We are currently renovating and re-decorating this home in France (also listed on airbnb here) and have only two weeks left to complete the project. The house is 72sqm, fits 6/7 people and has a lovely 165sqm private garden (great for alfresco dining).

I stayed there for three months after giving birth to Mila and I only have happy memories. The house is east facing and is filled with natural light all day which makes the space very pleasant. It has good bones and great potential. If we were to use it for ourselves, I would have knocked down the wall between the lounge and kitchen to create an open-plan living space but we have other projects and have put the house for sale (email me if you’re interested).

The only downside for me is the 60’s vintage tiles which I know some of you will love but the problem is that the tiles are white & red in the long hallway and bedrooms, black & white in the lounge and brown in the kitchen and as the house is on one level, the tiles discrepancy doesn’t make the house flow as much as I would like it to and for me, flow is important, especially in a holiday home where you really want people who stay to feel good.

So my goals are to uniform the look of the floor, introduce textures and move things around to modernise and maximise the space while achieving the effortlessly chic, relaxed vibe I always introduce in interiors.

The inspiration for my project is the image above. I love how it exudes style yet looks relaxing and welcoming. As the house is for 6/7 people, I chose this three-seater dark grey Mimi sofa from Swoon Editions. The sofa was delivered this morning and looks really beautiful. While our London home has a white sofa, dark grey sofas are easy to maintain for rentals and look stylish and contemporary.

The tiles will be covered by vinyl planks that look like wood (check UK flooring direct or B&Q). We’ve done one room so far (5 to go) and I’m loving the look and feel of the room. If your floor is flat and in good condition, they are fairly easy to lay. I chose a dark colour because some of the light ones look really like plastic or were looking like a Ikea showroom and the contrast between white, minimalist walls and the texture & colour of the flooring is really nice.

So here is a mood board to achieve a similar look suitable for our room:

1.  Mimi sofa from Swoon Editions (my initial choice was the Mimi sofa in powder blue but we wouldn’t have met our deadlines)

2. This natural basket brings textures to a room while being practical to store the TV remote controls and a throw

3. I love the soft industrial touch of the Sullivan coffee table and the textures from the wooden table top

4. Graphic prints like this BONJOUR print framed in natural wood picture frame will inject personality on the wall while the light wood will bring a bit of textures to soften the look.

5. This scented candle from Hush smells wonderful and is a wonderful, inexpensive addition to the room

6. To make sure Mila stays hydrated during the Summer day, I always leave a bottle of water around and this water jug with matching glasses will be perfect to complete the look.

SHOP THE LOOK