What I learned from the Isle of Man

I think travel is a great way to get design inspiration, not only by viewing another culture's design styles, but also by just experiencing a place and understanding how home design can reflect the truths of that culture. I fell in love with the Isle of Man during our stay, and picked up a thing or two from the land of my ancestors!

1. It's okay to hold on to your glory days. 
The Victorian Era marked the height of British tourism to the Isle of Man, and the capital city of Douglas reflects this past. Almost all of the buildings in Douglas are row of mostly white Victorian townhomes with marble steps leading to impressive front entrances and columns of bay windows. The brick laid streets of what is now the shopping district, along with the old steam train to the south of the Isle are attempts to drawn in tourists by the same means that worked historically for the Manx. And you know what? It is fabulous. History need not always stay in the past. So use Grandma's dishes, play on the old family piano, save those original hardwood floors, and don't just display, but relive your own family's or home's history.

2. Always consider the world around you. 
As in most parts of the UK, the Isle of Man sees a fair share of cloudy days. For this reason, when renovating his B&B in Port Erin, our host made sure to design outdoor patios that would take full advantage of being on the sunniest part of the Isle. Not to mention, the focus of every room was the spectacular views from this hillside hotel. At a previous B&B in the capital, our host frequently encouraged us to look out our bay window (and even provided us with a pair of binoculars) to catch a glimpse of England. Consider and enjoy the atmosphere around your home. I've made it a point to regularly sweep and tidy up our patio and balcony, as a reminder that we have great outdoor space that should be enjoyed more frequently (although admittedly, it's a tad too hot right now!).

3. Even small spaces can be diverse. 

The Isle of Man is not a huge island. It is only 221 square miles in area. And yet different parts of the isle feel very distinct. I was honestly shocked by the geographic diversity there! You never lose that Manx feel, but each little town or village is wonderfully unique.

I do have a certain design scheme in my mind as I set up our home, and initially thought every room would need to be transformed so that it all matched. However, the more settled I've become here, the more I've realized that the rooms can still flow while having their own personality. My Parisian guest room still pulls in a French country feel that I've aimed for in the kitchen, and the cottage feel to the living and master bedroom fit in to this as well. I want to feel like I'm in a new room, not just an extension of the last one. 

4. Unplug.

Okay, so I did blog daily during our trip, but that was so that I would remember it all! During the day we did "unplug", and the fact that our phones didn't work helped with this. When cable and Internet are no longer the focus, you can focus on more important things, like the people around you, or the sunshine streaming into the living room in the late afternoon. After we moved last summer, we put our television into a cabinet with doors that shut, and arranged the couch and the loveseat so that they faced each other. The result is a lot less TV in that room, and it's a great set up for conversation!

5. Be about people. 

Everyone was so friendly on the Isle, to the point where it was truly  jarring to be among stressed out travelers on our trip home. The focus over there really seemed to be on people. For example, when we got lost on one of our bus rides, Joe went down to ask the driver which stop we should get off at for a certain family site we were tracking down. Not being familiar with the site, the bus driver stopped the bus to look at our map! We were both surprised and impressed at this total willingness to help, even if it meant being a minute off schedule. That would never happen here! But isn't that a great rule of thumb for most everything in life? Best results will come when people are the focus, in life in general as well as in design. People have to live in your home- shouldn't that be the focus for design then? Pretty but impractical or uncomfortable does not a humble abode make.

Lastly, I would encourage all readers to visit this incredible beautiful and unique island! For more information: www.visitisleofman.com

The Douglas Promenade, with its rows of Victorian houses, at night. 

The infinity pool and patio area with views of the Irish Sea (The Arches B&B, Port Erin). 

The water wheel at the old mining town of Laxey.