Hello again! I’m Eva Lindsell, founder of Lindsell Interiors, a full-service luxury interior design firm in Greenville SC. As I shared in my recent Q&A, travel has always been one of my greatest sources of inspiration. This June, my son Nils, my dad, my nephew Jack, and I are embarking on a profoundly personal journey — a WWII family roots trip through Europe that traces the paths of our loved ones who served.
It’s a mix of reflection, education, and moments of beauty and luxury, and I can already feel how it will shape the layered, legacy-driven interiors I create for discerning clients. Here’s an exclusive sneak peek at where we’re going, why it matters, and the design details I’ll be photographing along the way.
The Personal “Why” Behind This Trip
While my grandmother, Synneva Larson (“Grammy”), didn’t talk much about her time in the war, it clearly left a deep imprint. She wrote a detailed memoir (which we still have) that maps out exactly where she served as a nurse under General Patton — and how much time was spent simply waiting to be transferred or to go home. I’ve always wanted to walk in her footsteps.
We also have extensive records for Nils’ grandfather, Robert Best, thanks to his great-uncle’s meticulous research, and enough details on my nephew Jack’s great-grandfather, Wesley Isaacson, to visit key locations from his service — including the site where his plane crashed and he was held as a POW in Nuremberg.
Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, so stepping into these real stories feels incredibly meaningful. We know many parts of the trip will be somber, so we’ve intentionally balanced the weight with beautiful, restorative moments.
Our Itinerary Highlights
From June 8–25 we’ll move through London, cross the English Channel by ferry (just as my grandmother did), explore Normandy’s beaches and memorials, wander the Loire Valley chateaus, spend time in Paris, venture into the Ardennes and Luxembourg, visit Nuremberg, and end near Berchtesgaden and Munich.
Standout experiences I’m most excited about include Normandy (powerful and emotional all at once), Mont Saint-Michel (I adored the book All the Light You Cannot See), the Loire Valley, and — if time allows — the Cotswolds countryside outside London. We’re also looking forward to the ferry crossing to Caen and the chance to feel a small echo of that anticipation my grandmother experienced.
Luxury Stays & Thoughtful Travel Choices
We used points for most hotels, so we have a wonderful mix of very comfortable and more basic stays — never more than one or two nights in the same place. Highlights include a 17th-century white-stone hotel near Caen, a 17th-century farm mansion in Normandy, a former coaching inn built in 1786 in the Loire Valley, and our Paris hotel right at the gates of the Jardin du Luxembourg in the 6th arrondissement.
My travel hack for a history-heavy trip like this? Build in restorative pockets — beautiful hotels, good meals, and moments of quiet beauty — so the experience feels nourishing rather than exhausting.
Design Inspiration I’ll Be Chasing
As a luxury interior designer, I’m constantly stopping to photograph doors, lanterns, shutters, flowers, stonework, and wood paneling. The chateaus and Versailles will be major design highlights. I also love studying hotels and how they deliver thematic punches or ultimate luxury touches. I often ask clients about their favorite hotel stays and weave elements of those experiences into their primary suites and private sanctuaries.
How This Trip Connects to My Work
We all carry stories — and we’re far more connected to our past than we sometimes realize. I find epigenetics fascinating; the experiences of our forefathers are imprinted in our DNA today. That belief deeply informs the timeless, livable, architecturally informed interiors I create at Lindsell Interiors.
When designing a home for my clients, I’m always looking for ways to honor their heritage and family stories. This trip will only sharpen that instinct — helping me weave meaningful, layered details into homes that feel both enduring and deeply personal.
Quick-Fire Trip Favorites with Eva Lindsell
Must-pack item for a history-focused trip? Grammy’s journal, Robert Best’s records, and a few other documents and summaries — plus the paid version of Wanderlog. I plan every trip with it, and it’s been essential for a complex itinerary like this.
One thing you’re most looking forward to photographing? Mont Saint-Michel! But honestly, I will probably purchase this: https://www.mikebehrphotography.com/product-page/the-land-of-oz from a loved photographer of mine.
Dream meal or sensory moment you hope to experience? I’m dying to go back to The Grenadier pub in Belgrave Square, London for their Beef Wellington. The carpeted floor, dollar bills on the ceiling, and the smell of beer make it absolutely perfect. They have deep, comfortable red tufted leather booths and crooked old brass chandeliers.
How this trip will show up in future client homes? I hope my deepened appreciation for history and family legacy will help me honor clients’ own heritage — weaving beautiful, personal historical details into their homes that make them feel truly theirs.
