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Curating a Well Traveled Home

A big trend in home decor for Fall 2015 is a curated look – that could be anything from a gallery wall to an entire space.

Since I have a wandering spirit and adventurous travel is a big part of who I am, reflecting that in my home is important to me.  But doing so doesn’t mean carting home tonnes of souvenirs and artifacts, in fact creating a space that reflects your adventures is a delicate balance between timeless staples and subtle injections of far off places.  Too many treasures from your travels and your home will start to look like a Grand Bazaar.

(PC: Elle Decor)

Follow these tips and you’ll create an inspiring, well curated home with ease.

When curating a global inspired space, I like to keep the furnishings classic and simple, adding interest through fabric, wallpaper and accessories.  With a neutral and classic backdrop, ornate pieces such as a Moroccan screen or carved chair can be added with ease and replaced when your mood changes just as easily.

Look to pattern and texture in textiles to create a modern global space. To keep contrasting patterns from competing with each other, it’s important to make sure they all have the same tonal value.  Balance patterns by layering them on top of solids, a graphic rug with a solid border achieves a similar effect.  When thinking about textiles, don’t forget about the walls, graphic wallpaper is a great way to create a very distinct look.  Nervous about committing to wallpaper?  How about a Persian rug hung on the wall?  Impact and interest without a serious commitment.

(PC: Style at Home)

An obvious go to for sharing your adventures and creating a well traveled look is to turn to photographs you’ve taken.  But without some careful thought, a picture wall can start to feel busy and look tacky.  When choosing images, choose similar scenes, for instance landscapes, architecture or animals and develop them in black and white or sepia to create a harmonious look.  If you really want to showcase the colours in your photography, make sure to keep the matting, frames and sizing relatively consistent to create a balanced look.

(PC: Style at Home and mylovelythings.blogspot.com)

Collections of items that inspire you, when grouped together create a curated look, full of meaning and memories. But don’t just fill your suitcase with stuff in an attempt to create a curated look – decide on what inspires you and mindfully collect as you go – you may even find some treasure at markets and ethnic stores in your own backyard.

(PC: homeedit.com, Pinterest and Design Sponge)