HAVE HOME. WILL TRAVEL. Do you have the travel bug? Can’t get enough of jumping on a plane or boat and going to exotic places? Is your favorite TV show “House Hunters International”? Chances are, your home is more interesting than your neighbor who never leaves the county. A staycation can give you time to work on projects that have been piling up all year. That week of puttering around the house painting, repairing, and doing routine maintenance can benefit your home. However, if it is inspiration you need; it is time to hit the road! Time for some fun, relaxation, and rejuvenation of your spirit! I am so inspired when I travel. My horizons are broadened when I visit new places. A restaurant décor might set off a new train of thought in a dining room that I am designing. A modern hotel room has often been the muse of a bedroom transformation. You can use the memory of a certain vacation as the theme in your interior space. For instance, if you love the beach, you can incorporate ocean and sand colors in your home to give you a more tranquil lifestyle. Your trip to India can be the focus of your living room redecoration. Colors might reflect the curry and saffron foods that you love. Your furniture, after that trip, might be more global and interesting than you’ve had in the past. Photos and souvenirs from your voyage can be displayed in your room. Paisley and other interesting patterns can be added to your décor; along with beautiful silk textures in an array of colors. Use your imagination and keep your eyes open for things that make you smile. Travel promotes creativity. Just getting away from the daily grind can help your brain cells to function better. Leaving your home for several days can give you a bird’s eye view of both your life and environment. Your priorities become clearer in all areas. Furnishings and ideas that you loved at one time might be outdated or tiresome. It is time to give those items to others who will enjoy and cherish them. Another thing about traveling is that most of us have time to thumb through magazines and read. Stacks of design books and glossy catalogues might sit in the living room for months waiting on a snow day. A wait in an airport can make you a captive audience for a decorating magazine. As you find something of interest, rip out page to save in your personal design idea file.
A trip to Europe (or almost anywhere!) makes me appreciate home and what we enjoy as Americans. As appealing as big foreign cities are, I love having enough space to not feel cramped. After each time in another country, I have felt blessed to live in a place that has even small luxuries as ice cubes, dishwashers, and lots of hot water. One of my guilty pleasures, iced tea, is taken for granted here, but rare in some spots of the world. Most of us have a natural nesting instinct before we travel. I try to clean my entire house before a long trip. Not only does this make me feel better when I come home; it also ensures that my house will not be left in a wreck just in case something happens. I do love to come home to a pristine home after several days away. Even though traveling is fun, walking in the door of our home is one of my favorite parts. The reunion with our pets is so heart-warming, as is returning to familiar surroundings. Some say that you can’t go home again. I think that every time you travel; you bring a small part of your voyage back with you. These experiences make your mind sharper, your work more enjoyable, and your home more lovely. If you can afford it; plan a trip. If not, turn on HGTV’s “House Hunters International” and soak up your favorite environment!
e d u c at i o n
by Susan Guest, ASID
Susan Guest, ASID is an awardwinning interior designer in Hickory and owner of Guest Interiors, LLC. She is one of the designers featured in “Spectacular Homes of the Carolinas”, found in high-end bookstores around the country. For more information, visit www.guestinteriors.com.
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