Bringing your Travels into the Home

DESIGN Bringingyour Travelsby Linda Hughes, Owner, SugarPine & Lantana Design Studio INTO THE HOME

Each of us at some moment during our lives has found ourselves thinking: “I never want to leave this place.” Perhaps you were on a long awaited vacation, visiting a friend’s home, touring a new city or just sitting on a deck overlooking the ocean. Once back home, it is possible to recreate your experience and incorporate those elements into your home and lifestyle. As a very young woman, I was lucky enough to live in Switzerland. The natural beauty was almost surreal. Although I was ready to come home after a year, I have always kept with me the design elements of the Swiss Alpine region in ways large and small in the many homes I’ve since lived in. Think about what made you feel like you could stay there forever. You no doubt took many photos; look through them and take note of what affected you. Was it the ocean? You could create a water feature or spa in your landscape plan. Even if it’s only a small fountain on your porch, the sound of water is soothing to the soul. What about the buttery soft linens that made it hard to get out of your hotel bed? There are several local options for fine linens in our small boutiques. Was it the local culinary choices? Few things are finer than inviting friends over to experience your favorite dish or adult beverage from that quaint restaurant or winery you visited. Perhaps you brought back a meaningful piece. One of my clients designed their entire living area around a treasured piece found during travels. Simplifying your furnishings first is the best approach. It’s a healthy exercise to let go of belongings that no longer serve you and start fresh with your new ideas. What a breath of fresh air to walk into your home and feel as if you’ve just been transported back to that place you never wanted to leave. That special scent is a quick and easy method of time travel. Orange blossom candles bring me back to my childhood playing in the orange groves. After much back and forth, SugarPine’s new signature candle is ready for its debut. I asked Modern Luxxe to create my favorite fragrance — a walk through a wildflowerfilled mountain meadow.

Photo: District 86 Co.