Home décor must-haves for the world traveler

Written by Posted On Monday, 26 February 2018 06:07

Making a home memorable is the goal of any homeowner or decorator, and we've taken our world travels as an opportunity to collect some of the most unusual and remarkable artifacts for home decoration – a process that began the moment we signed the papers. The process of collection, if done right, not only adds that little extra pizzazz to the living room, it also makes your parties and soirees that much more interesting. Our living room, sun room and foyer now reflect our unique heritage, personality and travel experiences, and there is no mistaking who we are and where we've been when visitors walk in.

Our collection is distinct. My wife is from Thailand and I have a Polish heritage, and we've managed to make collections from these two very different destinations, as well as items from other countries and throughout the US, work well in our home.

Making it work requires a delicate balance, and of course, resisting the temptation to visit touristy gift shops and bring back garish gee-gaws that, once you return home, you realize you have no use for. Instead of the tourist shops filled with post cards, shot glasses and baseball caps, visit the bazaars and souks where you'll see some locals, and have a chance to pick up some of the more unusual one-of-a-kind items that are not mass-produced for the tourist trade.

On a photo safari in Africa, you'll enjoy your trip more if you see it as more experiential than a souvenir-hunting trip. There are, thankfully, no gift shops in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, so you can enjoy seeing the wildlife in its natural habitat.

There is a bit of a real estate boom in Kenya, which now has several major retail outlets and significant shopping malls, but who needs to go to Africa to visit a shopping mall? The Sabi Sands tour guides give you an opportunity to get out of the main cities to tour the more rural communities and villages for a glimpse at real life, and a chance to purchase some unusual artifacts from local craftsman and support their local communities.

This small hand-carved ironwood statue which decorates our living room, simply called "mzee" (Swahili for "old man") is reminiscent of an old villager, sitting in the jungle and enjoying smoking his pipe as he watches a herd of giraffe stroll by.

African statue2

A renewed interest in genealogy has triggered an increase in trips to the homelands of one's parents and grandparents. My own trip to Krakow, Poland yielded first-time meetings with long-lost relatives, but also a chance to visit Old Town and Rynek Główny, the largest medieval town square in Europe – and one of the best places in Poland for shopping for unusual, one-of-a-kind home décor, hand-made plaques and wall decorations. The hand-carved and hand-painted wooden plate from Old Town decorates the foyer to my home, making the entry-way colorful and reflective of my own history and personality. For contrast, it hangs on the wall above a teakwood elephant and a spirit house from Thailand, a traditional, highly decorative tiny house often seen outside of rural Thai homes, serving the purpose of giving the spirits of honored ancestors a place to rest. In our sunroom, an authentic witch doctor mask hangs just so, and is visible through the window from the street level -- and perhaps keeps away thieves. 

Witch doctor 2

While in Kraków I had a chance to see da Vinci's oil on wood panel, Lady with Ermine. Currently at the National Museum, it was recently moved from the Czartoryski Museum near Old Town, where I purchased a high quality poster reproduction, suitable for framing and hanging in the den.

A trip through Southeast Asia is a lot more than just "one night in Bangkok," and you can always tell by looking at the living room when somebody has spent time there. Bringing back teakwood furniture is expensive, but worth it. This unusual, hand-crafted and bejeweled bookcase from Myanmar had to be packed and shipped, but now occupies a prized position in our living room, directly underneath a hand-painted Monet reproduction from the nearby Art Institute of Chicago just 90 miles away, proving that you don't have to go halfway around the world to find something wonderful for your wall. 

From Bangkok, it's just a short two-hour flight to Macau, otherwise known as the "Las Vegas of the East." Everyone enjoys the casinos and the shows, but you don't have to go too far off the beaten path to find some truly great treasures to decorate your home. Chinese paper-cutting, a 2,000 year old form of folk art is highly elaborate and decorative, and often seen on walls and in windows of Chinese homes. It's also quite beautiful, and makes a great piece of framed art for the den.

It's been a joy to bring together all of these rare and unusual artifacts, which combine to make our house a home, and give visitors a glimpse into some of the most fascinating places on earth.

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