Get away every day: How to style your rooms like a vacation retreat
Lifestyle
Audio By Carbonatix
9:00 AM on Wednesday, June 10
By Elena Vega for Houzz, Stacker
Get away every day: How to style your rooms like a vacation retreat
If distant shores are calling this summer, but life won’t let you answer, these home design ideas are just the ticket. Houzz worked with four interior design firms to create room design renders inspired by four sought-after vacation spots around the world. Use their creations to turn your everyday living spaces into true destinations by conjuring the tropical air of breathtaking Bali, the sun-drenched stone of an Italian villa, Nantucket’s fresh island feel or the gloriously sunny shores of Florida.
Ready to have your own getaway at home? Read on to explore the floor plans in a range of immersive ways.
Tropical Balinese Sanctuary | Design by Bleu Canard Design
Saturated turquoise, rich woods and a generous hand with tropical emerald green foliage give this open-plan space by Camille Mongeon of Bleu Canard Design the unmistakable feel of a wonderland deep in a Balinese jungle. “It’s a luxurious tropical retreat I would love to spend time in,” Mongeon says.
Get the look: Start with an open plan and plenty of natural light, then layer in organic elements in a natural palette with a pop of bright color, such as a vase brimming with bright orange bird-of-paradise. Nestle in a luxuriously long cream-colored sofa amid exuberant foliage — even better if you can incorporate a dark wooden planter. Finish with a pair of open-work chandeliers in black metal or natural fiber, a nested coffee table with the feel of sand dollars or shells, and a real or faux living wall.
Don’t have a pool? You could get a similar feel with a vibrant turquoise area rug or a big fish tank with an aqua light.
Two dining areas welcome a houseful of guests in the same luxurious yet low-key fashion as the living area.
Get the look: Use a deep teal area rug to define the smaller area, and create contrast with a long black stone-inspired tabletop and a second table that looks straight from the forest. Use the same flooring across both areas for a cohesive feel, and include architectural arches and contrasting window frames and trim to ground the space. Scatter nature-inspired touches throughout to cap off your design.
Lively Italian Villa | Design by Caroline Couzens Design
Sun-baked terra cotta and olive-grove greens lie at the heart of this vibrant transitional kitchen by Caroline Couzens Design. “I wanted to blend a sense of the old-world grandeur of a palazzo with contemporary livability,” Couzens says.
Get the look: Just as the Italians have turned casual eating into an art form, this Italian-inspired kitchen celebrates an artful approach without overthinking it. Use color-drenched green cabinetry and tile as a backdrop for a dynamic patterned orange half-wall and red-orange range hood. Add a sculptural chandelier to elevate a solid wood table that can stand up to heaping platters and brimming glasses, above a rug with a pattern that picks up on a scallop-edged centerpiece. Include a footed buffet with a curved marble top to ground the kitchen in tradition, and don’t forget generous windows to usher in natural light.
This view of Couzens’ kitchen design peeks in on a must-have element and shows how to keep the vibrant colors feeling fresh versus overwhelming.
Get the look: Through a classic archway, include a butler’s pantry with a generously sized wine fridge — essential for keeping all those bottles of Chianti Classico and Pinot Grigio at just the right temperature. Here, the wine fridge’s dark wood offers a striking counterpoint to the kitchen’s colorful materials and fixtures, including a red stove to match the range hood. Against all the bright hues, marble countertops act as a palate cleanser.
Dreamy Nantucket Retreat | Design by Flourish Interiors by Vanessa C. Smith
Pale blues and creamy white with dashes of warm wood turn this bedroom into a breath of fresh air. Megan Vogeler-Lappan of Flourish Interiors by Vanessa C. Smith turned to the island of Nantucket, off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to create a bedroom that feels soothing, uplifting and pulled together all at once. “We wanted every stripe and natural fiber to feel intentional,” Vogeler-Lappan says.
Get the look: Scan the sky and sandy beaches to land on your color palette, using shipshape striped patterns for your chair fabrics and area rug to add coastal flair. A bed frame in solid wood or upholstered in a woven natural fiber will anchor the room and provide a cozy landing spot, while an eye-catching wallcovering and thoughtful molding create that tailored Nantucket feel. Plenty of pillows are a must for any vacation-inspired bedroom, as are bedside lamps for lounging with a summer beach read. Cap off the look with an above-the bed artwork that calls to the sea.
Bright Floridian Delight | Design by Anna Gray Designs
A long stretch open to the outdoors is the defining feature of this airy and easygoing living area by Kristin Parr of Anna Gray Designs, part of an open plan with the dining area and kitchen. “This design is about the continuous experience of coastal living,” Parr says.
Get the look: An indoor-outdoor connection is key, whether through a large opening like this one or even a smaller set of sliding doors. Here, the opening leads to a pool backed by a perfect row of potted trees, but a water feature and a few plants can conjure a similar soothing vibe. Indoors, go for the most comfortable sectional you can find, and hew to a neutral palette, a gentle pattern or two, and splashes of natural materials for that laid-back vibe. And complete the Floridian space with a ceiling fan.
White and light wood keep the brightness going in Parr’s kitchen and dining room, just off the living and outdoor areas.
Get the look: A white shiplap ceiling says coastal without going overboard. Keep the flooring continuous to tie all the spaces together, and consider an island wrapped in marble-look quartz to elevate the design while avoiding any worry about spilled cocktails. Use comfy upholstered dining chairs and a separate outdoor grilling-and dining area to encourage guests to linger as the sun sets, and hang a shell-inspired chandelier overhead as a finishing touch.
While highly skilled pros rendered the four architectural designs above using AI-powered software, even borrowing some of their smaller ideas can help you conjure a more relaxing feel at home. And no matter which design pulls you in most, remember the most important element of any vacation-inspired room: welcoming in a spirit of relaxation!
This story was produced by Houzz and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
