Decorating & Design
May 20, 2020
10 Virtual Tours To Satisfy Your Design Wanderlust
While the doors to some of our favorite design destinations may be closed for now, plenty of virtual tours are available to whisk you away to the most inspiring corners of the world. You may want to start your virtual escape with a leisurely stroll through the lush gardens of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London, then stop for some Arts & Crafts inspiration at the Victoria & Albert Museum’s online collection of William Morris wallpaper. Or how about a visit to Frida Kahlo’s canary yellow kitchen in Mexico, and ending the day sauntering through one of Jaipur’s terracotta palaces from the comfort of your living room?
Whatever you fancy, these virtual tours are sure to get your creative juices flowing. Keep reading to get inspired!
Christian Dior x Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris
Fashion and art lovers rejoice — Christian Dior has invited you on a guided tour of its “Christian Dior, Designer of Dreams” exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in the French capital. Just short of an hour, this tour will take you through iconic couture pieces, paintings, and a cabinet of curiosities and unseen objects that have inspired the design house and Monsieur Dior himself.
Jaipur, India
Known as the Pink City, Jaipur’s ornate palaces offer an architectural escape from the ordinary. Now, you can step inside these centuries-old spaces thanks to virtual tours that let you explore everything from the floriferous Rang Mahal in the Amber Fort to lush gardens once occupied by royals.
The Talking Walls of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Stroll the artful streets of Buenos Aires’ Barracas neighborhood with this audio and visual tour, where a row of homes have been given an exterior facelift, thanks to artist Marino Santa Maria. Featuring murals made with mosaics, ceramics and more, this stunning street is a hidden gem.
Frida Kahlo Museum, Mexico
Step inside Frida Kahlo’s preserved Mexico City home with this digital tour, and discover the rooms and gardens the late artist lived and worked in years ago. The brightly colored kitchen in The Blue House is both cheery and hard to miss with canary yellow floors.
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The MMFA’s decorative arts and design collections comprises of 4,150 objects, including everything from furniture to ceramics and even pieces by renowned designers like Alvar Aalto and Frank Lloyd Wright. Best of all, you can view a ton of these artifacts from the comfort of your home with the museum’s online collection (and even refine your search by object or period).
Palace of Versailles, France
Get a taste for palatial living with this breathtaking tour of late King Louis XVI’s pad. Get up close and personal with the iconic interior featuring large-scale artworks, opulent chandeliers and dramatic details that will have you swooning. Tip: don’t forget to scroll up to look up at the intricate ceilings!
Vitra Design Musuem, Germany
In addition to this leading design destination’s online collection, the Vitra Design Museum is offering virtual exhibition tours — complete with a curator to guide you through collections — on YouTube and Instagram under the hashtag #VDMHomeStories.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London
This year’s annual floral extravaganza has gone digital, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less inspiring. Each morning kicks off with a new virtual tour such as a walk through garden designer Adam Frost‘s Lincolnshire garden or landscape designer Kazuyuki Ishihara’s lush paradise in Nagasaki, Japan.
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
The V&A Museum houses one of the finest wallpaper collections in the world, with patterns dating back to the 16th century. Thanks to its digital articles, you can experience the charm of William Morris’ wallpaper, which also adorns the museum’s cafe walls.
Hauser & Wirth Menorca
Get a sneak peek at Hauser & Wirth‘s latest museum in the idyllic Mediterranean isles of Menorca with a virtual tour that lets you walk through two of the eight galleries at your own pace. But it’s not just the art that’s worth marveling at: sneak a peek of the garden designed by Piet Oudolf and the walls of the structure itself — it’s from the 18th century!