Create a Naturalist's Living Room

Every adventurer needs a welcoming place to come home to. Case in point: this light-filled living room decorated with heirlooms and keepsakes from the homeowners' journeys. To create it, designer Carol-Ann Speros started with an unfussy foundation of white slipcovered sofas, dove-gray walls, and a sand-hued sisal mat. She then layered on sentimental treasures, such as a beachcomber's bounty of coral; the couple's collection of polished stone bookends, eggs, and orbs; a vintage cowhide rug from Wyoming; and lush landscape paintings that were handed down from a relative. For help creating an affordable nature- and travel-inspired living area like this, read on.