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If you have been following us for a while you will see we don't just do new builds but also play with renovations.

Here we have brought a historic farmhouse back to life. From new kitchens, painting, interior design, furnishing and landscaping it was a big (and rewarding) effort.

The house has been designed as a holiday home and I thought it fitting to walk you through some design ideas we used to create that sense of relaxation, togetherness and escapism. A lot of these ideas can be used in your own home to enhance the everyday and try to get a little bit of those holiday feels without getting on a plane. Or if you are looking to invest in a holiday house, you definitely want to read this.

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Bring the magic

I always look for a special feature of the house or its surrounds and ways to enhance it. In our case the bones of the house had a lot going for it from 4m high ceilings to timber sash windows and expansive valley views. With dirty cream walls it didn’t feel light or bright so we got painting opting for a timeless Dulux classic Natural White. A fresh coat of paint although obvious can never be underestimated wether it be a neutral or something a bit more colourful in changing the mood and the feel of a room.

Focus on an area that you love, it may be a window nook that catches the morning sun – turn it into a day bed, or you may want to make your bedroom a retreat from busy family life, why not think about a four poster bed? Immediately bringing an elevated dramatic feel to the room.

Our fave four poster from Empire Homewares

https://shop.empirehome.com.au/products/villa-4-poster-bed-black-1

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Style

You have a story, so use it.

Your travels and life experiences say a lot about you and how you live. Homes that seem to get that holiday feeling right no doubt always have that mix of old and new, a vase brought back from Italy, a photo wall of travel memories, shells from the beach. It’s about creating a story with meaningful objects, not just filling a space with pieces from the high street. Don’t get me wrong, they have their place in our homes too but when you combine these with something from yesteryear it creates an interesting space. Need more inspo check out Australian interior design experts Anna Spiro (who has worked her magic on the iconic Halycon House) and Natalie Walton, both have very difference aesthetics when it comes to design, but the principles are the same – creating meaningful spaces with new and old.

Scent

How many times are we transported back to a holiday by a simple scent? It might be the salty air from a beach holiday, lavender from Provence, incense from India. The scent experience is becoming a big thing in tourism with companies investing a lot in sensory marketing campaigns. It’s an easy and cost effective way to bring the holiday vibes to your home.

Some of my favourite home fragrances here…

Mr Moss

https://sohmelbourne.com/collections/candles/products/moss

Dark and Moody this is the perfect unisex fragrance on high rotation in my house all year round.

Feu de Bois

https://www.diptyqueparis.com/en_eu/p/feu-de-bois-wood-fire-candle.html

Fire roaring, good book in hand. This woody fragrance always transports me to a cosy winter escape.

Byron Bay

https://www.gentlehabits.com.au/products/byron-bay

An endless summer holiday.

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The Great Outdoors

There is something to be said for the outdoors, the health benefits that come from walks in nature, sun gazing in the morning and with more and more house designs calling for a connectedness to the world outside, it’s a great way to bring a bit of holiday fun to the day to day. When I think of holidays and outdoors I think family and friends gathering together, eating, drinking and making memories. Nothing does this better than around a fire - a place that draws everyone in to sit connect and share stories. But it doesn’t have to be a holiday thing, why not set something up in your backyard? And if you want to take it to the next level add some cooking tools like grill plates and tripods and give campfire cooking a go. A sure fire way to bring those holiday vibes.

Obviously a lot more can be done when it comes to designing a holiday house or bringing the holiday vibes into your home. This is just a few small insights that we have used on our creative journey. But its personal, think about how you like to holiday, what excites you, relaxes you, inspires you and take it from there. And don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things or even ask for help, interior design and styling is not for everyone and enlisting the help of a professional can often be the best way to get the results you want.

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If you’d like support pulling your interior vision together - colours, finishes, materials and flow - our consultancy service is a great place to start.