Top Tips for designing a holiday home
By Sarah Wood | Monday, 08 August 2022
The wow factor of interior design
From a style point of view, your holiday house interior design needs wow factor, people are choosing remotely through photos and want something special and different from their own home for their stay. Your holiday house needs to stand out from the crowd. I achieve this by theming every house. I consider the location and surroundings and often gain inspiration from a picture or a piece of furniture we will use in the house or its history and location.
Make a statement
Paint is a quick win to achieve something unique – choose strong statement colours that will photograph well. There are some excellent paint brands now and we particularly favour English brands such as Fenwick and Tilbrook, based in Norfolk, whose colours have amazing depth and really sing out. Once you have chosen your ‘look’ run this through your holiday home it will add continuity and give the whole house a joined-up feel.
Sofas and chairs in holiday house interior design
When thinking about the furniture, I imagine how people will use the space, where they will sit and chat, eat and play and I design the interior of the holiday house around that. We are here to provide the perfect backdrop for their holiday, nothing should jar in anyway, there are never too many small groups of chairs to lounge in nor too many small tables to put drinks on. When it comes to sofas, we tend to be more conservative, choosing the most comfortable of styles in background shades of beige, blue or grey. These act as the backbone of any interior design, and it is then easy to ring the changes with the throws and cushions you use.
Beds to sink into
One of the key areas to consider are the beds, everyone has strong views on what is comfy but we think there are some key considerations. The quality of the mattress is key, we always buy pocket sprung mattresses with a high level of pockets as we believe they are excellent for support and comfort. Whatever mattress you buy, add a topper, everyone loves that ‘sink into’ feeling as they get into bed. We in fact always supply two toppers, everyone loves that princess and pea moment. And whilst on beds don’t forget the linen – poor quality linen on expensive beds is a real waste of money as it defeats what you are trying to achieve – luxury and a wonderful night’s sleep.
How many bathrooms to bedrooms
In recent years, we have seen a huge change in the ratio of bedrooms to bathrooms. Holiday homes are now considered against staying in a hotel so our advice is to have as many bathrooms as you can fit. The more the merrier. In ratio terms for three bedrooms, you’ll need two bathrooms, for four and five bedrooms you ‘ll need at least three or four bathrooms. People like their own space on holiday.
The outdoor garden design counts
Finally, the garden. For us our holiday houses never look finished without a garden that compliments the interior. We have each garden designed and planted to maximise the space, creating a special place to enjoy. Just like the interior you need to consider the groups who will visit. If you are wanting to attract families keep some of the garden open so the children have space to play and run. Whatever you do try and give your holiday home some quiet private outdoor space with comfortable seating, somewhere to eat and enjoy a BBQ. It’s all about giving your guests the backdrop for a brilliant holiday. And if you get it right, those all-important five star reviews will follow.
