The Journey of a Quince holiday house

I often get asked about how we source our holiday houses.  What do we look for in a holiday home? For us, location is key.  We are only interested in the best hotspot locations

The search criteria for a Quince holiday home.

Location is key whether that is on a beach, in the depths of a National Park or in a special village or area that we know people will love.

We want our holiday houses to be distinctive, have fantastic views, sit in dreamy locations that inspire and excite and above all help our guests to relax and enjoy their holiday. For us, the condition of the property is not a factor as we redesign each house to make them unique and perfect for our holiday guests.

Purchase to renovation of a holiday home.

We prefer to buy houses that need some love and attention as they often have wonderful histories and features that we can bring to life.  They also need to be commercially viable, as to grow the Quince business every holiday house in the portfolio needs to be profitable and work to help us build the company.  This in turn enables us to buy even more houses for all to enjoy.

Once we have handpicked the property, we then set about turning it into something very special, working with local architects, engineers, planners and builders to bring our designs to life.   This is a truly collaborative process as we work closely with like-minded local businesses.   I feel part of the community and want to support and grow local businesses.  Their innovation, love and attention to detail inspires me and benefits us and our guests.  We’ll never use tradespeople from other locations, and always seek local recommendations as they know the area best and help me understand in depth the local area that we are joining.

Interior design, for me, is led by the property and location, if you are refurbishing a Victorian house with a fantastic nautical history, I need to work with it, if you are working with a house in a hidden away area used by Special Operations in WW11, my thoughts will turn to the 1940’s for inspiration.

Sustainability

Upcycling is key and about 40% of all our furniture is upcycled.  Wherever possible, I work with British made, local brands.  All our holiday houses have the same super comfy, ‘sink into’ beds that are made in Ipswich.  All our sofas are British made, as are the fabrics that I use for curtaining and soft furnishings.   The mantra is always to stay local.  If there is a local pottery or vintage shop, I like to support it and buy items for the house from it.

At the same time if we ourselves are recycling any items or if a house is upgraded, all proceeds from selling items goes to local community projects or food banks and so far, we have raised thousands.

Holiday House Interior Design

Wherever we are, my love of colour is always incorporated, I want our guests to feel invigorated and inspired by our boldness, making it a fun space to be. Our holiday houses offer something a little different, but one thing we know is that they are the perfect place for guests to kick off their shoes, relax and enjoy some downtime – including bathing under the stars!