How traveling inspires us

Traveling is the time not only to reset and refresh but also to take the time to challenge our perspective and gather some inspiration.

My parents were travelers and they gave me the bug. With 6 children, we packed the car and trailer and off we went: all over France, Germany, and Spain to name a few. One trip that I remember was when I was 8 years old.

We went to Spain to visit friends of the family and I was in awe with their home. It was also my first encounter with culture and language I didn’t know. I came back from this trip inspired and since then I have traveled the world. Now with my husband, we take this time not only to refresh but also to take the time to reset our perspective and gather inspiration.

Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer I Unknown

My husband Craig and I have been to France, England, Germany, Spain, Austria, and Czechoslovakia. Every time we travel we find inspiration from buildings, designs, landscapes, scenery and simply by discovering a new culture or way of living. We always leave with an altered perspective on design and aesthetics. A type of perspective that can only be acquired through experiencing a different culture.

Car museums in Germany

One year, after reading an article, we decided to go to the Porsche, BMW and Audi museums in Germany. By car, we went from cities to villages, discovering beautiful landscapes, buildings and meeting people that opened our minds. We came back with pictures of buildings such as the Komm Kaufhaus in Frankfurt by architect Ulf Bambach, or the Porsche museum with its white and sleek interiors, accentuated with only the vibrant colors of the cars. We stumbled on works from Le Corbusier, created in 1927. A colony of buildings by avant-garde architects such as Mies van der Rohe showed us how history and preservation are important in design and architecture.

It is hard to describe the feeling that you get when you discover such a village as Ingolstadt, with its row of houses in pastel colors. Seeing all this makes us a better designer and architect.

Here are some other cities and countries that we are fond of. I cannot list all of them but these are our favorites:

PALM SPRINGS

Palm Springs, California is a place we also draw a lot of inspiration from. I love the city's retro past and how it is preserved. Mid-century style and architecture thrive. We adore the desert scenery and the mountains that surround the city, with its contrasts of bright light and dark shadows. We are inspired by the rich and vibrant colors splashed throughout the city and the eccentric decor that lives there. We love to study the details that will motivate us to, some day, design a space around it.

FRANCE/Normandy

We go to France at least once a year. We love Paris, and we go to the south of France. But mostly we go to where I come from, Normandy.

Going there is almost going back in time, not because of the style or the quaintness, but because of its simplicity and a way of life that have persisted. I love the farmers’ market where people meet twice a week to buy their vegetables, fruit or cheese and share the news of the town or the family. I love the cafes along the boardwalk, the doorways, the buildings and the flower arrangements that each small village is so proud of keeping. For my husband and I, it is a place where we unleash our creative spirit. We love to go to the hardware store and see what is available: Mr. Bricolage is their Home Depot.

The fact that France is surrounded by countries such as Italy and Spain, they are able to share their design inspiration and creativity.

NEW YORK

World Trade Center station

Even though we live an hour away from New York City, we go and take a hotel room to discover the city like real New Yorkers. We stay in nicely designed boutique hotels, with modern amenities where you can see the trends. They are good source of inspiration.

We love to discover new buildings that have just opened or popped up on the skyline. Walking along the High Line, mingling with people and observing what they wear, are all sources of inspiration. The energy of the city always gives us a charge of creativity

If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. | Lewis Carroll

These are only samples of what travel brings not only to architects and designers, but to anyone. It is important to experience other cultures and other ways of living. You don’t have to go far. Open your senses. Traveling makes you a better person, intellectually, spiritually and creatively.