccan pouffe in burnt orange or a vivid painting of a Tuscan vineyard.
6. Create a Travel Memory Wall
A travel memory wall is one of the most elegant ways to showcase your adventures. The great thing about it is that instead of scattering photos all over the house, you can dedicate one space to them.
Why not mix framed photos with maps, boarding passes, or even foreign currency? If you do this, it will help to create a personal yet polished display. You can even intersperse artwork from the regions you’ve visited to create extra variety.
7. Incorporate Functional Decor
You don’t have to limit travel inspiration to purely decorative items. There is no doubt that plenty of the pieces you have bought on your travels over the years can offer function and flair.
For instance, an Indian tea tray can double as a coffee table, while a Balinese mirror can make a hallway feel larger. Moreover, a Mexican tile backsplash gives your kitchen a Latino character.
Whatever eclectic home style pieces you decide to include, just make sure you don’t overdo it.
8. Don’t Forget the Senses
Design isn’t just a visual thing. It also incorporates scent, sound, and touch to create an ambience.
Lighting an incense stick from Kyoto, playing a Brazilian vinyl record or adding a textured wool rug from New Zealand are all subtle elements you can introduce to your living spaces.
The beauty of doing so is that they can transport you to those places emotionally, without taking up too much space.
