STAYCATION: Bring the world home
Even if you can’t go anywhere, create that exotic feeling at home
If your actual travel plans are on hold, you can soothe your wanderlust with a few home decor change-ups or additions. Whether you’re wishing you were at a wilderness cabin, the beach or an exotic passport destination, designers and retailers are offering clever ways to bring the world into your quarantined home space.
Can’t stroll the real streets of Italy? You can clad floors or walls in a kitchen, bath or family room with a surfacing that evokes that feel. Italy’s ABK offers the Nuovi Mondi capsule collection of large-format ceramic tiles digitally printed with painterly landscapes and whimsical illusory elements such as tightrope walkers, bicyclists and playful children. Termed “ceramic wallpaper,” its scenes include cityscapes of Rome, Venice and Milan.
Another Italian tile maker, Refin, offers Risseu, a collection of porcelain stoneware tiles inspired by Genoa’s historic, cobbled courtyards and city gardens.
Alessandra Wood, vice-president of style at the online interior-design platform Modsy, says you can evoke the feel of your favourite coastal getaway through some well-chosen prints and materials.
“Look for pieces that have a subtle tropical vibe via foliage, like palms, as well as natural raw wood or rattan textures, and fun global prints,” she says. “Incorporate prints and objects that depict shells and sea life.”
Various outlets offer table lamps with resin bases crafted like pieces of coral.
Missing your favourite beachcombing spot? Small touches, such as changing the lighting or choosing new cabinet pulls, might be just the ticket.