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Image courtesy of Italian Bark
For those who love nothing more than packing a bag and jetting off to far-flung destinations, the current travel restrictions are sure to be disappointing.
Aside from taking a staycation or two, grounded globetrotters looking to satisfy their wanderlust can get a taste of travel by bringing global interior design trends into their UK homes.
Here we’ll cover three styles helping to take our armchair travels to the next level…
Terrazzo – Italian style all the rage in Germany
It’s been around since 15th century Italy, and its epoxy version was everywhere in the 1960s and 70s.
Today, terrazzo is making a comeback.
Made from chippings of materials such as marble, granite, quartz, shell and glass, terrazzo is cheap to manufacture and was considered a budget-friendly design solution a few short decades ago. But with its distinctive look and artisanal feel, terrazzo has recently experienced an elevation and a wave of popularity particularly in the cosmopolitan capital Berlin.
The mix of materials provides a colourful finished result, and terrazzo can be used in diverse ways throughout your home interiors – from bathroom tiles, planters and wallpapers to accessories like trays and coasters.
Interior designer Charlotte Rey says, “The great thing with terrazzo is that you can pour it into shapes easily, so it can be used to make up more organic forms like rounded bar tops and curved shower trays. It also comes as tiles in endless patterns and colourways which are very effective and quite easy to install.”
Napa Valley – ancient library meets calm and natural
Imagine yourself in Californian wine country, sipping one of Napa Valley’s famous Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon varietals. Napa Valley style is part ancient library, and part serene retreat.
Natural materials are used throughout, including exposed stone, to bring the outdoors in. The colour palette is reminiscent of Provence, with natural tone-on-tone combinations of ivory and cream, straw and pale cocoas, olive and sage. A calm, natural space is created through ample use of materials such as linen, jute, hewn woods, and even printed hair on hide.
Benched seating and rustic wood tables create communal dining areas which sit alongside foliage in baskets or terracotta pots, while the smells of rosemary, bay and lavender waft through the air. Sounds idyllic right?
African – vibrant fabrics and locally made ornaments
It’s nearly impossible to overstate the importance of fabrics in African fashion and interior design. One perfect example of this is Pan African interior stylist Senanu Arkutu from Darr LIving.
To jump right into African style, cover unexciting pieces of furniture in your home with hand-painted Malian mud-cloth upholstery, or in Aso-oke fabric, the traditional, handmade fabric of the Yoruba tribe who originate from the south-west of Nigeria. Local patterns made famous in wax print fabrics can be used to add vibrancy to walls via wallpaper or as wall art, while traditional baskets, pottery and tribal ornaments give the room a sense of character.
Though the vibrant colours typical of African interior design may be off-putting for any colour-phobic homeowners out there, plenty of fabrics and accessories in neutral tones can easily be found. Mixing these in with your own personal touches is really fun – and lets you experience a little bit of the joy of travel, right in your own home.
For more lighting design tips and advice, follow Gwyn Carless at the Light Yard via our social channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.