Curating a Home for the World: Global Fusion Interior Design Tips and Trends
Enter a traveler’s home and you can certainly feel their travel history — from furniture, lamps, table, and wall decors, down to the coasters and wine glass you’re served, it feels like you’ve been transported to a different place. That’s the magic of interior design.
Bring this magic of travel right into your home as a more cross-cultural society today makes adapting global fusion interiors accessible and allows homeowners the stylish and personality-defining space they always dreamed of.
Here are tips and trends on curating a worldly home, global fusion interior design ideas which will also be featured in the Philippine School of Interior Design’s Advanced Class of 2023 graduation exhibit “Phusion,” slated the whole month of October at Greenfield Tower in Mandaluyong City.
A Japandi dining area, design and render by Sheina Gina
1. Choose pieces from time periods or cultures you love.
Choose pieces for your home that will make you happy. Cultures that might not have any design similarities at first glance could have common features that complement and accentuate each other.
One example is this match made in simplicity, with woods that are a mixture of Scandinavian and Japanese elements, also known as Japandi. East and West they may be, but these two cultures are very compatible when it comes to wooden floors and furniture, light hues, indoor greens, natural materials, and minimalism. Because of their similar elements, adding a pop of striking Japanese art or placing Bauhaus furniture could elevate the mixed space and show their harmony. Do not forget indoor plants as perfect accessories.
2. Select items with personal meaning.
Consider pieces that reflect who you are.
Brutalism is starting to come back in the interior design industry as post-pandemic society searches for clean and calming spaces. With its notorious history, this so-called “grotesque” style is back chic. Cement is mostly the material for this but if combined with interesting pieces of history and opposing design elements, balancing the elements can prevent the space from looking rigid. Merge a brutalist-inspired accent wall merged with warm shades of gray and brown that add softness and coziness to a bedroom, a perfect reflection of its owner.
3. Search for places near you for inspiration.
Elements of culture and design inspirations may just be in your backyard — a good vintage piece perhaps, or new artisans in the making, or finds from a busy Chinatown that has so much to offer.
Using classical antiquities, neoclassicism is coming back to interior design. It blends easily with different styles, a wall or ceiling paneling with symmetrical lines may be combined with any style of choice to elevate your space with luxury and formality.
4. Break the rules!
It’s your home, after all! Embrace your individuality to create a space that’s especially for you. Experiment and enjoy!
Bold colors with traditional furniture is another global fusion trend in interior design that could be so easy to replicate. For example, red walls and traditional wooden furniture can make such an eclectic yet fashionable space. A pink bathroom with an antique freestanding tub, a French dining room with green bold walls — the possibilities are endless.
For those who love to travel and explore all cultures, don’t fret when a piece you want to
buy might not mesh well with the pieces in your home. Global fusion interiors bank on the uniqueness of the user. Plus, a tchotchke from your adventures is not just an accessory, but memorabilia for you and a great conversation starter in your abode.
RELATED READ: Perfectly Matched: Hard to Resist Stylish Furniture Combinations
About the Philippine School of Interior Design
The Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID) is a tertiary educational institution dedicated solely to teaching and imparting knowledge in the study of Interior Design. PSID is built on four pillars — a strong and supportive administration, a competent and professional roster of instructors and professors comprising the faculty, a standardized and valid curriculum and a complex student body — all of which result in PSID producing interior designers who are professional, ethical, responsible and successful.
