Villa in the Caribbean

A serene holiday retreat with a spectacular view to the ocean, where the indoor becomes one with the outdoor, so you have the sense that you are always by the sea... 

The house is decorated in a modern, organic style with a neutral color palette to invoke a sense of serenity. Whitewashed background (walls, roof, sofa, bed, etc) with details of wood and rattan compose a scenery where the family and their guests can reconnect with nature and escape the modern, fast pace of life, offering a harmonious lifestyle.  

Lanterns

Lanterns are the favourites accessories for our houses' summer decoration, as they constitute the essential ingredient for a romantic summer night under the candle light... Try to gather together a numerous of different in size & style lanterns and just enjoy the result. It will be at least dreamy.... Another idea, it would be to hang them from the ceiling, the pergola or the branches' of a tree in your garden!

Outdoor Bathtub

After a tough day in work, the only thing I could think is a relaxing bubble bath with essential oils, accompanied by soothing music and a glass of cool moscato d' Asti under the stars, letting the evening breeze refreshing my body!!! Really... Would you like to have an outdoor bathtub? I 'd love to have one!!! Especially this of the fifth photo...

Summer bedroom

I felt in love with this amazing bedroom by first sight!!! I am just imagine waking up in this dreamy bedroom and enjoying the view (I am dreaming of a sea view) from the enormous opening... 

Outdoor Lounging Area

Create atmospheric outdoor lounging areas in order to enjoy your summer evenings & nights as best as you can... I really adored the splash of yellow (used in pillows, numerous candles and sunflowers), the extra cozy built-in sofa, the enormous coffee table constructed of old beams and of course the original handmade chandelier by paper pulp!!!

Sunday Morning Tales

Good morning people!!! As this period is really exhausting for me, with endless hours of working and without a day of rest, I could consider today's post as the ideal mind trip! 

When I first saw this heaven place, I felt that this is what I could think as the ideal place for summer holidays... A tiny hutlike structure surrounded by palms that houses the bedroom and bath. Every other living spaces including kitchen, seating and dining areas are plain air... Just like a camping near the sea, enriched with a lot of style!!!

Photos by Gaelle Le Boulicaut

Hand painted floors

This is the lowest cost and most inspired way to make a change in your home's floors if you have been bored of them or they are in need of renovation and you cant't afford it now. 

So, you have only to decide which colors you will prefer to use in your floors' renovation, what kind of designs or patterns you will paint on them and in what dimensions. The next step is to go buying the colors and start working...

I think that I would working on this project without stoping until finish it, as I would be desperately impatient to see the result of my effort.

Today, I took inspiration from Paola's Navone holiday home in the island of Serifos... Her home is traditionally constructed according the Cycladic architecture with stone walls, whitewashed surfaces, wooden ceilling and of course cement floors both inside and outside home. 

Traditionally, every year the inhabitants of Cyclades used to whitewash not only the external surfaces of their homes, so as to protect them from the hot sun rays, but they used to paint  designs on the floors of their homes' patios or on the alleys with the same pigment, made by plaster and water!

In the same way, Paola Navone modernizing this method of Cycladic floor painting, created very interesting floors for her home. In some spaces she used a white pattern on the grey cement background. But, I found brilliant the idea of painting faux carpets on the floor... 

Escape to Panormos Retreat

This is exactly what I imagine when I am thinking of a traditional Cycladic home... Little cubic structures placed in different levels as they follow the natural slopes, white washed walls, colored windows, bougainvilleas, pergolas with built-in stone sitting areas that offer a good shelter during hot months of the greek summer and a breathtaking view of the Aegean sea! All those characteristics are perfectly combined in this amazing property situated in Panormos, one of the "hidden" areas of Mykonos...If you like it and afford it, off course :), you can spend your holidays there as it is available for renting here.

Family retreat in Sifnos island

It's the right time for a mind trip to Sifnos island, in order to admire a small family summer retreat among old olive trees and an amazing view of the Aegean sea....

Summer House in Paros

A lovely summer family house in Paros, Greece, is presenting in the "new born" e-magazine Aria Free Press, where I have the honor to write in the All About Design category ... For more information and photos about this charming house see here.

A Greek fisherman's house in Koroni

This lovely traditional house is located in the historic town of Koroni, in the Peloponnese, Greece. It is situated below the historic Venetian castle of the town and above of a small beach, offering a dreamy view of Mani while you are seating in its garden.   

A Charming House in Costa Brava

In Costa Brava, Spain, it is situated this fascinating rustic house! As it is mostly a summer house, emphasis has been given in its outdoor spaces... I like the cozy built-in seating area near the pool and the large rustic dinning table with the benches in the semi outdoor area near the BBQ. Stone walls, cotto tiles, cement and raw wooden beams gives a charming note to the house, bringing thoughts of old Mediterranean mansions!

   

Images via el mueble

Summer Semi-terrace Area

A unique summer house's outdoor dining area, where you can spend a lot of hours during your holidays... I love the white raw plaster on the walls and the cement floor which indicate the home's traditional character in combination with the tree trunks and canes on the ceiling and the bold built-in seating and dining table. The addition of rattan accessories and linen cushions and tablecloth in off-white and black hues transform this semi-terrace area into the absolute summer nook!!!

Image via purplearea.blogspot.com

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Summer Cottage in South Africa

Today, I found this simple yet beautiful summer cottage surrounded by this amazing maritime scape of Churchhaven, west coast national park in South Africa. I felt in love immediatelly with its outdoor spaces! Especially that pergola with this breathtaking view of the turquoise water of the sea... I am daydreaming and imagine myself relaxing in the comfortable hammock and enjoying this dreamy view!!! I think that already feel the salty breeze on my body... Perhaps I am in need for holidays! I am soo tired this period.

What do you think about this wonderful cottage? Would you like to spend some days there?

Paternoster Beach Cottage

This house situated on the West Coast of South Africa immediately stole my heart!!! It is built entirely from local stone and its roof is constructed by tree trunks and canes so as to be the house's interior cool during hot days... What I love most in this house is the use of aqua in the shutters, in some furniture and in special decorative objects; It's my favorite color and I feel that it matches perfectly with stone and the natural surroundings! What do you think about it?

I wish you to have a wonderful weekend my friends!!!

Images via House & Leisure

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Myconian Paradise

For another time we are going to Mykonos in order to see an amazing stone home which is  harmonized to its surroundings in a unique way... The home of Vangelis Tsangaris and Deborah French is perched on the rocks and let the shape of the hillside dictate the layout  of its rooms. Its design is completely different from the majority of the Myconian modern buildings which are following an angular style... Here, we find natural lines everywhere and pieces of the rock invade the space unobtracted in a way that shows that the building respects its natural surroundings! Stone walls outside with mediterranean plants to ornate them and white raw plaster inside to help the light flooded the spaces, make this home a unique summer shelter to spend your holidays in.

Kalo Ambeli Beach House

A stylish and tastfully decorated beach house builded in a gorgeous hillside setting overlooking the sea on the south coast of Serifos. Although it is secluded, it has a wonderful and unobstructed view of Milos and it is  just a 5 minute walk to the amazing sandy beach of Kalo Ambeli. It is a serene and bright house, builded according to the traditional Cycladic architecture... Bold stone walls coated with white plaster, blue wooden shutters and doors and beautiful ceilings paneled with wooden boards or canes and raw wooden beams. Although, the ornament of the house is its unique swimming pool which is designed to look like a sandy beach. I really love it! 

I would really like to spend a couple of days  right there, enjoying the beauties of the environment and gazing at this wonderful view while sunbathing near the pool...