Travel

How to recreate a European vacation at home

Source: msn lifestyle

With international travel off the cards for the foreseeable future, traditional European vacations will have to wait until 2021.

However, Justine Wilson, Sydney’s interior designer and property stylist from Vault Interiors, is encouraging Australians to recreate the scents, decor and ambience of your dream holiday destination at home – be it Mediterranean, British countryside, Parisian or Tuscan – by following her four simple steps.

1. Travel books

Justine recommends displaying “beautiful coffee table books – these can be showcasing travel destinations, travel photography, or even beautiful European themed cookbooks” as an easy way to bring the scenes, fashion and culture of Europe into your living room. Stack them on the coffee table, sideboard, or any reading nook, and lay some open at a favourite image to inject a little travel inspiration into your life and home.

a person standing in a room: The rushed white slipcovered sofa, timber coffee table and natural accessories in this stylist's modern rustic home certainly create that European vacation vibe. Photo: Maree Homer | Styling: Kristin Rawson
© Provided by Are Media Pty Ltd The rushed white slipcovered sofa, timber coffee table and natural accessories in this stylist’s modern…


2. European scents

Justine also point out that “one way to create a holiday ambiance is to light a beautifully scented candle, it can uplift your spirits and remind you of a lovely holiday or place. Try floral scents for French vibes, musky scents for a Moroccan feel or oceans scents to take you to the Greek Islands!”

Better yet, but a candle or fragrance made by the French, like a Diptyque 34 Boulevard Saint Germain fragrance which replicates the smell that embraces you when you step into their Parisian store.

a living room filled with furniture and a large window: Every piece of furniture and lighting in the bedroom of this Swedish apartment, including this cabinet, is a secondhand find. Photo: Andrea Papini | Styling: Andrea Papini, Ida Magntorn | House of Pictures | Living Inside
© Provided by Are Media Pty Ltd Every piece of furniture and lighting in the bedroom of this Swedish apartment, including this cabinet…


3. Gallery walls:

Justine also suggest filling empty space on your wall with a gallery of favourite pictures. “Many European homes feature a mix of old and new decor and often many large gallery walls. One of the reasons is they often have smaller spaces and need to clutter their artwork – but with many of us at home it a great time to refresh your own walls.

a door in a room: Old photos, in a selection of white, black and gold frames, are hung in a salon-style, artistic way in this vintage-bohemian apartment. Photo: Fabrizio Ciccon | Living Inside
© Provided by Are Media Pty Ltd Old photos, in a selection of white, black and gold frames, are hung in a salon-style, artistic way in this…


4. Eclectic interiors

If there’s one thing that separates Australian homes from European ones, is that our furniture and styling tend to be more modern. Even the rare two hundred year old dresser in Australia is common in Europe. So the final way we recommend bringing a little taste of Europe into your home is to embrace vintage and antique finds. As Justine explain, “Europeans are known to often shop at charity shops, antique markets or inherit things that they mix with modern touches. Parisian interiors are famous for this look, as with English country houses.”

a bedroom with a bed and desk in a room: With its timber floors, heavy textile hangings and walls that look like baked earth, this townhouse in central London like it's been here forever. The white curtain, linens and neutral tones give an earthy, European feel to this serene space. Photo: Morten Holtum | Living Inside | Styling: Lykke Foged, Maria Speake
© Provided by Are Media Pty Ltd With its timber floors, heavy textile hangings and walls that look like baked earth, this townhouse in central London like it’s been here forever. The white curtain, linens and neutral tones give an earthy, European feel to this serene space…