How travel can inspire your home interiors

Your travels can shape more than just memories, they can also affect how you design and decorate your home.

The colours, textures, and styles you discover on holidays often capture a feeling you’ll want to bring back home and live with every day, and many travellers find themselves trying to recreate the ambience of their favourite destinations in their own homes.

Here are some practical tips on how to use your travels to inspire your home’s interior.

Colours that tell a story

Each destination has its own palette, from the whitewashed walls of the Greek Islands to the terracotta tones of Tuscany. Translating those hues into your interiors can instantly evoke the calm or energy of your favourite place.

Take inspiration from your most recent getaway, or your favourite holiday destination by looking back through holiday snaps, and making note of the colours, shades and tones that recur most frequently.

You can use those to bring a slice of your favourite trip home, whether it’s by painting a feature wall in your living room, or using soft furnishings and accessories, like carpets, curtains and framed artwork to echo the colours of your chosen place.

Bringing textures and materials home

Texture is a great way to evoke a setting. With just one or two key pieces that use the natural materials and reflect the spirit of a destination, you can entirely change the feel of a space.

That might be a woven rug or mosaic tile splashback to bring a Moroccan flair, or a jute rug, linen curtains and driftwood bookcase for an interior that’s instantly reminiscent of coastal getaways. These details bring a touch of authenticity to your holiday-inspired décor, and ensure it isn’t just surface-deep.

Curating travel memories with purpose

Instead of collecting souvenirs that end up stuffed in drawers once you get home, try to bring meaningful items back from your travels that will not only serve as a reminder of your trip, but also tell that place’s story to any houseguests who may not have been there.

For example, a framed photograph of a particular view, a local artwork, or a piece of handmade pottery can spark conversation while connecting your home to your travel experiences.

Creating spaces that capture a feeling

Design isn’t just visual, it’s emotional. Think about how you felt on your travels – whether that’s relaxed, inspired, carefree, or adventurous, and use that as a springboard for your home’s ambience.

Tie sight, scent and sound together with little touches such as scented candles, travel-inspired playlists, and curated coffee table books that showcase local art, landscapes or photography.

By evoking all your senses, you can help to recapture the mood, and bring that same feeling you had during your travels to your home environment too.