Travel in style: How to re-create the looks you love from abroad.

You hit the road, get inspired by the sights and want to bring a piece of your travels home with you. Or maybe you look abroad for new ideas to update your home. Travel in style with these eight trips to explore architecture, and use our tips to help you re-create the look at home.

New York, New York – The Chrysler Building

For a taste of glamorous Art Deco, head to the Big Apple. When the Chrysler Building was constructed in the early 20th Century, it was intended to be the tallest building in the world. That’s appropriate for Art Deco, which is all about showing wealth through extremes, ornate design, bright metals, lush fabrics and bold colors included. If you visit the Chrysler Building, travel no further than the lobby to see prime examples of Art Deco – sharp geometric shapes and angles, chrome and marble, and no shortage of patterns.

Getting the Art Deco look in your own home is simple by focusing on a few key elements. Go bold with color on walls and in fabrics. Metallic accents on lighting and plumbing fixtures and other decorative pieces are an affordable way to get shimmering opulence. For door hardware, Bright Chrome or brass finishes are the way to go. Try a Schlage Custom™ Dempsey lever with Rosewood trim to capture the extravagant style that was popular in Art Deco’s heyday.

Mill Run, Pennsylvania – Fallingwater

Fallingwater is one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most iconic homes, largely because of its harmony between design and nature. Look no farther than the water cascading from beneath the house. The exterior is made of sandstone local to the Pittsburgh area, and the color palette was intended to help it blend with its natural surroundings. This groundbreaking “organic architecture” is the reason Fallingwater is a National Historic Landmark.

To re-create some of the style notes of Fallingwater in your home, bring the outdoors inside. Large windows give the impression of outdoor living, even from the comfort of your couch. Choose materials and finishes wisely, too. Lean toward stonework, concrete like you see on Fallingwater’s terraces and natural woods. These materials pair nicely with door hardware and other fixtures in Aged Bronze, Satin Brass and Matte Black finishes. This isn’t the time for shine. Clean lines are also preferable, so consider something like a Schlage Latitude lever with the Century trim.

Washington, D.C. – The White House

Not surprisingly given its age, the White House is typical traditional architecture, specifically Federal style. Federal homes commonly have porch columns, lots of windows that often are topped by elliptical fanlights, plenty of symmetry and curved stairways. Front facades tend to be ornate and made of brick or clapboard depending on the region.

To capture the architectural style of the White House, you’ll want to incorporate geometrical shapes. Focus on elliptical, circular and fan shapes for structural elements. Look above all those windows for examples. Add ornamental plaster work and molding. You can do a lot with these elements, but if your door hardware leans toward the modern instead of traditional, the overall effect will feel strange. Try the Schlage Andover knob and Wakefield trim for starters, which looks great in an Antique Brass or Aged Bronze finish.

Charleston, South Carolina – Drayton Hall

Staying traditional, the Georgian architecture of Drayton Hall shares many design elements with the White House’s Federal style. This plantation home has never been restored, giving a rare opportunity to see an unaltered Georgian structure with its original materials. If you visit, you’ll see plaster rosettes on the ceilings and towering porch columns similar to Federal homes. The home also features overall balance and proportions with the same number of windows flanking each side of the door.

Create this look in your home by paying special attention to the entryway. Not only do they enhance your curb appeal, but paneled wood doors topped with a decorative pediment shout Georgian architecture. French doors, especially leading out to back porches, can also help complete the look. When updating your door hardware, try a Schlage Georgian knob on the Addison trim in an Antique Brass finish.

San Francisco, California – Painted Ladies

San Francisco’s Painted Ladies, sometimes called Postcard Row, are a prime example of Victorian architecture with their colors galore, balconies and large porches. Although Victorian is considered traditional architecture, it certainly does not follow the need for symmetry that the other traditional styles do. Doors are skewed to one side of the home, making room for bay windows, more decorative gables and plenty of textures.

You can give your home the Victorian feel with patterns, patterns and more patterns. Inside, it’s about decorative wallpapers mixed with fabrics that, at first glance, don’t “match.” Outside, you’ll see those patterns in painted woodwork and even stained-glass paneling. When looking for door hardware, Schlage's glass Alexandria knob is classically Victorian. Pair it with the Camelot trim in a Satin Brass finish, or try the Schlage Birmingham lever with the Brookshire trim.

Tuscany, Italy – Castello di Reschio

We head overseas for the best examples of Tuscan and Mediterranean architecture. The Castello di Reschio is a grand home that exemplifies classic Tuscan style with earthy colors and a nod to the natural. Think terracotta flooring balanced with aged-looking wood. You’ll also see beamed ceilings supporting rough plaster walls and simple windows that let in natural light.

Feel like you’re visiting bella Tuscany without leaving your own home when you focus on natural materials and artisanal design. Rustic stonework and woodwork rule both inside and out. And when choosing your fixtures and door hardware, opt for styles and finishes reminiscent of wrought iron. Schlage’s Whitney lever on the Alden trim in Matte Black is a great place to start. Consider Oil-Rubbed Bronze finish on other hardware for an old-world feel that fits right in with Tuscan architecture.

Copenhagen, Denmark – The Royal Danish Playhouse

Visit Denmark’s national theater to see the streamlined geometry, sleek lines and abundance of glass doors and windows common in Scandinavian architecture. These windows tap into the important role light and nature play in this style. Design is characterized by simplicity – no ornate Victorian curlicues or crazy colors here.

Replicate this beautiful building’s ambiance in your own design by keeping it rather basic and closer to minimalism than anything else. Choose elements that are both functional and comfortable like a bed with a simple frame and headboard, then make it more luxurious with plush blankets. Light colors enhance natural light. Try door hardware such as Schlage’s Eller lever with the Collins trim in a in Satin Nickel finish.

Löbau, Germany – Haus Schminke

Bauhaus architecture – modern and minimalist – was born in Germany. What you’ll find in Bauhaus homes is an emphasis on geometric form. Ornamentation does not get in the way of function, although the style’s stark qualities are often still eye-catching rather than feeling bare and overly industrial. If you visit Haus Schminke, you can do more than just tour. The former family home welcomes overnight guests.

Get the Bauhaus look by incorporating clean lines with sharp edges into your design. Your color palette should be bold, but unlike Art Deco, focus on solids rather than patterns. Bauhaus ultimately led to what we know today as Mid-Century Modern, so don’t be afraid to pull in some of those more familiar elements. For fixtures and hardware, try Bright Chrome or Matte Black finishes. The Upland trim with the Schlage Northbrook lever will help you pull off this look.

 

Inspiration can come from anywhere. If you can’t hit the road, find it virtually. Schlage’s Style Selector tool online can help match you with the right look, and there’s also Pinterest and Instagram to help get the creative juices flowing.