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The Interior Inspiration Behind this Scottish Hideaway

September 17, 2019Sommer Pyne

Nothing makes me happier to see how our customer use our gorgeous wares to create a welcoming home. Recently one of our lovely customers, Michelle shared with us her unique contemporary retreat on the Scottish Isle of Skye. So of course we had to share it with you. And if you fancy staying here you’ll find it on Unique Home Stays who are the experts when it comes to finding luxurious and unique homes off-the-beaten track in the UK. It sounds so idyllic and I could easily see myself lounging with papers on that large swing seat.

Tori from Unique Home Stay talks with Michelle, owner of Kyn about the inspiration behind her contemporary retreat on the Isle of Skye.

Thank you so much for taking the time to speak to us, we would love to start by hearing the story behind how you discovered Kyn?

My husband and I began our search for a holiday home on the Isle of Skye at the beginning of 2017. We were looking for somewhere to escape to from our busy lives as defence lawyers. Over a year we made many trips to the island to view properties and plots, concentrating our focus in and around the Sleat peninsula. The location was the most important element of the search as we were willing to build or renovate if it was in the right location.

The drive out to view the property that is now Kyn took us along Skye's highest road climbing 279m above sea level over Bealach Udal, and the views were extraordinary. The road commences it’s descent down the mountain, curling around bends and clinging to the sides of steep slopes as it plunges into Kylerhea. I knew immediately that we had found the perfect place before we had even seen the house. Upon viewing the property, it was obvious that it required a lot of work but it was where we wanted to be.

Images © Unique Home Stays

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BLACK ROCK VASE

£25.00 £43.00

We absolutely love the clean Scandinavian style, what was your inspiration behind the interior design?

We took inspiration for the design from the farm buildings dotted throughout the Skye landscape. Kylerhea is a crofting township so it was important to us that the building was sympathetic to that tradition. The simple pared-back style of Scandinavian design fitted the brief, and the corrugated red tin roof on the veranda is a nod to the local farm buildings and traditional croft cottages. A simple palette of wood, tin, marble and stone help to blend the property into the natural landscape. The simplicity of the design required a concentration on quality craftsmanship, from the hand made kitchen and lights, to the porch swing made and shipped from Tennessee.

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RATTAN LANTERN - SMALL

£19.00 £33.00

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RETRO MESSAGE BOARD A2 and A4 (3 Colours)

from £12.50

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MERAKI WHITE/GREY HAND TOWEL (PACK OF TWO)

£12.00 £18.00

What do you enjoy most about Kylerhea and the surrounding area?

The beautiful scenery and wildlife. Kylerhea sits by the edge of the sea strait that separates the Isle of Skye from the Scottish mainland. Nestled in a secluded glen beneath the mountains Ben Aslak and Sgurr na Coinnich, Kylerhea is in a Special Area of Conservation and is noted for its wildlife with otters, seals, deer and sea eagles being the most common visitors.

The view across to the mainland takes in the spectacular mountain ridge known as the five sisters of Kintail. The nearby Sleat peninsula is referred to as "the garden of Skye" and is dotted with historic castle ruins, galleries, craft shops and a brewery offering whisky tasting. It is also home to Kinloch Lodge, the historic seat of the Clan MacDonald, now an award-winning hotel and restaurant.

What would your ideal weekend at Kyn entail?

A typical Saturday usually involves a late breakfast followed by a walk to the Kylerhea Otter Hide, located about a mile or so from the house. It's the best way to see the otters, seals and other local wildlife. A dip in the hot tub may follow in the afternoon, before a sumptuous dinner at Kinloch Lodge.

On Sunday, we usually take the Skye ferry which is a short walk or drive from the house over to the tiny highland village of Glenelg. The crossing takes five minutes, then we will head to Glenelg Inn which serves a great Sunday roast. After, we collect the papers from the village shop to read when we return home.

How would you describe Kyn in three words?

Mother Nature's Beauty.

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LOW RIDER WICKER CHAIR

£206.00 £295.00

categories blog
tags interior design, holiday homes, customer inspiration, hanging chair, decor, decorative tips, home inspiration, travel

House Destinations - Australia

July 31, 2019Sommer Pyne

We’re taking you on a journey around the globe as we share our favourite design led homes that are bursting with interior and architectural inspiration. Each week we’ll be visiting a new country, sharing hand-picked drool worthy homes for you to feast your eyes on. First up we’re starting with Sydney, Australia, my home town.

As a city Sydney has so many varying characteristics from chic city living to beachy vibes, laid back living, colonial history and a love of the outdoors. Mix this in with influences from Asia, UK and India as well as Australia's own hot and rugged landscape and you have an exciting and eclectic selection of interior trends to pull from when designing your own home. We have picked 4 home styles that represent this cocktail mix of interior design.

