One of the best elements of travel is just how much you learn when heading around the world, or even around your own country. This can apply to so many different topics, from the music you hear to the languages or phrases you learn, and especially the customs or cultural understanding you gain. Also the food. Who could forget about that?
However, an underrated element of travel is how it can influence your household design, too. For example, you might find yourself with random ornaments and souvenirs from around the world depending on where you’ve been.
But sometimes, the infrastructure matters too. Perhaps you want to create balconies outside your floor to ceiling windows upstairs, or curate your landscaping in keeping with the Spanish style. In this post, we’ll discuss some lovely unique home elements that could inspire your design, and where you can see such examples first hand:
Thatched Roofing
Thatched roofs can be all lovely for a cottage feel that you see all over rural England and parts of Europe. The thick reed or straw layers look incredibly cozy and work incredibly well for keeping houses warm in winter and cool during summer months.They’re also great for environmental use.
You can find beautiful examples in the Cotswolds where whole villages still have these traditional roofs, or head to parts of Devon where thatching services keep old farmhouses looking exactly like they did centuries ago. Modern thatching uses better techniques than the old days, so you get that fairy tale look but won’t lose out on any durability and weather resistance. The texture and organic shape of a thatched roof are a perfect balance between modern design and vintage aesthetic.
Terraces
Mediterranean terraces are great for turning outdoor spaces into proper living areas where you can entertain and love doing so. People in Spain and Italy have figured out how to make these areas work as proper extensions of their houses, with good shade and airflow that keeps everything comfortable.
You’ll see terraces covered with pergolas or awnings, sometimes with climbing plants that cool the space down naturally while looking beautiful and inviting. The wider installation will have different sections for dining and lounging, so the space feels bigger and more useful than your average back deck. Walk around any village in Tuscany or along the Spanish coast and you’ll spot terraces that are implemented seamlessly from indoor rooms, making it hard to tell where the house ends and the outdoor living begins. It’s nice if you have the weather to support it.
Specific Materials
If the area has a tradition of natural stone and timber implementation, it can give houses an older solid, weathered look that you notice straight away in places like the Scottish Highlands or old French villages. Buildings made with local materials look like they’ve always been part of the landscape, which is probably why they photograph so well.
They have a function too, as limestone walls stay cool in summer heat and warm up nicely during winter, plus they age beautifully instead of looking tatty after a few years. You can get that same authentic feel with reclaimed wood beams and stone floors in modern houses, though installation and upkeep require some know-how. The secret comes from picking materials that suit your actual climate and local building traditions, because what works perfectly in Provence might look strange in a typical English suburb. Ask your neighbors who live in households featuring such materials if you’re thinking about a renovation or extension.
With this advice, you’ll be sure to inspire your own home renovations going forward.