the nomad lab

Honor & Folly B&B.

I’ve been a fan of the Designtripper blog for a long time, and I was so excited when I came across Meghan McEwen’s B&B that she started in Detroit: Honor & Folly. 

The first thing that stands out to me about this place is just how comfortable it feels. It’s absolutely somewhere I could see myself living, and definitely somewhere I’d see myself unwinding after a long day. I also love her focus on really integrating this B&B with the local community and bringing in designers to add their own personal, creative touches. 

The Apartment.

The whole B&B is two bedrooms, which accommodates 4 people. You can rent one room or both rooms, and you’ll get to participate in any fun activities going on in the main room, like cooking classes or shop events from the community.

Not only is the B&B stocked with all sorts of fantastic design goods curated from around the community, but lots of the stuff is actually for sale, so if you fall in love with it, you can take it home with you!

Plus, the amenities are awesome. A fully stocked kitchen, vintage bikes to ride around town, and a specially created Honor & Folly guide to Detroit.

The Location. 

Honor & Folly is located in the neighborhood of Corktown, a charming little area with lots of fantastic restaurants, bars and cafes. It’s actually located upstairs from a BBQ restaurant by the name of Slows which looks absolutely delish to a girl like me who grew up in Texas.

Heard enough? Make a reservation through the website here:

Honor & Folly.

(All photos from Honor & Folly.)

The Smurfs took over this little town of Júzcar (population: 220-ish) in Spain in 2011.

The couple hundred residents voted and agreed to let Sony paint the entire town blue. No, really. Imagine the sudden flow of tourists! It’s not hard to understand why they decided to keep it after the movie was done filming. 

I think the blue is actually beautiful. It brightens up the whole town and gives it so much character. I’d love to visit next time I go to Europe.

Check out the before and after of this town below:

Crazy, right? That’s apparently 1,100 gallons of blue paint. As cheesy as it all looks with Smurfs everywhere, I kind of love that Júzcar embraced the Smurfdom and went all out with it. 

See the video of the company who did the painting below, and more photos, of course!

(Photos from nukamari, J. Javier Garcia, JUAN JOSE, Sonia Sisi, landahlauts, and kuriositas)

Legado Mitico Hotel.

If you haven’t noticed already, I have a thing for libraries with leather couches.

I’m just in love with the color scheme here: the dark browns, the deep reds, and the neutral cream colors. 

Each of the rooms of this hotel are actually themed after a historical character, for example: Eva Peron or Che Guevara. You’ll find customized elements in your room such as vintage hatboxes or posters… alongside all the modern “necessities” you’d need like jacuzzi tubs and flat screen TVs, of course.

I like that this hotel seems to embrace Buenos Aires and really takes advantage of its rich history to influence design and furnishings, without becoming too cheesy or tacky.

Find out more here: Legado Mitico.

(All photos from Tablet Hotels.)

Lamu Beach House.

Expansive space, white walls and simple wood furnishings. 

This beach house is definitely the right way to escape from all your worries. With an unspoilt panoramic view right on the water, you can take in everything from your backyard.

Things I love: Dark wood ceiling beams. Huge archways on the back patio. Authentic Swahili craftsmanship all around the house. 4 staff members to fulfill your every need! 

For more info, check out Welcome Beyond’s interview with the owners.

(All photos from Welcome Beyond.)

Roadmonkey: Adventure Philanthropy.

I’m really loving all the “adventure travel with purpose” opportunities that I’ve been coming across lately. You get to see the world from a more unique point of view, and make someone else’s life a little bit better at the same time.

Roadmonkey provides adventure philanthropy tours to exotic corners of the world.

Build a school in India + experience the Ganesh Festival firsthand.

Build a community garden in Nicaragua + learn to surf.

Build an organic garden in Zanzibar + scale Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Build a kids’ soccer field and take a bike tour through the Mekong Delta.

Build a greenhouse for an Andean village + go white-water rafting in Peru.

These are incredible, incredible experiences. Simple lodging and food is included in the tour, and you really get a chance to experience life alongside the locals. It seems like Roadmonkey has set up partnerships with some great organizations to help out local communities and share their cultures, while finding a way to give travelers a little kick of adrenaline as well.

Tours last 1-2 weeks and are limited to small teams so you can get a full, immersive experience. Be ready to get your hands dirty. 

Ready to go?

Find out more here:

Website: Roadmonkey.

Facebook: Roadmonkey.

Twitter: @RoadmonkeyCEO

(All photos from Roadmonkey.)

(via ItalianFix.com)

Fall in love with the Cinque Terre.

I’ve already made it pretty clear that this is my favorite place on earth. I’ve spent days just wandering the narrow walkways of each of the five towns of the Cinque Terre and it just feels like home. 

What I love about this tour is how intimate it is. The group is limited to 10 people, and the activities really give visitors a unique look into the rich culture and lives of the Italian locals. 

A visit to a locally-owned wine cellar. A cooking class in a 17th century villa using locally sourced ingredients. Shopping at the market. A photography session at sunset with a fancy photographer from Milan. And of course, plenty of hiking, beach time, and wandering on your own. 

This is the way to see the Cinque Terre.

I should point out this tour is in the beginning of June. Italian Fix also creates custom itineraries, which you can look into on their website.

To find out more, check out Italian Fix.

(Photos by hdrdoc, j_brittin, haldlov, sushilgr, carolineakircher, VT_Professor, mattjfleet)