Travel & Design

Both in business and in my personal life, I find that travel not only motivates, but inspires my design thinking and application of fabrics, paint shades, furniture, and most definitely the accessories I select to use.

On a recent trip to BARBADOS in the British West Indies, I found myself walking the beautiful beaches of the East Coast of the island picking up coral shards that displayed curious characteristics and complex shapes – all due to the motion of the sand, sea, sun, and wind – NATURE itself. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve picked up shells, rocks, and other such collectibles that somehow always make their way into a distant closet. But, this trip was different. Instantaneously my design sensibilities took hold and came into play.

Many of my finds will be transformed into DESIGN STATEMENTS for clients. Two quite large ‘brain coral’ specimens will become a pair of decorative lamps for a living room. A collection of angular coral shards – pieced together creatively – will become an over-scaled mirror and take center stage in a client’s entry foyer. Boxes will be topped with inlaid coral designs and do justice as individual works of art in themselves sitting on a coffee table. Even left alone, the individuality of each piece found, then clustered into a collection and placed on a sofa side table, create instant art tableaux’s that open up inquisitive discussions.

Take a look at what I found, and what will cleverly be transitioned into works of decorative art.

On YOUR next trip, think about the unusual find. This is what makes a house YOUR home and personal.

Next Destination- Morocco, Barcelona, Paris, then Deep Creek Lake.