How I’m Inspired by Travel: UK
Whenever we travel I love to visit museums, historic homes, building and churches and of course get inspiration from the beautiful interiors of hotels & AirBnBs.
On a recent trip to the UK this summer, we were attending a wedding in Farnham, a small town in Surrey, England about an hour from London. London is one of my favorite places to visit for museums, parks, shops, and just design and fashion inspiration in general. Besides spending some time in the past outside of London in the northern areas of Leeds and Yorkshire, we haven’t traveled much in the southern part of the UK. We spent a few days exploring in and around Farnham and Redding, where our friends live, then traveled to Bath and the Cotswalds to see what the fuss about these two areas was all about.
In Farnham, we stayed at the Farnham House Hotel, a small Inn convenient to the wedding venue and our friend’s home so we could visit with them before the wedding. We visited in early July so the flowers & gardens blooming throughout the area provided so much beauty and inspiration as you’ll see in the pictures. We had beautiful warm weather while we were visiting but the rain and cooler temperatures they get for most of the year rewards them with beautiful flowering plants throughout the summer months.
The Oak Room, a gathering room and bar at the Inn was cozy and very charming. I love the calming effect wood paneling, paired with white trim, and pale blue furnishing. The plaid rug and use of antlers on the lighting was a perfect design element for the room.
The variety of seating and arrangements allowed for several groups to use the room at the same time and have plenty of seating and room for drinks.
The whimsical artwork added an element of fun to the room to keep it from being too masculine or serious. Every room needs an element of fun and surprise.
After the wedding festivities ended, we continued our road trip further to the west to Bath, England located in Somerset. Bath is historically famous for three things: it’s Roman built baths (thus its name), as the place to be seen during the Georgian Era (if you are a Jane Austen fan then you know what I’m talking about), and the Georgian Architecture crafted from Bath stone which is absolutely gorgeous in the evening light. For locals and tourists alike, its also a present day destination for shopping. Here are some of the famous buildings in Bath that are constructed from Bath Stone.
We visited the Abbey & The Roman Baths and took in all the architecture, culture, sights, and shopping that Bath had to offer.
We also visited No. 1 Royal Crescent, one of the townhomes that is now a museum decorated and furnished as it might have been during the height of the Georgian Era. Because we have just purchased and moved into a historic 1903 in Georgia, I’m especially interested in and drawn to historic homes and architecture plus I don’t think there’s a Jane Austen book that I haven’t read, so I am very familiar with the time period from her works and was interested and excited to explore this museum.
Stay turned for more inspiration from the UK as I share the rest of our trip to the Cotswolds, England including pictures of the adorable cowsheds turned Boutique B&B we stayed in and our favorite villages.
