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A home from home: design tips and inspiration
Publié
6 avril, 2023
Modifié
10 septembre, 2025
What makes a onefinestay home so special?
Here we talk about which design details make a house feel more homely and how to create an inviting space that guests will love.
Green space
Green space
Landscaping is a huge opportunity to make a home special, especially in cities like Los Angeles that have abundant space.
Take Marmont Avenue. The house is perched on top of a hill in West Hollywood. The drive up the hill is dramatic, but when you arrive at the front door the house is very unassuming - a charming Nantucket-style home. Only when you walk through the home’s back patio do you see the most incredible backyard unfolding before you. It feels like a secret garden worthy of a Slim Aarons photo shoot - unexpected and breathtaking.
Colour therapy
Colour therapy
Choosing appropriate tones for a home is an important aspect of interior design. Warm colours, like red, orange and yellow, can energise a space. Cool tones such as blue, green and purple, generally create quiet, relaxing atmospheres. Whatever your desired effect, it’s all about getting the balance just right.
A captivating kaleidoscope of colour, Belsize Park Gardens is a spectacular home in Hampstead. Each room has a distinct personality, expressed by carefully selected colour palettes - from the soothing seafoam tones in the master bedroom to the harmonious blend of zesty yellows and soft pinks in the lounge and kitchen.
Art
Art
Art may be the single element that makes a house into a home. Choosing what to hang on a wall is so personal - the wall is literally an empty canvas waiting for a point of view.
Vivid colour, bold text, vibrant graphics – Rue des Filles du Calvaire in Paris delivers a daring visual punch. It’s part home, part art installation. Daring canvases in confident colour make this arty home one-of-a-kind.
Making a home guest-friendly
Our main advice is to look at your home from the perspective of a guest seeing it for the first time. We are all so familiar with our own homes, but what would you look for if you were staying there while traveling?
Storage space is an important issue for virtually any traveler. Make sure there will be enough space for guests to tuck away their belongings.
Another practical issue is accidental breakage. If you have a priceless object that would break your heart if it were broken - best to store that away. Even the most responsible guests with the best of intentions can make mistakes; we're all human.
Should you keep your family photographs displayed? A sprinkling can be great. It’s the homeowner's personality that makes a home special and unique after all. Guests should feel a story, a person and a point of view behind the home, which makes it different from a corporate apartment or an 'out of the box' hotel room. There is a limit to this however. If your home is plastered with photographs documenting every moment of your life, it would take away from the guest’s experience.
Jemma Cowen’s favourite villas
British interior design aficionado Jemma Cowen specialises in an array of projects from top-end loft conversions to grade 1 listed Regency homes. Read on to find out why she loves our villas so much.
Casa Tres Soles in Mexico
Casa Tres Soles in Mexico
The uninterrupted ocean views from the utterly breathtaking oval-shaped terrace leave me speechless. I cannot imagine a more beautiful spot to sit with friends and enjoy a margarita. There’s plenty to keep everyone entertained from the curving infinity pool, the private beach, tennis court, pool volleyball, home theatre, gym and kayaks! The interior design is both modern and fresh, whilst feeling homely, with many traditional touches. This is an exceptional villa and the perfect place to relax and unwind with your closest friends.
Our favourite books on interiors
Looking for some further reading? Here are books to spur on some creativity around the home.
Interior design basics - Easy to follow advice from legendary paint manufacturer Farrow and Ball.
Farrow & Ball: How to Decorate
Keeping things neat and tidy - Simple and easy to follow guidance in organising your home.
Tidying up in Style
Pure design inspiration - Some source inspiration from interior design guru Mad About the House.
Mad About the House
Guaranteed to delight any interior design lover - Kelly Wearstler invites you to explore her imaginative and creative world of interiors.
