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Design Dilemma: Around the World

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Do you ever feel like just picking up and traveling the world? A lot of us have. But most of us also have concrete reasons for suppressing the desire to globe trot, including spouses, kids, jobs, and of course, the dog. But just because we may not be able to travel as much as we would like doesn’t mean our homes can’t reflect our wanderlust. We’ve dedicated this post to looking at homes with a distinctive global style that embraces the world.

First up, a refrigerator that looks like a Chinese wedding cabinet! Who wouldn’t love to feel like they were in Asia, every time they raid the fridge for a midnight snack.

The bedroom below steals a few design ideas from the simplicity of a Moroccan bedroom.

Here’s another take on the Moroccan theme, this time in a living room:

And another home that’s gone Moroccan:

The space below has adopted an African theme:

And another African look:

Here’s a bedroom with an Asian flare:

This home features a carved wood door from India:

Looking to get inject a little global style into your home?

• Enjoy pattern, pattern, pattern from the land of your choice. You’ll notice many of the rooms above incorporate patterns from Asia, Africa and beyond.
• Select a few key architectural features as a focal point and invest in a key piece from your favorite locale. Almost all of the rooms above have at least one or two items that act as a key piece in the room. In the first photo, the lighting fixture sets an ethnic tone. In the kitchen, photo, of course the Chinese wedding cabinet fridge takes center stage. The living rooms have utilized patterned throws to set a global feel while the African-inspired living room has let an African sculpture collection maintain the focus.
• Embrace color. You’ll find in many homes around the world, color is utterly important. It is saturated, deep and unapologetic. Don’t fear bright pinks, reds, yellows and blues that are not commonly a part of Western homes.
• Embrace art. Whether it’s sculpture, paintings or textiles, fill your home with one-of-a-kind art from your favorite locale. The carved Indian door above makes a bold statement right away, and is a piece that will be treasured for a lifetime.
• Don’t try to do too much at once. Incorporate  singular elements into your home’s design, rather than attempting to pull off an entire look at once — this will allow you to completely customize it, and give your home a welcoming and well-traveled feel.