How to bring your holiday back home into your interior design

“We’ve used cream linen on the upholstery, with bright accessories in azure and coral, steering well clear of anything nautical like captain’s wheels and fish,” Notley-Griffiths says. Instead, the design is clean and simple, with lime-washed ceilings and stone floors.

“A seagrass rug, laid on a timber floor, would be a really good way to bring the same feeling back to Britain,” suggests Notley-Griffiths. “As would hurricane lanterns – we used some from Ralph Lauren Home.”

Finally, limed-oak furniture “gives that beachy feel”.

Greece

“There’s a wealth of craftsmanship that’s undiscovered in Greece and we wanted to tap into that,” says Christina Logothetis of Fifth Element, talking about the interior design firm’s work at the Cycladean hotel Grace Santorini.

Sticking with the simple, time-honoured Greek aesthetic of white walls and polished concrete floors, they used Greek walnut to create modern headboards and “floating” desks. Hard-carved basins made from local marble are another example of harnessing traditional skills to create a clean, modern look.

“We added accents of turquoise, aubergine and navy in the throws, rugs and cushions to give extra lift and provide contrast with the white,” says Logothetis.

Investing in some furniture with a striking contrast between white and walnut is one way to recreate Fifth Element’s modern take on Cycladean style. Alternatively, add accessories in marble and brass to give a hint of the Hellenic.

South African safari

“Our approach was to celebrate African adornment and decoration with pattern and texture,” says Derrick Tabbert, the South African designer behind Little Bush Camp at Sabi Sabi, a safari lodge in Kruger National Park. “The colours are quite bold, yet they have a sense of understated luxury.”

So forget draping every surface with animal print. Instead, pair rich, earthy tones with metallics and play up the contrast between rough, natural textures and more smoothly-finished ones.

“We worked with local craftspeople where possible,” says Tabbert. “The drum tables were made by a South African coppersmith, while the timber side tables were hand carved in Zimbabwe.”

The bold black and white diamond pattern that he has incorporated can be recreated at home via African-inspired designs (such as Larsen’s Warner fabric) – or pick up a batik cushion from Kudu Home.

West Country glamping

Emma Warren’s Somerset shepherd’s hut, which she runs under the name Dimpsey Glamping, strikes the balance between home comforts and feeling like you’ve gone a little bit wild.

“My aim was to make it like Babington House – in a field,” says Warren. “We’ve used natural materials wherever possible, so there are loads of sheepskins from Alice Wood in Dorset – the best I could find – and handmade storage baskets from Hilary Burns in Devon.”

Old-fashioned “jelly mould” light switches and flying ducks on the wall lend a vintage feel. “You have to be quite clever in a small space,” says Warren. “Things have to be multipurpose, so, for example, the plates are tin so people can use them outside.”

You can even buy a shepherd’s hut of your own like Warren’s from Blackdown, with prices starting from £18,650.

English country house

British hoteliers are now very good at the modern take on country-house style, mixing traditional materials such as tweeds and linens with unexpected bursts of colour, while perhaps throwing in the odd piece of agricultural vintage to show that they don’t take themselves too seriously.

At Thyme, in the Cotswolds village of Southrop, owner Caryn Hibbert has overseen the decoration of the property, which is less like a conventional hotel and more like a loose conglomeration of farm buildings, including a massive barn that houses a bar and dining room.

“We’ve used organic colours that reflect the natural environment, such as greens, browns and blue-greys,” she says. Farrow & Ball’s Pigeon, Down Pipe (a dark grey) and Green Smoke all feature.

“There’s not too much pattern, as it clashes with the flowers that we bring in from the garden. We’re all about letting the outside in.”

Natural materials such as wool and linen give an inherently calm quality to proceedings: “It’s about quietness and stillness.”

South of France

Provençal style is relaxed, rustic and beautiful in its simplicity. “The attitude down there is, ‘It’ll happen,’ ” says Rebecca James of Interior Desires, who was asked to create the decor for a newbuild farmhouse in Grasse. “The interiors had to reflect that laid-back feel, looking like they had evolved over time.

“It was important that it wasn’t too obvious,” she adds, by which she means you will not find swathes of Toile de Jouy here. Instead there are lots of natural linens and muted greys and creams, which makes for a restful scheme in any climate.

“Texture was also important,” says James, as shown by the coffee tables made from weathered driftwood, cooling stone floors and basins carved from petrified wood.

Cambodia

You’ll find some creative recycling at Siem Reap’s Phum Baitang resort: the bedheads are made from old shutters, doors and panelling, and artefacts from bygone times are elevated to the status of artworks, such as the abacus mounted on the wall.

“There is an emphasis on creating art from old objects, using raw materials which will, as they age, display added warmth and character,” says Geraldine Dohogne, head of concept and interior design for Zannier Hotels.

You may not be able to bring back the traditional Cambodian architecture of this village-like resort in the paddy fields, but elements such as dark hardwood flooring, lime-washed walls and earthy-coloured textiles will travel well.

“We only work with natural textures and colours,” says Dohogne, so combine wood, stone, bamboo and linen to recreate the design DNA of southeast Asia.

[Source:-Telegraph co]