Spatium Warehouse

Annandale, Inner West, Sydney

First up is this industrial warehouse space that has been transformed into a multifunctional space. Cleverly designed to be used as a family home and a workspace. The building is located in Sydney’s Inner West suburb and was formally a 3 unit warehouse space with metal foundry and automotive workshop.

In November 2013 Joe Sidoti, acquired the property. Inspired by a passion to bring new life into it’s worn out walls. Joe’s vision was to transform this vacant warehouse into an exquisite family home and still respect and display it’s warehouse history.

The former warehouse in Annandale has been opened up to have a double height living and dining area which is flooded with natural light from the courtyard and terrace. A mezzanine floor links the bedrooms above. The history of the building has been uncovered and restored revealing the building's past. Windows have been restored and the structure has a raw industrial feel to it which is softened through the interiors and furnishings.

With bi-folds doors the interiors flow into the courtyard which is a key trend when it comes to properties in Australia, making the most of the great weather.

Photo by Prue Ruscoe and Robert Walsh via Madeleine Blanchfield

Queen’s Park House - Sydney

This home isn’t all that it seems from the offset. Based in a heritage conservation area in Sydney’s East suburb, the challenge from the homeowners to the architects was to give a modern update to the house whilst keeping the existing facade, so that the house continued to blend in with the houses on their tree lined street.

The architects kept the facade, plus the two front rooms and part of the roof form of the original home which seemed the most suitable for the street. By doing so the property flows and allows the two storey extension at the rear to remain somewhat concealed. The structure behind blends into the roof due to the clever use of the folded form and angles that merge with the existing slate roof.

There is a modern, open and airy feeling to the homes living areas that reaches out in to the garden. The rear of the property is lower creating 4m high ceilings which adds a different dimension to the property. Windows and glass feature throughout allowing light to flood in. A large cantilever over the veranda provides much needed shade from the Australian sunshine.

The materials and palette used on the exterior and interior have been quite simple with black, white and timber being key. The neutral interiors, mix natural wood, white walls and concrete floors. The properties furniture, fixtures and fittings follow suit and add softness with soft furnishing and a touch of luxury from the marble in the bathrooms.

This building really proves that you can keep original features or even the front of a house and blend it with a modern extension seamlessly. With simple updates at the front like the fence and paint refresh to tie up the look. It is simple but stunning.

Lana’s Forever home

North Shore - Sydney

Our next property is Lana’s Forever home which was created by our favourite ladies Three birds Renovations and as we do with all their renovations, we fell in love with this home in Sydney's North Shore. It’s totally up our street and we want to move in.

The design has been influenced by the greek islands of Santorini and Mykonos and the modern hotels that keep popping up. There is such a huge trend at the moment for this modern boho look.. The property has gone through quite a transformation, however Lana has kept original features such as the front door, shutters and cornicing whilst adding the Three Birds stamp on it.

There is one key colour, white , which is used throughout the house from the walls, floors, and furniture. She mixes in accents of natural wood and marble for a luxury feel. There are splashes of soft colour which break up the monochromatic interiors. Blush pinks and oceanic blues are picked up in the soft furnishings, the rug in the living room which reminds Lana of the ocean and a fish scale tile wall in the bathroom that is a great statement feature.

The indoor/outdoor feel was a non-negotiable for the property and is a theme in most Australian properties. And of course a stunning and inviting pool which was a late addition rounds off this stunning property.

Since the renovation and design process Lana shared a few words of advice in hindsight.

Be open to the opinions of others, a visiting tradesman remarked on extending the space to open up the living area which wasn’t part of the original plan. He had seen 100s more properties in his career and looked at the house with fresh eyes.
Having your heart set on certain design features might not always work on the specific property. "I had my heart set on floor-to-ceiling mirrors in my room, as I thought it would open up the space and bring the outdoors in. I was so set on it that Bonnie had to stage an intervention! She said it was too modern and flashy and didn't suit the Mediterranean look. I was so annoyed at the time, but I knew that it didn't suit what I was trying to achieve so I had to let it go. Now, I have pure white wall with a beautiful piece of art on it and it's just perfection."
Re-evaluate what is important to you and how you’ll use the space when planning. "We have two kids, we're not having any more and we don't love having house guests – so we didn't need a guest room collecting dust and taking up valuable floor space,"

Ocean House

Great Ocean Road, Lorne, Victoria

Just 1hr and 45min drive out of Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road and you’ll find the Ocean House. It blends into the rugged wilderness surrounding it and sits above the crystal clear swirling ocean below, blink and you’d miss it. Designed by architecture company Robert Mills Architects and Interior Designers it is simply stunning.

The glass and timber pavilion really does sink into the landscape around it. Complimented by the soft colours of the chalk-rubbed hardwood and polished concrete, the house features circular bedrooms, curved staircases, wrap-around terraces and a rooftop deck with an open-air bath, it’s a real place to escape.

