Hey everyone! I am back from my travels to South Africa, and I cannot begin to tell you how inspired I am from this journey. I even bought design magazines from South Africa. (Something only an interior designer would do!)
The trip was full design inspiration! Furniture, colors, and textures were everywhere. This is a multiple-part series full of ideas and design inspiration.
Let’s start with the landscape. The colors of the country inspired me everywhere I went. I loved the mixing of strong and soft colors and the mixing of neutrals and textures. I really loved how they mixed the moldings, the lights, and the drapes.
Imagine creating this look in a dining room or master bedroom. Check out the beautiful bench idea below for a guest room or even a foyer. The textures and blending of colors really make for an elegant look. I loved the way the back of the settee and the ottoman were both tufted, but because they were different textures in the fabric, they looked completely different. The use of a dark color like iron and charcoal really pops when used with a neutral pallet.
The architecture of South Africa even follows this scheme, allowing the ocean to be the pop of color. I fell in love with the soft natural colors. A great way to bring this all together is to keep your fabrics light and the finishes dark and warm to keep the room feeling cozy. On this exterior you can see they kept the door warm with a tint of red to the stain to make things pop.
Think about adding the blue from the water in cushions or a decorative pot to be filled with yellow flowers. Bring the colors of your travels home to be savored. I brought back fabrics to make pillows with, a beautiful hide pillow to add texture, and I am so glad I had a rattan light on my foyer.
I love the use of red in many of the rooms. The beautiful old rugs mixed with leather and walnut bookcases bring back the inspiration I felt while I was traveling. Check out the look of this amazing space and look at that yellow!
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