Who hasn't unpacked from a trip abroad without discovering an unexpected pocket full of beach sand, the stowaway hotel soap and the slight surprise of a handful of passionate purchases made three cities ago? Raji Radhakrishnan, founder of interior design firm Raji RM & Associates, reveals three ways that she has successfully woven quirky treasures from exotic travels (those of her own and her clients) into home design.

Exotic collection, traditional home
So you're back from a dream vacation and eager to display all your miniatures and decoratives to commemorate your latest expedition. The challenge is to rethink your space in a way that harmoniously incorporates your exotic new things that may not necessarily fit in the overall design scheme of your home. Solution: Instead of creating a clash of aesthetics by clearing out one corner of a room, break up your collection and strategically place items in small groups throughout your home.

"One of my clients who often goes on archeological expeditions to exotic places collects miniature bisons," says Raji, "which she considers to be the true treasures of her travels. While it clearly spoke to her heart, her sizable collection of bisons in various materials and sizes weren't easy to incorporate into the very modern and art deco design she wanted in a very traditional, central hall colonial home! In the end, we grouped smaller ones to collectively have more presence on bookshelves, and singled out a few larger ones, treating them like sculpture on tables and consoles. I surprised her when I designed a custom six-foot console table made of macassar ebony, bronze and lacquer [see attached photo]. It was one of the last pieces to arrive. She was thrilled to see a small laser-cut bison figure engraving on one side of the console, which of course was my nod to her passion for travel and collection of bison figures!"

[image via Raji RM & Associates]

New life for an old tapestry
Sometimes we buy things on our travels without giving much thought to where or how these exotic purchases will play a role in our lives. In the moment of acquisition, we simply take delight in a new texture, a beautiful bold color or an "otherness" of an item that we know will capture the feeling of a treasured experience. Raji advises that these travel oddities will have a way of revealing their use if you give them enough time. 

"On one of my visits to London," says Raji, "I picked up an old tapestry fabric remnant I bought from a gypsy, which I loved and held onto all these years for the right project to come along. Last week, I finally gave the tapestry fabric to my upholsterer, who is using it to re-cover a pair of sofa seat cushions for a client. The old fabric, with its faded look and threadbare feel, is a perfect complement to a Knole sofa that we are incorporating in an English cottage design. I've treasured this fabric for so long and yet I'm very happy to see it being used in a very practical way for clients who understand its significance, too."

[image via Raji RM & Associates]

When to buy a rare find
Answer: Always. There's nothing worse than the haunting memory of an exceptional piece that you left behind because it was too heavy to carry onto a plane or you just couldn't work a stop at the post office into your busy itinerary.

Raji recalls one trip to London back in the '90s, when she made her usual visit to the Portobello Road antiques market and came across a piece that she simply had to bring back with her. "It was a wonderful pair of Regency Spoon back chairs in very good condition. This was before 1stdibs, and such chance encounters of exceptional pieces were very rare and you didn't pass them up just because you had no idea how to ship it back to America! So, I literally dumped some of my clothes baggage and lugged the chairs to the airport. After hours of debating with the British Airways counter staff to let the chairs pass as baggage (after I packed them well into cardboard boxes and paid extra), I finally got them home, and they have moved with me from house to house and room to room. I still love including them in my rooms, which are more traditional in style one day, and another day more modern, or just a mix of periods and styles."

Raji Radhakrishnan is the founder of Raji RM & Associates (rajirm.com), an interior design firm based in Virginia near Washington, DC. She is currently working on projects in New York, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. Her work has been widely published and profiled by local and national publications. Raji is also the founder of maison et toi (maisonettoi.com), an online gallery for 20th-century decorative arts.

[image via Raji RM & Associates]