Savoring the furniture

Business travel kindles my imagination. The experiences that I have on the road spark my creativity and become a part of my designs.

I’ve noticed that most frequent fliers try to shut themselves off from the outside world. They wear noise-canceling headsets connected to iPods when they fly. They stay at Western hotels frequented only by tourists. They dine only in guidebook-approved restaurants. I try to do the opposite.

A recent business trip to Sweden took me to the famed Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi, a lodge made entirely of ice. There were chandeliers, chairs, tables and beds created from frozen blocks of ice, glistening in a pale white light. I was struck by the simplicity of the designs — the lines, the proportions, the sensibility of it all. It was dazzling.

In Peru, I stayed at an ancient monastery in Cuzco furnished with antique chairs and tables weathered to a deep dark brown. The furniture is one of the last things an average hotel guest notices. It is one of the first things I see. The textures, colors, and even the way the furniture feels when you touch and sit in it, are things I pay close attention to. After my visit, I designed a line of furniture in the Spanish mission style that used the same earthy colors.

The single most inspiring place I have visited is Bora Bora. It was supposed to be a vacation, but I was smitten by the colors: the perfectly clear turquoise waters, the white sand and the lush emerald green of the mountains. I checked in to the Bora Bora Nui Resort and Spa, an upscale hotel in one of the lagoons, for a week of relaxation. But I couldn’t take my mind off the color palette of French Polynesia. As soon as I returned to New York, I incorporated these riveting tropical hues into my new formal collection.

The most uninspiring? Agra, India. Specifically, the Taj Mahal. And it is my fault because for years I had wanted to visit this architectural masterpiece, and I think I had built an image in my mind of what it should look like. From a distance, it didn’t disappoint me — its towering spires and onion-shaped domes were awe-inspiring. But as I came closer, I saw that it was not as pristine as I thought. It was not as perfect as I hoped it would be, and I was disappointed.

What I like the best about being a business traveler is that you can often see a place more clearly than people who live there. On a recent visit to Florence, Italy, I walked through the streets with a colleague, pointing out architectural features in the columns, arches and domes of the buildings.

My colleague chuckled.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I have lived here my entire life,” he said. “I walk past this building every day; and the things that you’re showing me, would you believe I’ve never noticed them?”

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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