"Ethnic" comes Home!

Fashionistas around the world are togged up in ethnic chic, and these fashions aren't just filling up their closets, these global inspirations are expanding across the rest of their homes as well. I have been adorning myself and my rooms with treasures from around the global which I've gathered over the last five years as I have travelled and shot episodes of Let's Shop (my show on Fashion TV), but it seems that this trend is spreading and taking roots in the most style savvy spaces across North America. Regardless of how modern or traditional your style is, a few ethnically inspired elements will only enhance the look and the feel of your space.

Bringing home this trend does not require a large budget or a new set of luggage (but my advice, as always, is to never pass up a solid excuse or justification to travel). Updating your rooms to adopt this fad can be as simple as adding a few new toss cushion that have been hand-stitched with Russian, Ottoman, Moroccan or Indian patterns (just to name a few sources of inspiration) to the bed or sofa. Stylish ethnic cushions can be bought ready-made, or you can sow your own from trims and details brought home from your travels both around the globe and around the corner from local shops. I have often had cushion made from old coats bought in flea markets, beaded hand-embroidered scarves, wall hangings or blankets I have found during my travels.

The next step to creating an ethnically modish space could be to lay down a Turkish (just one example of many cultural options) carpet beneath your modern furniture - it is the diversity of styles that makes this work. Another large option is to wallpaper a wall or two with a boldly patterned or textured African-inspired paper. For smaller touches think of displaying culturally diverse art or antique carved pieces of furniture amongst your contemporary setting.

Great home fashion today, as with apparel fashion, comes with our ability to mix it up and make diverse elements work brilliantly together. This can be intimidating, but even the most seasoned designers work through trial and error. Although I do this every day for clients, I always create a colour, texture and pattern board (a board or tabletop where I pin a sample of all the rooms' elements to ensure that they will work fabulously together); the board will instill confidence in the design. I even use boards for my personal spaces - if all my elements look and work well together on the 2 x 3 board, I can then be confident that when placed in the much larger room, everything will come together amazingly well. Confidence is the essential ingredient to impressive fashion!