How to decorate a Holiday home

Holiday homes are an iconic part of life. Whether it’s a property you own and visit on all your family vacations, or a property you hire and keep going back to year on year, holiday homes hold a special place in the heart of many people.

If you own a holiday home, and want to give it that ‘vacation vibe’, there are some essentials to remember. It needs to be a place that you, your family, and possible tenants wish to always return to. Create an atmosphere relevant to the location’s surroundings, and make the home comfortable and user friendly.

Style tips

Here are some tips to use specifically when styling your holiday home:

• Let your surroundings inspire you. Take a walk and absorb the colours, textures and feel of your environment. Try to incorporate those elements you love into your holiday home.
• Why do you go on holiday? Generally it’s to re-charge, rest and relax. Life must be easy. It is essential to create a calming atmosphere – avoid clutter! Consider using restful colours.
• Appropriate lighting. Glaring, bright, artificial lights are out, use soft atmospheric lighting. Remember, this is a retreat for you to relax and enjoy.
• Think about climate. Is this a beach house or cabin in the mountains? Incorporate cooler shades of blue, green and white in hot climates, and warmer rich shades in earthy, cold climates. Keeping the base colours neutral, will allow you to accessorise with brighter hues to give the home character.
• Storage is vital. Don’t clutter your holiday house. Make sure there are cupboards, boxes, toy boxes, hooks on walls, anything to keep the floor space and bench tops clear.
• Think about furniture. The type, quality and finishes of your furniture can make a big difference to the overall feel. Will you have children running through the house after being at the beach all day? Keep function and ease of cleaning in mind when choosing pieces. For example, storage at the front door for sandy or muddy shoes, towels, beach toys, umbrellas and so on.
  Choose sofas that are comfortable and can accommodate the family eg. Stanford Sofas or Tobago Corner suite. Our new Cassidy Sectional is also a top pick for a small holiday home. With the scatter cushions removed, it can act as an extra bed.

Choose accessories carefully. Holiday homes can be short on space compared to out residential homes. The right furniture and accessories can work for you in creating illusions of more space – go for furniture in lighter colours, use metallic finishes and mirrors to bounce light around the rooms and use minimal window coverings.