Five travel-inspired decorating ideas
Our experts share their tips for travel inspiration.
Make yourself at home
“When I stay in someone’s home or a hotel, I always play a game in my head, thinking about what I would keep and what I would change if I lived there. For the things I’d keep, I work out how I can recreate the idea in my home decor.”
-- Willeke Jongejan, Senior Global Colour Designer
Notice the little things
“I find that you discover so much about a culture from the little things. Take food packaging – its design is different wherever you go. Every time I’m abroad I bring home a collection of labels, wrappers, printed leaflets – and use them for colour inspiration.”
-- Marieke van der Bruggen, Global Colour Designer
Window shopping
“One of my favourite hobbies abroad is to wander the streets of a city when the sun is going down and people start to turn their lights on indoors. I love to see how they live in the spaces they’ve decorated, and I always find an idea to take home.”
-- Heleen van Gent, Head of the Global Aesthetic Center
Gourmet inspiration
“Bars and restaurants are a great source of ideas for me. I take photos of everything from stools to ashtrays, glasses to mirrors. When I get home I try to find similar décor items online on sites”.
--Marieke Wielinga, Global Colour Designer
Travel scrapbook
“When I'm travelling, I like to collect fabric swatches. It could be a cushion, a scarf, a bit of upholstery – it doesn’t matter. Every destination has a different language of pattern and colour, and each will have an influence on my ideas at work and home.”
-- Louise Tod, Senior Global Colour Designer