Why Travel is my Ultimate Muse by Meg Joannides

As an interior designer, a passport is just as essential as a sketchbook. While Pinterest and magazines offer endless streams of images, they lack a critical element of great design: that sensory depth. To create spaces that evoke feeling, one must experience how spaces are actually lived in. And for me, there is no better canvas for this than Europe, a continent where history, high design and patina all come together. Every year there is always something new and exciting. From the high design at the Salone di Mobile in Milan to the elegant streets of Paris, to the classical designs of Athens, the inspiration is truly everywhere.

I always marvel at the "modernized heritage" trend. A designer might walk past a 17th-century Parisian apartment featuring soaring, hand-carved boiserie (wooden wall panels) and notice how the owner has styled it with a low-slung, ultra-contemporary mohair sofa.

This striking contrast, where the weight of history balances the lightness of modern living, is exactly what transforms a residence from a sterile "showroom" into a soulful sanctuary. And that is my approach to design and modern living. The juxtaposition and the use of rich materials and fabrics that elevate all the luxury interiors we create at MLK STUDIO.

Ultimately, luxury design is about curation rather than consumption. When a designer travels, they are not just looking for things to buy; they are learning how to layer eras, textures, and stories. By bringing those global perspectives back home, we don't just build beautiful rooms, we are inspired to design spaces that feel lived in and elegant, without being trendy and lacking substance. - Meg.