THE HOME SHOULD BE THE TREASURE CHEST OF LIVING

- Le Corbusier

purpose and aesthetic vision is required. It’s the way you put the look together that counts.

When designing any complicated living space, the first step is to visualise how it will look, so it’s worth spending some time working up an interiordesign mood board. A mood board is a tried-andtested way to collect inspiration, explore ideas and set the tone for your design project. Start by setting up a canvas on which to arrange photos of new and existing furnishings and accessories that you’d like to include in your scheme. Add in paint and fabric samples that interest you, and see what works together and what doesn’t.

You’re looking to create a cohesive scheme in which the contrasting shapes, colours and styles work together. So be ruthless. If the treasured wedding cabinet you bought in Beijing years ago doesn’t fit with the other items on your mood board, give it to a friend or put it into storage.

Keep It Minimal

Creating a harmonious living environment from pieces from far-flung places isn’t the easiest of options. And as a general rule, a minimal layout works best, starting with the backdrop. Unusual textures and bold hues are part and parcel of a travel-led scheme – lacquer, pewter and porcelain, as well as animal skin, fake fur and beaded or ethnic fabrics can all feature in the furnishings and accessories. So you’re well advised to provide a bit of breathing space, some visual relief by keeping the surrounding walls and floors fuss-free.

Simple wood or tiled flooring, perhaps punctuated by a couple of rugs, helps tone things down, as does monochromatic paintwork. While stark white walls are too cold for an exotic-looking room, you can play around with shades of off-white and cream, perhaps even a sexy combination of grey and taupe. If your heart is set on bold paintwork, limit yourself to just one colourful statement wall.

A minimalist approach will also help when you’re filling in the details. Minimal doesn’t have to mean empty or utilitarian but it does mean clutterfree. A ‘less is more’ approach to accessories and furnishings will bring each piece into focus and show off your discerning eye. Overstuff a room with too many items, no matter how beautiful, and it will end up looking more like a flea market than an inviting place to hang out.

Make It Personal

From fusion cuisine to travel-led decorating, the exciting thing about blending influences from around the world is in creating something original. The romantic curves of a wicker daybed crafted in Java, the festive hues of a Moroccan throw… every element you select for a room changes the overall dynamic and reveals something about your personality.

Above all, you are given the option to think out of the box, combining pieces from disparate times and places that mean something to you personally and, when arranged together, express your personal style. Know too that you are free to use furnishings in new and imaginative ways for purposes entirely different from their original intent. That tiny, cutglass Moroccan vase, you picked up in a souk last month, might, for instance, provide the finishing touch to your bathroom – as a toothbrush holder. Approach decorating in this way and every item in your home becomes a potential talking point, and something to spark fond memories.

A travel-led scheme can take a lifetime to perfect, and therein lies much of its charm. It’s something that you build on year after year, as you add in interesting, new pieces. Finding yourself in a London flea market, you might finally happen upon the slightly rickety but beautifully formed Regency dining table you’ve coveted for what seems like forever; one morning in Cape Town, you might spot a couple of Shona statues on the roadside that will fill a long-standing gap on your bedside table.

Above all, global style champions the unique, the interesting and the erudite. It’s not about filling your home with high-priced, big-brand items, supplemented by sneaky trips to Ikea. It’s about gradually creating your own personal ‘treasure chest of living,’ as you travel and shop the globe.