The interiors feature statement furniture pieces tie the exterior and interior together. Est magazine visited the Ocean House and wrote that ‘Sinking into the Piero Lissoni sofa to soak up the sea views is a sure treat when it comes to getting comfy at Ocean House. Other notable design objects to grace its halls are the Andrew Lowe table and Patricia Urquiola bed, as well as the lower floor curation of furniture by De Padova, Jardan and Eero Saarinen – some of Rob Mills’ favourite designers’.

We love the timber ceiling and how all the materials and design blend into the landscape. The biggest take away for me is to to draw inspiration and have respect for the natural surroundings. Everything works so beautifully together. You can tell that every detail has been carefully thought through even down to the soft furnishings that compliment the natural timber and polished concrete adding calming tones to this Ocean House.

Tune in next week as we reveal our next series on our global house tour x

categories blog
tags interior blog, interior design, interior inspiration, house curious, housecuriousblog, house destinations

5 HOUSE CURIOUS THEMES THAT YOU CAN BORROW

June 20, 2019Sommer Pyne

House Curious (Photography by Michele Sinclair)

Home bar

When we first told people that we were putting in a home bar the reaction was mixed. Some thought it was genius and others thought it was a bit over the top. I love the idea and I love sharing it with my friends even more. The home bar trend seems to have caught on and no matter how big or small your space is you can create your own home bar. Think bar carts, drinks cabinets or even a side table with your favourite tipple, decanter and glasses. The thing I love the most about a home bar is that it’s all about socialising with friends, and that my friend can only be good.

House Curious (Photography by Rei Moon and Sommer Pyne

Plants are my go to accessory

Styling your home with plants is a great way to add life and warmth to any space or home. Plants are an instant mood booster and will lift any dead space. No matter if you like the minimal style or more eclectic look there will always be a plant to suit your style. Plants also have lots of health benefits from eliminating harmful toxins to helping with mental health. Caring for a living thing gives us purpose and is rewarding — especially when you see a living thing bloom and thrive.

My favourite place to buy plants is the New Covent Garden Market but if you don’t have a car then Patch Plants have a home delivery service in London.

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WALL FRAME WITH CLAY POTS

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RATTAN HANGING PLANTER

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House Curious (Photography Gavin Smith) and Le Riad Yasmine

Get creative with tiles

You can have so much fun with tiles and this exactly what we did when we designed our bathroom in the basement. The powder room, a little tongue in cheek and always a good conversation starter. Our inspiration came from classic tile mosaics you might find in hotel foyer, bistro or subways from cities like New York, Paris and London. I always think it’s nice to come up with something that’s original or personal to you. I’ve seen people copy exactly what I’ve done and that’s fine, but I think it’ll always mean so much more if it’s personal to you. Here are some images to get you started…

Clock wise starting at the top right : Nicole Ramasy @melissaambrosini, House Curious, Merry Little House, Total Beauty, @ethnicity_soul

Wellness centric home

Wellness is more than just exercising and eating well, the environment in which we live can also have an huge impact on the way we feel. My home is like a sanctuary to me and I designed it to encourage good habits and a place where I can feel energised or calm. Each room was designed with how I want to feel followed by the functionality of the room. As part of creating a wellness centric home think about creating a zone where you can unwind and clear your head after a long day. You can create a corner dedicated to this or if you have the luxury use a whole room with this in mind. Add books, yoga mats, meditation cushion, musical instruments, salt lamps, essential oil diffusers. Low lighting and candles are great to help you get in the mood. Remove all technology like TV’s, laptops and phones.

Spa bathroom trend

You only have to look at Pinterest to realise that the spa trend isn’t going away and it also plays into wellness within the home. If you’re renting or not in renovating mode here are few things you can do to easily create that spa like feeling at home.

Have all your beauty products on display by your bath in a tray for that hotel look. This will also encourage you to use them.
Hang a bunch of eucalyptus in the shower and when it steams up you will get a wonderful fresh smell of eucalyptus.
Burn candles and add essential oils to your bathroom.
Bring the outside in with as many plants, the more the better in my opinion. Hang them, place them on stools or in pots. If you’re limited on space hanging them from the ceiling is a great way to incorporate some greenery.
Add warmth and textures by adding luxury bathmats and fluffy large towels.
Place hand soap and hand cream by basin. Our favourite is Grown Alchemist

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BRUSHED BRASS BATH CADDY (Double)

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categories blog
tags interior inspiration, interior hacks, house curious interior hacks, interior design, interior blog, home bar, plants, home, inspiration

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House Curious

House Curious

The Interior Inspiration Behind this Scottish Hideaway

September 17, 2019Sommer Pyne

House Destinations - Australia

July 31, 2019Sommer Pyne

5 HOUSE CURIOUS THEMES THAT YOU CAN BORROW

June 20, 2019Sommer Pyne