The villa faces the open sea and almost appears like a cruise ship when viewed from the ocean. The goal was to modernise and fit it out ready for luxury holiday rental. Most of the budget was spent upgrading the pool and terrace which is the main attraction to sun-seeking tourists. The original iron balcony railings for glass panels to give the villa a more modern appeal and unobstructed sea views from the interior. Justine Knox chose lightweight sunbeds which could easily be moved around to follow the sun or seek the shade and which did not require cushions that would need storage space.
The furniture Justine elected for the balcony was a classic teak collection with a nautical feel and weather-resistant fabrics that are easy to clean and of neutral tones. She had the scatter cushions made to order using another exterior fabric range featuring beautiful fish motifs.
The exterior dining area was kept very simple and uncluttered with a table and benches of teak and steel. For the adjacent interior dining room Justin chose in/out furniture that can be brought out to create more seating for alfresco eating if needed.
The house is built around a central atrium with a marble floor motif that served as the inspiration for the colour scheme used throughout the home.
The lounge on the upper floor boasts a cosy fireplace and spectacular views. Justine opted for sofas with removable covers for washes between rentals and she added some extra little stools for more seating when needed. Justine kept the accents to the neutral monochrome theme. The rug is also lightweight and machine-washable.
The lounge on the lower floor has a second fireplace and Justine decided to create two separate seating areas that had the flexibility to be joined together if required. Again, all the seating has practical removable covers and the scatter cushions echo the ones used outside, helping to blend and diffuse the indoor and outdoor boundaries. A movable wooden room divider also gives the opportunity to create more privacy between these open-plan spaces. Sheer curtains were used throughout the property in every room ensuring that the view from outside of the villa remained uniform.
Justine decided to convert this large side room downstairs into a fun games room with yet another sitting area. The large walk-in vault was converted into a wine tasting room complete with large wine barrels and cases and I used a reclaimed oak counter to create a drinks bar. The black pool table was re-lined in beige to keep with the overall colour scheme and the vintage leather sofa, comfy armchairs and old wood coffee table on steel wheels give this room a more casual laidback feel than the rest of the villa.
The dining room can seat all possible 18 occupants of the villa when in full use but as this villa could be rented to smaller parties Justine decided to use 2 tables which could be split and laid to make a smaller dining table plus a serving table. The chairs are all-weather wicker and can be used outside too and the seat pads have removable washable covers. She decorated the wall with multiple clocks which can be set to different time-zones around the world suiting our multi-national visitors.
The villa has 2 bedrooms which include a sofa bed as well as a large double bed, allowing for each room to sleep 4 people when necessary. The fabrics again were practical, neutral and colour schemed and Justine included cleverly hidden blackout curtains behind the sheers. All the bedrooms have built-in storage and ensuite bathrooms and Justine wanted them to feel calm and hotel-like but with touches of personality such as the raw wood table lamps and the decorative suitcases which contain the bedding required for the sofa bed if in use.
The 2 sea facing bedrooms were given bespoke four poster beds made by a local blacksmith according to Justine’s bespoke design. The rugs were edged in black and she used woven leather and wood chairs and tables to create a small seating area. All cushions, bedding and decorative items can be mixed and matched throughout all of the bedrooms making it easy to do quick changeovers and bed making.
The practical aspects of a holiday rental home were kept in mind at all times, but Justine Knox proved that this is not incompatible with style, elegance and comfort.