The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
TRAVELLER RETURNS
With many of us longing for the chance to go travelling again, Amara’s Global Explorer range and similarly themed home accessories are an interesting diversion, says Jacqueline Wake Young
A long time ago, before planes and online shopping, it was quite a palaver to acquire home furnishings from far-off lands.
People – rich people – went on great adventures by ship and brought back treasures in their steamer trunks.
We know from the 2014 film Paddington with Nicole Kidman that they then showed off the things they had collected from exotic destinations such as deepest, darkest Peru to their friends and acquaintances by giving a talk at the guild of explorers in London.
The 1970s equivalent of this was to show the neighbours several dozen holiday slides after a fortnight in Malta with Thomas Cook.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Made in
Chelsea types would take the Grand Tour of Europe, returning laden with artworks, conversational French and funny ideas about politics and romance.
On all of these excursions, retail therapy was the name of the game, so that returning travellers could fill their homes with items to remind them of their adventures and, more importantly, let others know they had had some.
Such treasures were typically handmade by locals (hands up everyone who has a lace hankie from Malta) using natural materials and processes.
Raffia, anything woven or using a plant or earthbased pigment such as ochre, would typically feature.
Amara’s Global Explorer range is evocative of bygone travels, and in modern homes, such natural colours and textiles can create a warming, calming atmosphere that hints at far-flung places we can currently only dream of experiencing firsthand.