Inspiration from Your Global Travels in Your Custom Home Design

Caitlin Kelley
22 hours ago
6 min read

Have you ever daydreamed about living in a sun-drenched Italian villa, a serene Japanese retreat, or a light-filled Scandinavian-style home?

You travel, fall in love with a place, and want to bring that feeling home with you. Sometimes it’s the memory of a courtyard in the Mediterranean, the calm of a Japanese garden, or the simplicity of a Nordic cabin. You’re inspired by what you’ve seen abroad, and it’s wonderful to incorporate a little piece of the world into the design of your custom home.

Perhaps, you want to honor your family heritage, showcase meaningful heirlooms, or blend traditional elements from different countries. Whatever the reason, these global influences are everywhere in custom home design, down to the smallest finishing detail.

A French country kitchen evokes the feeling of living in the Provence

Whether you want Asian minimalism, a Mediterranean vibe, a Tuscany farmhouse, or Scandinavian simplicity, let’s discover how to create the same experience in your dream home.

Exploring how less is more in the Japanese style

Japanese minimalism is a philosophy rooted in Zen Buddhism. It emphasizes harmony, balance, and a deep connection to nature. This style features clean lines, natural materials, and uncluttered spaces, creating a sense of calm that makes every day feel peaceful.

Clean, minimalist lines with a connection to the outdoors

Architects like Frank Lloyd Wright drew heavily from Japanese design in Usonian homes. Visual elements like roof lines, window designs, and the Craftsman style help you feel connected with nature. Low-pitched roofs with wide eaves and strong horizontal lines blend homes seamlessly with the landscape. Traditional Japanese architecture’s upturned roofs serve functional and aesthetic purposes, producing beautiful, elegant silhouettes.

Japanese-inspired open plans create purposeful spaces, so you experience your home as a living, breathing environment that feels alive.

I’ve designed several beach houses in California with an “Asian flavor”. These homes, often small and close to the ocean, benefit from the pared-back simplicity and strategic use of space that Japanese design does so well. Sliding shōji screens, low-profile furniture, and carefully framed views of the outdoors help create a tranquil, uncluttered vibe.

Consider incorporating Japanese influence into the design of your custom home so that it feels intentional, peaceful, and connected with nature. You’ll create a tranquil sanctuary for you and your family.

Letting the Mediterranean influence your custom home

The image of a Mediterranean-inspired home is more than simply scattering terracotta pots on your patio.

Create your custom home to feel like you’ve walked into a Palazzo in Italy, as I did for one of my clients. The courtyard connects the spaces and allows the rooms to open. As the heart of the home, the courtyard brings the outside in. Add the gentle sound of a water fountain, and you’ve designed a sanctuary, the perfect place for relaxing and entertaining.

A Ganesh statue greets as a graceful stairway ascends from the entry courtyard to the front door

You can design your unique home to feel timeless. Increase the authenticity by incorporating incredible details like painted ceilings and arched doorways.

Be inspired by the sleek, beautiful houses in the Greek Islands. Capture the essence of a Greek villa with a minimalist design and a breezy, coastal feel like I did for my clients in Oregon. They wanted the Mediterranean spirit to bring a contemporary Greek aesthetic to life. Perched right on the beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the home is a modern design with white walls, clean lines, and breathtaking views.

A Mediterranean-style home could be the inspiration you want for your custom home design.

Bringing Tuscany to the West Coast

When my clients traveled to Tuscany, they fell in love with the Italian design style. They wanted to feel transported to the Italian countryside in their Tuscan farmhouse. We created an experience as if you've stepped right into the vineyards, where every detail matters. The incredible spaces have ceilings that make you believe you're in a centuries-old palazzo, with intricate paintings that tell stories.

Design your custom home to embody the spirit of a specific style, rather than just adding Italian-looking elements. You want to create a cohesive narrative reminiscent of being in the original location. The stone facade, the classic rooflines, and the way the light falls all have to feel natural, like they have been there forever. You can include beautiful arched doorways and a bell tower that whispers "Tuscany" in every corner.

The bell tower of this recreated Tuscan Farmhouse in California

We sourced authentic roof tiles from Spain for the Tuscan farmhouse. These salvaged tiles gave the home a weathered, timeless look. The result is a one-of-a-kind home that feels like it belongs in the vineyards of Tuscany, even though it’s nestled in the rolling hills of California.

It’s heartwarming to incorporate the joys of your travels into the design of your custom home.

Delighting in the simplicity of a Scandinavian-style home

Scandinavian architecture has clean lines and light woods, creating spaces that breathe. This influence exists everywhere, including the Ozarks. Homes have simplicity, a punch of personality, and are minimal but not boring. Like the bold Finnish prints of Mary Mako fabrics, Scandinavian homes add a splash of color to the neutral palette.

The magic of Scandinavian design lies in its practicality. Living so far north, architects knew every bit of sunlight counts. That’s why you won’t see big overhangs. Instead, windows are strategically placed to maximize natural light, and materials are chosen for their connection to the local environment.

Simple forms define the Scandinavian style.

Near my home in downtown Bentonville, Arkansas, you’ll find Scandinavian aesthetic with sleek siding, simple roof planes, and a contemporary calm that feels both modern and timeless.

Global design also influences furnishings. Mid-century modern furniture is a Scandinavian design adopted into American homes decades ago. My grandmother had beautiful Danish modern chairs in the 40s, and now they're in my house. It's not about copying, it's about understanding the essence of the design and how it can be incorporated into today’s style.

Scandinavian homes are defined by clean lines, geometric shapes, and functional spaces with natural materials. This approach is visible everywhere, from beach houses to mountain retreats.

When you design your custom home in the Scandinavian style, you create calm, intentional, and inviting spaces that always feel comfortable.

Enjoying the thoughtful details of European finishing

As you design your dream home, the details make a space unique. Every detail matters, from fluted columns and marble elements to how the light catches a wrought iron staircase. These elements bring your home to life.

Make your designs feel authentic to their global influence by sourcing stone from a specific region in Italy or finding the perfect light fixture from a manufacturer in Sweden. You might want to salvage woodwork from Nepal or bring carved stonework from India. Each material has its own history and adds to the story of your custom home.

Wood carvings from India enhance the atmosphere of the primary bedroom

I often specify European-designed faucets and bathroom fixtures for their sleek looks and superior engineering. German brands like Hansgrohe and Dornbracht are an elegant solution for everyday living.

Selecting the right materials and details for your dream home can transport you to a faraway destination.

Saving space and energy with smart technologies

International design also emphasizes smarter living. Tankless hot water heaters, so common in Europe and Asia, are finally catching on in the U.S. These systems save space and energy by heating water only when needed, rather than keeping a big tank hot all day. Small, on-demand hot water heaters in every bathroom are often used throughout the world, so you never have to worry about taking cold showers.

Windows are another area where European innovation shines. High-performance windows from France or Germany offer superior insulation and sleeker profiles than many American products, though they can be pricey to import.

Sleek, clean window lines expand the experience of the space

If you want to save space and are looking for high-quality, international designs can improve your comfort and increase energy savings.

Taking travel inspiration for your custom home design

As much as we love to travel, there’s something special about coming home to a space that reflects the best of what we’ve seen and experienced.

Explore using global influences in your home design, like a Zen-like garden, a Mediterranean courtyard, or a splash of Finnish color in your living room. The key is to blend these inspirations thoughtfully, focusing on quality, comfort, and a sense of place.

The next time a faraway place inspires you, don’t be afraid to bring a little piece of it home. Your dream home tells a story, and that story can span the globe.