Gosh I love traveling. I could pack my bags at a moment’s notice and be out the door and on a plane to my next great adventure without even blinking an eye. One of my favorites things about traveling is seeing how other people live. I end up taking so many pics of the architecture, the decor, and random strangers that I sometimes forget that it’s nice to have a few of myself as well. Every time I come back from a new destination that I’ve had my latest love affair with I realize my own personal style evolves. There are days when I love a little sophistication (my bedroom ended up becoming a Parisian girl’s dream) and on my return from California my dining room got a surf style update (it looks like Venice Beach traveled 3,000 miles across the country and is taking a vacation in my home). I’m easily influenced by my travel surroundings, because each and every time I visit somewhere new I fall in love just a little bit more. So I’d figure I’d share some of my style decor tips with y’all, and possibly even post a picture of one of my own rooms, so you can see how my travels have crossed over into my own personal style.
What do you do when you see a person’s decor that you love? Online or on your phone you can screen shot the photo right? So why should it be any different when you’re traveling. If you’re someone who is as emotionally connected to their current surroundings as I am, then photograph away! I find that broad or wide shot photos don’t get the trick done though. If you love a palette that you’re seeing get up close and personal with it. I’ve even been known to photograph tiles inside random bathroom stalls because I thought the colors and textures used were so interesting and unique. For me, the key is to pick no more than 3-4 colors in each shot and zoom in, stand close or magnify those 3-4 colors in your photograph. I like to feel the colors in my photograph, as if I’m still standing amongst them when I’ve returned home. It really is as simple as that though! From there I put a story board together of the photos I’ve taken – organizing blues and greens together, beige, browns and taupes on another side and for the truly whacky and outlandish prints, they receive a corner all their own.
Never be afraid to experiment with color and go in the direction your heart takes you. You’ll know when a color feels right to you because it will be something you’ll never get tired of looking at day in and day out.
“Mere color, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways. ” ― Oscar Wilde
