Destination decor: Why travel has become the latest trend in homewares

When I first heard about 2018 The Block NZ winner Amy Moore’s newest project — decor tours to Bali — I felt like she’d read my mind.

Roam, a bespoke shopping tour, promises to show you the highlights of Bali’s homeware shopping possibilities and take you “to places you might not find on your own”.

A chronic decor daydreamer, I spend a lot of time imagining the trips I’d take to furnish my home with wonderful, unique pieces from around the globe. Bali, with its beaded light shades, stunning textiles and acres of rattan, is an interior designer’s playground. And as a destination, decor or otherwise, Bali is really having a moment.

“It just looked so inviting, an amazing opportunity to see a country I perhaps wouldn’t go to on my own,” says Sonja Mravicich, a guest on Moore’s first Bali decor tour in September.

“I didn’t know Amy then, but I thought why not? I’m just going to go and have fun and laugh with a group of like-minded ladies.”

That social aspect — time out with like-minded women — was a major part of why Moore hatched the idea in the first place.

When she and husband Stu Watts won The Block NZ, they told each other if the win came with money, they’d take the kids on holiday.

“We took them to Bali and I just loved it,” Moore says.

“I don’t think I appreciated how amazing it was there. I just thought, as much as I enjoy going away with Stu and the kids, this is a trip I would love to do with other women that love this. I needed to share it.”

For Mravicich, seeing where her decor items were made was also important.

“We don’t really appreciate how much work goes into our rattan furniture, we just think it comes on a ship and it’s in Citta Design or something like that, but watching the Balinese craftspeople working, it was quite humbling.”

At one shop they stopped in the Eftpos was on the blink, so Moore had to hop on the back of the shop owner’s bike to hoon across town to an ATM, while Mravicich stayed and chatted with the man making lampshades.

“So my beaded lampshade, I’ve got it hanging up and I know exactly where it came from and exactly who made it.”

Knowing the story of the items you’re buying also appeals to designer Annabelle Plowman, owner of the store Annabelle’s.

Plowman regularly travels to buy decor for herself and her store and says Bali is singularly inspiring when it comes to interiors.

“It was actually a trip to Bali that first planted the seed for what has now become Annabelle’s,” she says.

“This beautiful Indonesian island, with its laid back charm and the friendliest people had me completely captivated after my first trip. I was a kid in a candy store, utterly enthralled by all the macrame, rattan, shells and textiles. But as my own style has evolved my approach to buying has changed and I have to make sure what I’m bringing home has a point of difference.”

She’s now added India and China to her decor itinerary.

“Each country offers a completely different look. I tend to buy rustic, one off antiques from all these countries – that’s my style.

“I source antique furniture and ceramics in China. India is where I get all my clothing made, but I recently started buying vintage furniture and homewares from here too. I am always hunting to find pieces that no one else has.

“India would my favourite place to source from. It’s like a needle in a haystack trying to find good shops and suppliers but when you do it’s like gold.”

Plowman packs out 20-40ft containers when she does her destination shopping. To do so, she needs an import licence, and certificates for any rattan, wood or shells items.

“There is also an option of LCL [Less Than Container Load Shipping] which is where you share a container,” she says. However Plowman reckons it pays to do some research as sharing can be expensive.

Most decor tours — and there are lots to choose from, everywhere from Morocco, to Indonesia, India to Nairobi — will help you sort out sending the things you’ve bought home.

“In some situations, where no other options are available, items may need to be surrendered for destruction.”

Plowman has a word of caution for the first time destination shopper:  “Shop around for a couple of days” before you buy anything.

“My first time sourcing in Bali, I was so excited I bought everything in sight. A few days later I was already regretting a lot of my purchases.”

Good advice. Now, where did I put my passport and my sun hat?