Creating a stylish holiday home is all about taking a global perspective and combining the familiar with the foreign. Jane Drew reports
1. Experiment with exotica
When you are decorating an overseas property there are two major pitfalls to avoid. Firstly, don’t decorate as you would at home; and secondly, don’t go overboard trying to replicate the design style of the country you are in. It might be fun and visually striking to create a room inspired entirely by one country but you limit yourself aesthetically.
2. Make a statement
Creating an exotic atmosphere starts by adding a few unexpected surprises to a room: replacing that boring glass coffee table with a weathered Indian drum, or exchanging a framed museum poster for a dazzling beaded and metallic, embroidered fabric. You can make practical household pieces stand out by selecting unusual global treasures in lieu of machine-made, mass-produced goods.
3. Shop the globe
Take your cue from the Victorian era, when empires were expanding and doors were opening to an increase in trade and travel. A variety of furniture and artefacts took pride of place in the European home – portable campaign furniture, wicker Planters chairs and silvered metal bedsteads from India; Chinese cabinetry embellished with ivory carvings or black lacquer inlays; and decoratively inlaid Moorish chairs, folding screens and occasional tables.
4. Do the unexpected
In an exotic interior, objects or furnishings from farflung places are often used in new and imaginative ways for purposes entirely different from their original intent. A bejewelled chest from India makes a decorative and useful side table; a Chinese birdcage becomes a home for plants. The satisfaction of collecting exotica lies not just in owning unusual pieces but also in living with them everyday.
5. Think out of the box
When you substitute ordinary objects with a multicultural blend of furnishings, chosen for their unique shapes, patterns or craftsmanship, you are well on your way to designing a chic interior. Think about using materials and textures in an unconventional way. Mother of pearl wall panelling, for example, bold animal prints on chairs, or cushions woven with bamboo help create a fashionable and modern finish.
6. Keep it minimal
There are no rules but it’s the way you put the look together that counts. A room that boasts an opulent Japanese Tansu chest, for example, might effortlessly accommodate a sofa covered in white leather along with an African tribal rug and a modern painting. Nine times out of ten a minimal layout works best, showing off your discerning eye and bringing each piece into focus.
7. Get personal
From the romantic curves of a wicker and rattan Japanese daybed to the festive hues of an Indian sari fabric, every element you select for a room changes the overall dynamic and reveals something about your personality. A way of creating surroundings that reflect an appreciation for the beauty of other cultures and other times, international style relies more than any other style on personal taste and decorating ability.
8. Look to the big brands
Global decorators are more likely to pick up a Shona sculpture on the roadside in Cape Town, than a designer piece from a famous store like Lalique. But this doesn’t mean the exotic influence is not felt at the high-end of contemporary furniture design. For instance at Casa Armani, Giorgio provides us with the epitome of Italian style, but his furniture collections, in lacquer, leather and iroko wood, do more than hint at an Asian perspective.
9. Mix things up a little
With international style, objects from different periods of time combine to great effect. Don’t be afraid, for instance, to place an ultramodern plasma TV in a clean-lined antique cabinet. When pieces are chosen with care and combined with skill, it demonstrates the level of beauty and harmony that can be found among unrelated objects, chosen in similar shapes or colours.
10. Stay modern
From fusion cuisine to ethnic design, the exciting thing about blending influences from disparate times and places is in creating an original new effect. Incorporating exotic elements into your design updates a room and makes every space unique. If you are seeking a truly contemporary looks, it’s advisable to restrict your scheme to just two or three colours, and to go to town with the textures.
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