Traveling is all the rage nowadays, with many travel bloggers and instagrammers showering us with images of breath-taking landscapes and impossibly exotic scenes. For many people, these images are used as inspiration for our day-to-day life. Nowadays it is unnecessary to set foot outside your country in order to decorate as if you were living in the shadow of the Taj Mahal, or in the foothills of the Alps! As a bit of a twist, I chose to give some styling tips for the sometimes forgotten elements of our homes – the windows. Aside from letting in light, they can also brighten up and style a place. Read on to find out how to style an Indian, Moroccan, Mexican or Italian window.

• India
  • Make it colourful

Incorporate colours like bright blues and yellows to the walls surrounding your Indian window, reds and oranges are also great additions in the form of permanent, fabric bunting.

• • Use intricate floral patterns

Lotus flowers are the obvious choice here, though they are not always at our disposal. Choose flower-covered curtains, or bright colourful stripes if the popping colours won’t overpower the space.

• • Incorporate elephants

Elephants are a sacred animal in Indian culture, symbolising wisdom and great intellect. They also represent a classic addition to Indian-inspired decor, so use them in patterns or as an accent piece like a sculpture or statue on the window ledge.

• • Add stickies

By adding stickies to the top and sides of your window you will make it look more like an archway and cast beautiful shadows. This is perfect for larger windows, though getting creative with re-shaping a window can be done in a variety of ways.

• Morocco
  • Use blue and yellow or red and orange

These are the base of a common colour palette in Morocco. If possible, tile around the edge of your window or use these colours in your curtains. You don’t have to be super obvious with the patterns, but the colours do make for a cozy atmosphere.

• • Use transparent flowy curtains

Due to the heat in this north-African country, light and floaty fabrics are best used here. They can be paired with heavier ones over double glazed windows in the winter, with darker delicate fabrics over bright but heavy interior curtains. As an idea, use mustard yellow winter curtains and ocean-blue lace fabric on top. You’ll thank me later.

• • Add some hanging candles

Have a look for those hanging candle-holders that cast patterned shadows on the wall, and choose mint, cinnamon and vanilla scents to complete the exotic feel.

• • Use geometrical but colourful patterns

If you want a more subtle Moroccan style, simply look for repetitive geometric concentric patterns in bright colours to complete your north-African decor.

• Mexico
  • Add some cacti

If you have black thumbs, not to worry! Cacti are super resilient, and you don’t even have to have live ones! There are great cacti wall stickers you can put on either side of your windows, perfectly framing the space.

• • Use block colours

A la Frida Kahlo, paint different bright colours on to the walls. This is ideal for trying out a style you’re not sure will work, so try painting all four sides of your windows different colours and see how you like it!

• • Add some flowers

This is the perfect occasion to add some colourful hanging planters in or outside of your windows, to bring even more colour to this space. Again, geometric shapes are ideal here, so long as many contrasting colours are used.

• • Use curtains to your advantage

Hang a horizontal curtain from the top to create an archway feel. You can get creative and hang curtains to frame the sides as well as the top, but that rounded shape at the top of the window is a perfect addition to a Mexican decor.

• Italy
  • Use wooden shutters

For that quintessential italian style, you will want to get some wooden shutters to add to the outside of your windows. When painted olive-green, it’s like you’re lounging in Tuscany.

• • Add plants and candles

The most ideal plants to decorate the exterior of your windows is rosemary and lavender, because they grow quite high and smell amazing. Get some big, statement candles for the interior as well, and you’re set!

• • Pot those puppies

If you can’t plant anything directly outside your window, try buying some massive terracotta pots and planting lemon or olive trees in there. These are ideal courtyard additions and contribute to a classic Italian style.

• Incorporate wrought-iron

Whether a candle-holder, handle, curtain holder or artistic focal point, having a wrought-iron element to your interior window decor is an elegant way to include Italy in your decoration plans.

With so many ways to bring the foreign into our home via the windows, take the time to consider how you could further style your windows to remind you of your holiday or to inspire to you finally take a trip to your ideal destination!

photos via dressidestory and andra.oprea on instagram

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