So Your Style Is: Global

Exotic and alluring, global style takes its inspiration from points north, south, east and west. Are you ready to embark on the trip?

Lisa Frederick

Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating media and immediately discovered a new passion. An Atlanta native, I spent several years as an editor for Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine before making the leap to national publications and websites such as Houzz, Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Accents. I live in Birmingham, Alabama, with my husband and son, who’ve gotten used to coming home and finding the furniture rearranged. When I'm not dragging case goods across the floor, I enjoy good food and wine, college football, music of all kinds, and traveling.

Houzz Contributor. Fresh out of journalism school, I fell into decorating... More »

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What it is: Global style goes far beyond maps on the wall and trinkets on the shelf. Richly layered and very personal, it honors the customs, cultures and resources of countries around the planet and blends their nuances into a worldly, well-traveled whole.

Why it works: A global interior promises adventure and thrills us with the exotic. It connects us both with places we've been and places we've only dreamed of going — a virtual trip to the far corners of the earth but with no shots, packing or passport required.

You'll love it if ... You tear through travel guides the way others devour juicy novels. Your spice rack holds sumac, annatto and custom curry blends. You've taken foreign language lessons just for fun. You can fit a month's worth of trip supplies into a single duffel bag. Disney's "It's a Small World" song doesn't drive you batty — much.

by Cravotta Studios -Interior Design »

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The Approach: Neutral Territory
Although most of us tend to think of global interiors as bright and bold, this bedroom proves that you can pull off the look with neutrals too. A suzani-print coverlet, a rustic night table, sculptural case goods and ornate curtains add up to a bedroom that showcases strata of pattern and texture despite its subdued palette.

Spin the globe: Build subtle color into a monochromatic scheme to elevate it. In this bedroom, for example, a kilim on the floor, a Turkish tile doorway surround and a handful of Iznik plates on the walls could pick up the red of the chandelier and create a Turkish effect with the decor.

by Horchow »

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The Approach: Saucy Color
In contrast to the previous space, this one goes all out with sizzling hues: hibiscus pink, pomegranate red, vivid turquoise, electric lime. The joy of global interiors is that there's no such thing as clashing colors or patterns — they wear their differences proudly. The key to transcending culture shock lies in the confidence to combine brilliant hues without restraint.

Spin the globe: The dining table, chairs and pendant lamp in this room lay a basic foundation that lends itself to additional global notes. Swapping the pendant for a Moroccan lantern or an ornate Italian chandelier, and topping the table with bamboo mats or a bark-cloth runner, would ratchet up its exotic flavor.

by Artistic Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs »

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The Approach: A Standout Pattern
Take away the wing chairs and this office would feel like a modern-eclectic hybrid. But the suzani fabric that dresses their backs takes the look on a journey to central Asia. It's so eye catching that it dominates the design and imbues the space with global chic.

Spin the globe: For additional layers of worldly style in a room like this, you could have a little fun with textiles. Upholster the fronts of the wing chairs in an ikat or batik print, and drape Indian sari fabric or African kente cloth along the windows. Swapping the art for a grouping of tribal masks or a Balinese mirror would round out the jaunt abroad.

by Sutton Suzuki Architects »

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The Approach: Exotic Collections
Nothing evokes a sense of place more viscerally than iconic objects and one-of-a-kind mementoes: statuary, handicrafts, artwork. Display these treasures proudly and prominently. Not only do they tell the story of the points from which they came, but they can tell your story as well.

Spin the globe: Collections always have strength in numbers, but you can approach a global grouping one of two ways. You can mix and match a potpourri of items you love (don't worry about coordinating — things that have personal meaning have a way of working together). Or you can mass like objects together in a single spot, such as a wall filled with a display of carved masks or handwoven baskets.

by Philpotts Interiors »

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The Approach: One Signature Piece
Some furnishings, such as this Asian-style daybed, are so distinctive that they deserve pride of place. Given an upbeat twist with Wedgwood blue paint and juxtaposed against a quiet background of neutral colors and minimal patterns, the daybed rules the room with an imperial air. It's so strong that the space reads as Eastern, even though it really isn't.

Spin the globe: A few simple swaps would give this room another level of pan-Asian flair. The sculpture hanging behind the daybed might give way to a Vietnamese woodblock print; the stools, to a pair of Indonesian rain drums. A Japanese basket light in place of the sconce would diversify the room's textures.

by Lisa Borgnes Giramonti »

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The Approach: Outdoor Rooms
So many far-flung locales conjure up images of warm, tropical gardens or primitive woodlands. This slim balcony draws from all across the map: a Balinese-influenced chair, a pair of Asian elephants, a cheerful rug that calls to mind a serape, with a tangle of foliage curling in to give the setting a lushly verdant feel.

Spin the globe: With a few different furnishings and plantings, this al fresco haven could be reinvented as a Mexican or Central American retreat. Imagine it with a colorfully painted, chunky wooden chair, handmade terra-cotta pots and a scrolled wrought iron railing entwined with bougainvillea.

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The Approach: Piles of Pattern
Perhaps no other style lends itself to the marriage of multiple patterns as well as global. This sitting area combines three completely different upholstery prints, anchored by the ikat chair and blended with such moxie that they look right at home together. The intricate detailing on the star-shaped side table adds another dimension to the space.

Spin the globe: As lovely as this pattern interplay looks, you can also take the reverse approach: a single type of pattern carried throughout the room in different ways. How striking would this scene look if it were layered in ikat fabrics with nuances in scale and pigment?

contemporary family room Contemporary Family Room

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The Approach: Spice Tones
From cinnamon to coriander to chicory, spices transport us instantly to tropical islands and faraway forests. Infuse their heady resonance into a room by drawing upon their colors. Try vivid turmeric and saffron yellows, paprika and cayenne reds, fennel and cardamom greens or dusty nutmeg browns.

Spin the globe: The deep orange sets this nook aglow, and the Oriental rug extends the color into the space and helps to establish the global overtones. But imagine how stunning it would look taken one step further — perhaps with a teak plantation chair or Javanese bench presiding over the corner and rustic Latin American pottery displayed on the tables.