Dilemma Design : Bringing Home Some Vacation Style

f you’re like many of us, you may have just returned from a summer vacation where you ate to your heart’s content, relaxed, and perhaps discovered new beauty in exotic locales. Part of the fun may have been staying in an interior with a totally different look from your own home. Maybe a mountain chalet, an Italian villa, a whitewashed Greek cliffside abode, or an island hut. Want to keep the magic flowing once you’re home again? Here are a few ideas:

Indulge in textiles. Nearly every exotic locale has its own traditional textiles which can include rugs, wall hangings and fabrics for clothing, curtains and interiors. An easy way to bring your vacation experience home is to pick up a particularly striking textile piece and bring it home with you. Use it as a wall hanging, a bedspread, a drape, or to recover a piece of furniture or a cushion.

Go minimal. Something you may have noticed in your travels is that most people around the world live simply. And if you stayed in a hotel or a vacation rental, chances are you also stayed in a place that was uncluttered and lightly furnished. Why not try the same look at home by clearing out the clutter?

Above, a French weekend home is colorful, but uncluttered. Below, designer Paolo Navone exercises restraint in her simple, all-white Greek isle vacation home.

Invest in a mosquito net. Gauzy, romantic, and oh-so necessary in many warm climates, a mosquito net is an easy way to bring a little bit of vacation romance to your bedroom. Plus, this is one decorative touch that’s also quite functional!

Toss the electronics. Okay, you probably don’t want to actually get rid of all your high-tech devices, and yet, part of the beauty of the vacation experience is the break we all get from TVs, computers, stereos, video games, etc. So make your home feel more restful by reducing the display of high-tech gadgets. You might invest in furniture that can keep your electronic toys out of sight, or you might consider eliminating some electronics altogether. (Banish the TV from your bedroom, to start).