Translating Wanderlust into your interiors

Have you ever traveled to the most beautiful hotel that made your eyes and senses dance only to be sad when you had to leave? Well, I definitely have and on many occasions, I have drug home textiles, paintings, and tons of photos of color and composition, not to mention my shipping bills from Paris flea markets. Oh la la to say the least! My poor husband is the most patient man alive. I combed through floors of fabric to find just the right one to decorate my tweenager's room only to discover when I got ready to redecorate she wanted nothing to do with the twenty yards I scored that were going to make her feel really special. Oh well, timing is everything, but I'll be saving it for my grandchildren, because classic design last forever, especially if it's French.

Today, I'm inviting you along with me on some of my favorite trips with beautiful hotels that are all my fantasy because they have a long history and fantastic stories of what they have survived. Be prepared to take away from these trips ideas and design inspiration that are interpreting the hotels vibe. And I'll even share some of examples of my own home in conclusion to demonstrate how I have done this and can help you as well. Grab your comfy spot and let's go!

Our first stop is the spot my husband proposed at The Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. This beautiful hotel completed in 1913 in the Blue Ridge mountains offers stunning mountains views and was built reflecting the Arts and Crafts movement. Still imposing in the lobby today are the gigantic fireplaces, stained glass, dark oak wood, and natural colors reflecting the surroundings of peace and tranquility which originally drew Edwin Wiley Grove to the area. The area was gaining in popularity for it's healing and railroad service due to the recent completion of the Biltmore Estate of George Vanderbilt and EW Grove was dedicated to real estate development and is known as the father of modern Asheville. In WWII the hotel was taken over by the government and used as an internment center for Axis diplomats. Today, you won't find as many celebrities as in the past, but you will find an incredible natural spa and impeccable service to match it's uniqueness.

If you wanted to translate the feel of The Grove Park Inn but not necessarily the Prarie style of it's decor into your own home, check out Susan Ferrier. She is not considered an interpreter of this specific movement, but she creates interiors using texture and wood finishes as a master and her spaces are by her own description "atmospheric". Her work features soothing earth tones, that are thoroughly modern while nodding to architectural detail we have seen in the past. Think about the Grand Tours of Europe of tribal art or objects mixed with stone, wood, and cozy fabrics you want to wrap yourself in and you bring The Grove Park Inn home with you.

And to bring a few unique items into your home, check out Bobo Intriguing Objects and Van Dykes Restorers for inspiration.

Let's head a little further South now down to Jekyll Island, Georgia. This private island

was originally settled in1733 and served as a prosperous home to Sea Island cotton production until after the Civil War. In1886, it was purchased and run until 1930 by the Jekyll Island Club, a turn of the century vacation resort patronized by the nations leading families, including J.P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer, William Vanderbilt, Marshall Field, and William Rockefeller. The Jekyll Island Clubhouse was completed in the Queen Anne style architecture with it's signature turret in 1888 and still holds much of the same footprint today as it did then. Porches for rocking and grand dining rooms overlook the Georgia marsh of the Atlantic ocean. Being a Georgia native, I go back as often as possible to this island now owned by the State of Georgia. I especially love it because I wanted to get married here, but with many out of town friends and family flying in, it's remote for travel, so Atlanta won out.

I must admit, I am not a big fan of Victorian style, but I am a big fan of wicker and rattan some of it's key icons and so is the very talented Sarah Bartholomew. I love how Sarah will mix energetic fresh fabrics echoing the colors of this gorgeous island with these materials in a way that makes you want to "sit a spell" and visit with a friend or host an Afternoon tea. The juxtaposition of formal and casual reflects the feel one might have had visiting the coastal exclusive club of the 1890's. Sarah's color curating and careful editing transforms this style to a modern present.

To grab this look for your home, visit Serena and Lily, Summer Classics, Lee Jofa fabrics or even Sarah's online site, Sarah Bartholomew.

I hope you enjoyed traveling with me to two very special spots for this Southern gal. Both of these places feel like home because they bring me comfort in different ways. I love traveling and bring as much home with me as I can.

Here are some things I've brought into my home on trips from

New Orleans and Charleston.

I have been in love with gas lanterns for a long time and wanted them on my home in Georgia for years. After touring the Bevelo factory on a trip to New Orleans a few years ago, my husband promised me he would buy these exact lanterns if I would agree to move to Chicago. So as you can see, they may be a little chilly up here, but gorgeous none the less. They make me smile every time I think of that trip. Take a moment to tour with me below to see what makes these lanterns made in the French Quarter so special.

Last year on a trip to visit colleges with my daughter, I found myself unexpectedly staying in Charleston to pass time between appointments. It turned out to be a wonderful time of bonding with my daughter talking about her hopes and dreams and on an afternoon of shopping, we stumbled on these beautiful grisaille pillows that we just had to have. I had no idea where I would put them, but now when I sit on my sofa, I am constantly reminded of life happens when we are busy making plans because I was not scheduled to be in Charleston killing time with a stressed out senior. But how sweet the day was. And so are these beauties!

I'm sure you have places like this that you have been and if so, I encourage you to think about how you can bring color, objects, or art from them to make you smile. It will bring happiness into your heart and share your story with all of those lucky enough to be your guest.