The last few years have been so busy, Mexico is the furthest I’ve been from home. It’s a painful truth at a moment when one of the hottest trends in home décor is global style. While some homes boast treasures culled from Parisian flea markets and southeast-Asian night markets, mine is decidedly lacking in international flavor.
But I’m in luck. Despite the fact that Minnesota is located in the middle of the U.S., surrounded by lakes and stark, Scandinavian architecture, the Twin Cities are a hotbed for globally inspired home goods. Our vibrant Latino, Hmong, and Somali communities support innumerable shops dedicated to imported and fair-trade goods, and there is also as a growing contingency of home furnishings retailers that blend internationally sourced imports and artisanal goods with American products. Uptown gift shop Khazana is filled with treasures sourced from all around the world, including embroidered cushions made from vintage tribal dowry bags from India and hand-woven textiles by the indigenous people of the Amazon in Perú; in St. Louis Park, Ciel Loft & Home carries antique furniture from China.
Whether you prefer to stick to a particular region in a room or would rather mingle a variety together for a mix-and-match look, it’s fun to draw inspiration from different countries and cultures around the world. From richly colored, vibrantly patterned rugs and throw pillows to authentic artwork and exotic tchotchkes, there are countless ways to lend your home a well-traveled, worldly feel—without leaving the continent.
Photo by TJ Turner, Location courtesy of ciel loft and home
Over-dyed Persian rug, $2,300, mid-century cork lamp, $65, vintage copper sconce, $75, dyed buckeye burl wood and Lucite side table, $160, all @ Omforme; reclaimed-wood cabinet, $889, leather chair, $1,399, metal basket, $69, glass and brass lantern, $84, selenite candle stand, $29, antique copper and brass vessel, $49, tumblers, $15 each, vintage decanter, $59, copper-edge coasters, $7 each, all @ Ciel Loft & Home; vintage globe, $42 @ Hunt & Gather; Rajasthani blanket, $245, embroidered cushion, $225, and Moroccan embroidered pillows, $85 each, all @ Khazana
Bohemian Rhapsody
Give your living space a shot of exotic flair with global touches and luxe accents, such as these Lucite arm chairs designed by iconic American furniture designer Charles Hollis Jones, restyled in lush velvet by Carter Averbeck of Minneapolis interior design studio Omforme.
Photo by tj turner, Location Courtesy of Ciel Loft & Home
Chairs, $2,500 for set of 6 @ Omforme; marble side table, $449, Tibetan lamb pillow, $109, and Egyptian vase, $46, both @ Ciel Loft & Home; vintage zebra rug, $875, fur bolster pillow, $45, taxidermied gator head, $35, bust, $95, silver tray, $55, taxidermied blowfish, $62, and books, $28-$36, all @ Hunt & Gather
