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Cultural Makeover: 5 ways to Create a Globally Inspired Living Space

If you’re like me, you get inspired by cultures when you travel. New places give you the opportunity to explore the unique traditions, styles, and ways of life from other cultures. Have you ever wanted to take a piece of that experience back home with you? I know I have! Having a little bit of culture from your travels in your own space brings back memories to share stories and shows you’re a world traveler that’s globally inspired.


With a "Cultural Makeover," your living space can become a curated canvas for diverse influences from across the globe, in a tasteful way of course! Using these 5 ways of blending cultural elements in your living space, you can create a globally inspired design too!


1. Cultural Colors


Colors shape how you feel in a space. Look for inspiration in different cultures' color palettes. When traveling, take the opportunity to look around and soak in the colors you see - in nature, in textiles, in the color of architecture, really everywhere! You’ll be amazed at the different color combinations you find!


Painting your walls isn't the only way to add these cultural colors into your space. You can incorporate them through accessories, pillows, drapery, artwork, and rugs! Don't be afraid to use bold and deep hues (They are trending and culture will forever be classic!). Mixing them with neutral colors like beige, gray, and white will provide balance to your space.



Mood Board by Amy Rebekah Interiors mexican textiles red yellow orange color scheme

2. Cultural Fusion


Blending together different ideas into one cohesive space is the key to creating a uniquely curated space just for you. Interior Designers are masters at this, and you can be too! Just as you can mix together stripes and florals or two opposite colors, you can mix colors and patterns from different cultures.


You can’t go wrong with a Moroccan Rug on the floor, whether it’s colorful or neutral. Make sure to balance your mix-and-match fusion by pairing the opposites together. For example a neutral Moroccan rug allows you to add a pop of color with something like a Mexican Otomi print pillow or throw. The fusion of cultures creates a personal and cultural connection, making a space uniquely yours.



Mood Board by Amy Rebekah Interiors brown yellow furniture flea market finds color scheme

3. Cultural Furniture


The beauty of incorporating furniture with cultural influences into your space, creates your story of embracing travel, diversity and uniqueness. These pieces are more than just functional. The colors, shapes, and techniques used to make them connect you to culture’s way of life and handcrafted beauty.


Don’t miss the opportunity to shop local shops and flea markets for some unique finds on your travels. These are the pieces that will truly set your space apart. Whether it’s a hand-carved coffee table from Southeast Asia or a tapestry from South America, you’ll be happy you snagged up those one-of-a-kind pieces.


Mood Board by Amy Rebekah Interiors orange green travel inspired decor

4. Cultural Art & Decor


Every object carries a story. By incorporating souvenirs and cultural artifacts from other cultures, you transform your living space into a storytelling canvas. These pieces are great conversation starters, allowing you to share the stories of your travels with guests.


Local artisan markets are my go-to when exploring new countries. It ensures that I don’t end up with some touristy knick-knacks, but rather handcrafted local goods. Handmade baskets and tapestries are great to hang on the wall. An inlay bone box from India or a clay bead necklace from Africa make great table top accessories. Make sure you keep an open mind when shopping to find unique pieces that you can define their purpose. The best thing is that by incorporating these pieces into your living space, you not only celebrate the artistic heritage of different regions but also support the traditional craftsmanship and local community.


Mood Board by Amy Rebekah Interiors orange turquoise wallpaper pillows color scheme

5. Cultural Corners


Have you fallen in love with a culture so much that you want to immerse yourself in it daily? That’s when creating a dedicated “cultural corner” in your home is a fun idea! Designating specific spaces in your home creates your own oasis to transport you back into that culture for a brief moment in your day.


A reading nook built in front of a window is a great space to relax and surround yourself with textiles and pillows from a specific country. Or maybe you’d like to transform your powder bathroom into a land far away by adding wallpaper, artwork and a rug from your favorite travel spot. A cultural makeover to dedicated spaces offer a more immersive experience of the culture you want to remember.


Don't Be Afraid to Experiment in Your Cultural Makeover!


As you begin to layer in elements from different cultures into your living space, remember you're not just arranging furniture; you're fusing together worlds that once upon a time had no way of communicating with each other. Your home will become your storytelling canvas where diverse design styles meet and live together in harmony. Be bold with cultural colors, keep an eye out for unique furniture pieces and accessories from your travels, and most of all have fun and embrace new patterns and textures!


Still having a little fear of how to seamlessly combine cultures into a cohesive design? Amy Rebekah Interiors can help! Drop us an email to learn more about working with us for your Interior Design needs.

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