The benefits of travel are well documented: brainpower can be boosted by new experiences and fresh horizons. Travel not only broadens your perspective, but scientific studies show it also improves your cognitive health and inspires creativity. Designers are particularly receptive to their surroundings, constantly gathering ideas and influences – often subconsciously. They may find their journeys referenced in their work, and sometimes at the core of their aesthetic or the driving force behind their latest creations.
Hong Kong’s young design star, Joyce Wang, is the creative mind behind the interiors of some of the region’s coolest restaurants, including Mott 32, Haymarket, Ammo, Isono and Vasco, as well as projects for luxury hotels including The Landmark Mandarin Oriental and The Hollywood Roosevelt. She tells us about her favourite Brazilian hotel and her intriguing discovery of Norway’s vernacular dwellings.
Image by Flickr user thewatchmakerproject
Amazing Architecture
I studied at Delft University and saw incredible architecture by young designers in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Their designs are still relevant and fun to visit and live in – they have a wonderful sense of humour, which all architecture should have.
Hotel Havens
The Santa Teresa Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, tucked away on a hill overlooking a bay, has simplicity of design that gives one space to really experience its scale and textures. I’ve long been an admirer of Brazilian architecture and its furniture from the 1950s to ’60s era, so this hotel particularly appeals to me.
Stylish Sips
Matthew Biancaniello’s pine sap-infused St Germain or vanilla pod-infused vodka cocktails at the Library Bar in the depths of The Hollywood Roosevelt hotel are divine. A woman once hired him for 11 hours just so he could make cocktails for her alone.
Image courtesy of the Victoria and Albert Museum
Culture Vultures
London is always a wonderful resource for museums. I also visited Oslo recently and fell in love with their history of maritime exploration as portrayed through their incredible museums.
Image courtesy of ThinkStock/ChiccoDodiFC
Favourite Finds
Flea markets are where I make my best discoveries. Some favourite treasures include a picnic table and benches that pack up neatly into a suitcase, and solid bronze window handles that I’ve repurposed for my powder room door
Image by Flickr user seaofvapours
Intrepid Inspiration
Norway’s vernacular dwellings are intriguing, not least because of their history: they have a distinctive red hue, which was traditionally made using the blood and oil from fish and other animals because it was cheap to produce. Although more rare, I find fish underwater during my scuba diving trips one of the most rewarding visual explorations.
Image courtesy of ThinkStock/bhofack2
In Los Angeles, you can have the best of everything: lengua tacos, barbecued bulgogi, spicy bone-broth ramen, thin-crust pizza, US$1 ice cream, freshly baked cookies, simple but superb sandwiches and vegan tempeh.
Image by Flicker user pedrojota1980
Dream Homes
Every time I go to California, I think I’d like to live there. There’s so much I enjoy when I visit the place, not least the extremes of weather – the sunshine and the snow. And the national parks are amazing; there are so many and they are vast.
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