The images presented below showcase some of the Vogue magazine installations created by the photographer Tim Walker which I feel will also provide inspiration for home interior design. One might guffaw at the notion of somehow incorporating these Alice in Wonderland styles into the ordinary apartment or house, and that would be understandable. However, inspiration can strike from even the most bizarre and surreal scenes we come across in life.

Obviously, unless one has a lot of money, many large rooms and a rather decadent lifestyle, we will not be recreating these fantastical interiors to the very last detail. We can on the other hand, take small parts of Tim Walker’s photographic Vogue instillations and include them into part of our living room or bathroom interior decor. I’ll give some examples along with each of the images.

I’ve covered Alice in Wonderland styles on this blog before. Vogue photographer Tim Walker has told in interviews of his love for the stories by C.S Lewis and Lewis Carroll during his childhood years. His work is very obviously influenced by these tales. The image here shows a giant watering can surrounded by colorful butterflies. In the ordinary home interior, little décor accessories which add color to what can be a drab room will likely lead to an increase in the space’s character.

A British spitfire flies into this interior which is decorated with cloud wallpaper and retro pictures and photographs from the 1940′s period. Whether Tim Walker was influenced by the popular “Biggles” series is not quite certain, but probable. Notice how the sofa cover imitates the blue and white of the wallpaper and almost seems to merge into the sky effect. This clever décor coordination can be used in your ordinary home interior design.

As I mentioned at the beginning, clothing fashions and interior decoration are related in many ways. I don’t think this can be highlighted any better than the scene in the above image. Photographer Tim Walker has placed lights inside the frameworks of women’s dresses creating an absolutely stunning outdoor lighting effect. The beauty of the tree and dark sky becomes the perfect backdrop to the eye-catching display.

In previous entries on this blog I have shown some amazing lighting structures such as these sea inspired light sculptures and decorative paper lampshades. The above image, whilst not an inside shot, can nevertheless be taken as inspiration for a residential interior space. With a little imagination, it’s very possible to create decorative lampshades from old pieces of material and wire framework. Do you have a few spare coat hangers and a couple of lighting adaptors? Why not have a go at making a “dress light”? It would make your friends burst with envy and shock.

Walls don’t always have to be flat surfaces. When I was studying at Art College I took a particular delight in designing walls that held a surrealist element to them, such as an everyday item being half in the wall and half out. You can see an example of what I mean in this photo by Tim Walker which shows in the bottom right-hand corner a flower pot merging into the wall. Surrealism plays a large part in the photography sets of Tim Walker, which is reminiscent of the works by such artists as Rene Margritte and Salvidor Dali.

A cheaper alternative to changing the structure of your walls is to use fabrics and shelving which can be colored in the same tones or paint which have been used to decorate your interior landscape.

I bet this image will remind many readers who have teenage daughters of their offspring’s messy and tumultuous bedroom. A brook or stream runs through the center between rocks and the foundations of trees. Obviously having a river flowing through your bedroom or living room is out of the question, unfortunately but you can take some inspiration from this photo.

Plants and flowers always add a breath of fresh air to a home interior. There are many creative ways you can incorporate nature into a room, for example this geometric polygon flower planter and raku bottle-neck vase. Natural looking sculptural stones and wall posters can also increase the feel of the wild.

You can see more work by the much admired fashion photographer on his website here: Tim Walker Photography.

The well-known Turkish architect Ahmet Igdirligil had been commissioned to build the cottage by an American seeking to build a house in “five acres of unspoilt olive grove”. The result was a traditional building with small windows and very thick walls, as a barrier to the summer heat.

“We fell in love with the house that very instant.” remembers Ozbek when looking back on their first entry into the garden, which was filled with the scent of orange and tangerine blossom. However, the house needed some restoration and improvements, so Ozbek and Karaman re-hired Igdirligil to do the work.

First they installed French windows in the living-room and bedroom allowing access to balconies with views across the nearby bay. They then added an outdoor kitchen with an outside dining area constructed in the form of a decked terrace. An old stone fire surround carved with Seljuk motifs is the perfect focus point in which to grill fish and dine alfresco with friends.

The interior of the house, which Ozbek describes as ‘contemporary Anatolian’, is a simple composition, which is surprising given his unconventional use of colour in his fashion work. Traditional built-in sofas (sedirs) reduce general clutter whilst a low painted table from Morocco and a Senegalese pale tangerine-coloured silk throw give the main room the trademark Ozbek flair.

Pastel shades and the breezy lime-white of the walls are enhanced with vibrant explosions of colour including blue glass beads and printed cottons from the bazaars of Central Asia and North Africa. Pop-art posters, photographs and collectible pieces add to the crafted palette of the interior. Religious art, such as the carved wooden alems that once crowned an old village mosque, stand elegantly in the corner of the living room.

Ozbek and Karaman like to spend at least half of their year in this Turkish house surrounded by the most incredible scenery. Having had a career that has lasted over 30 years, he was been widely acclaimed and noted for having dressed fashion icons ranging from the Princess of Wales to the supermodel Kate Moss. Their Yalikavak hideaway provides them both much needed tranquility and rest.

Photographs by Solvi dos Santos

The American photographer Annie Leibovitz took her fondness for the Lewis Carroll fantasy and transferred it into her work. Below are three photos she took for an edition of Vogue Magazine. They both illustrate ways in which Alice in Wonderland-style artwork and fashion have impacted on the styles of some designers.

Whilst these shots are obviously not going to be standard templates that you’ll use when designing your own rooms, they can serve as a reminder that often the best ideas come from the strangest and least expected places. In short, keep your eyes open and your mind receptive.

Would you want a giant woman taking up valuable sofa space in your room?

See also: Alice in Wonderland Bedroom: Ideas for Designing a Kid’s Themed Room