Display your travel souvenirs without ruining your décor— sound impossible?
Take a tip from LA-based interior designer Thomas Schoos, whose projects exude worldliness without resorting to clichés. One of his projects, Burlap restaurant in San Diego, brims with items from Schoos’ travels through Asia, India, South Africa, and Brazil. The resulting space feels like a warm, yet quirky, home.
“What counts is recognizing quality when you see it and finding unique ways of using those artifacts in your design. For instance, in Burlap we suspended two huge, gold Burmese temple dragons with inlaid stones over the sharing tables…then we wrapped them with dozens of vintage light bulbs that give a retro feel and wash them in a warm glow.”
When in doubt, mix it up
Schoos suggests tying in pieces from different parts of the world. “Real, authentic indigenous art brings personality to a room and gives a space life and soul. It helps to look for a quirky theme or interesting idea. Right away, this sets up a fun way of thinking about the design and drives which pieces you choose.” Schoos created Burlap’s ornate outdoor bar from the façade of an Indian home, but made the barstools out of tractor seats. “But it works,” he says. “They look great together!
Think outside the prayer box
Your pieces needn’t be priceless. As mementoes go, travel photographs—which everyone can afford—are both personal and unique. Consider these display options:
Pick up hand-carved or leather-tooled frames from the local bazaar.
Invest in a few mini prayer boxes and mount photos inside for a peek-a-boo effect.
Schoos suggests looking for similar textures and colors that work well together, regardless of the country of origin. “When you bring together art and design from different parts of the world, you find that people have more in common than you might think.”
Display your travel souvenirs
Display your travel souvenirs without ruining your décor — sound impossible?
Take a tip from LA-based interior designer Thomas Schoos, whose projects exude worldliness without resorting to clichés. One of his projects, Burlap restaurant in San Diego, brims with items from Schoos’ travels through Asia, India, South Africa, and Brazil. The resulting space feels like a warm, yet quirky, home.
“What counts is recognizing quality when you see it and finding unique ways of using those artifacts in your design. For instance, in Burlap we suspended two huge, gold Burmese temple dragons with inlaid stones over the sharing tables…then we wrapped them with dozens of vintage light bulbs that give a retro feel and wash them in a warm glow.”
When in doubt, mix it up
Schoos suggests tying in pieces from different parts of the world. “Real, authentic indigenous art brings personality to a room and gives a space life and soul. It helps to look for a quirky theme or interesting idea. Right away, this sets up a fun way of thinking about the design and drives which pieces you choose.” Schoos created Burlap’s ornate outdoor bar from the façade of an Indian home, but made the barstools out of tractor seats. “But it works,” he says. “They look great together!
Think outside the prayer box
Your pieces needn’t be priceless. As mementoes go, travel photographs—which everyone can afford—are both personal and unique. Consider these display options: