It’s starting to feel really wintry outside now, don’t you think? Those dark evenings are drawing in earlier and earlier every night and it’s now dark before I even leave the office at night.
Don’t get me wrong, I actually quite enjoy winter and the cosy dark evenings but it is only November and I don’t think I’ll be quite so keen come January. By then I’ll be longing for a holiday somewhere warm and sunny I’m sure.
There is something so wonderful about holidays and the way they make us feel so relaxed and carefree. If only we could feel like that all year round, even when we’re just at home, right?
Well, in his new book, interiors and lifestyle stylist Jason Grant shares his tips for creating interior spaces that capture that relaxed, holiday vibe. Holiday at Home, published by Hardie Grant, is Jason’s second book and aims to help us hold on to those precious memories of our perfect holiday by turning our living spaces into a retreat from the stresses of our everyday lives.
Holiday at Home, like Jason’s first book, A Place Called Home, which I reviewed last summer, is fantastically designed and full of beautiful imagery, bright pops of colour and clever uses of typography.
Again it is quite light on text so there are no prescriptive guidelines relating to how we should go about creating that holiday feel at home, but rather Jason provides gentle suggestions and helpful tips that we can try out when decorating our living spaces. But above all, he tells us to have confidence in our own choices and decisions and warns us not to over-think things.
The book is broken down into eight chapters that focus on finding your inspiration, bringing it home, using it in your kitchen and dining room, in your living spaces, in your bedroom and bathroom, outside in your garden, in your decorating palette and finally he explores how we can use what we have around us.
Jason suggests that taking a trip, even if it is not that far away, allows us to clear our heads and take in all the unfamiliar things that can serve as inspiration, whether that is old signs or interesting shapes, textures or colour combinations. Once we have taken this time away he suggests thinking long and hard about what exactly it is that we love about going on holiday and what it is that inspires us to relax when we’re away. He then goes on to give advice on how to bring this relaxed, inspiring vibe into the various rooms of our home.
He suggests interesting ways to incorporate patterns, textures, themes and colour palettes into our interiors as well as stylish ways to display our holiday snaps and souvenirs. He gives advice on styling our homes to ensure that they reflect our personality by creating collections of things that really stand out and by finding creative ways to arrange and display them. He also offers tips on how to make your everyday feel that little bit more special by treating yourself to fresh flowers, splurging on your favourite toiletries, or sleeping in lovely soft sheets.
By reading Holiday at Home you can learn how to bring the outdoors in as you embrace nature inside, understand how to best capture natural light to brighten up your living space, and see how easy it is to up-cycle found and second-hand items to give every element of your home a personal touch that evokes the sights and scenes of your times away.
In this book, Jason details how he himself takes inspiration from beach houses, road-trips, boutique hotels and summer holidays spent camping under the stars and he shows us how to style our spaces to evoke that carefree, fresh and fun holiday feeling in our own homes. In the introduction he says:
Most of my favourite memories are of the times spent getting away – whether it was a road trip, a weekend away at a friend’s beach house, a night in a fancy hotel, hanging out poolside or a big trip across the globe. Taking time out and having an adventure is a special feeling. It recharges us.
Travelling is such a great way to get inspired as it opens your mind and exposes you to new things. Of course, a vacation always has to end but that feeling doesn’t have to. Why not bring that vacation vibe home with you and infuse some of that feeling into your living spaces? Even the smallest and simplest things can transform your home.
A relaxed and laid-back approach to decorating helps to create a calm environment. You don’t need to over-style, and not everything needs to be perfect. Your home should be just the way you like it: a special sanctuary where you can take time out, entertain friends and family, or just sit back and enjoy your surroundings.
Think about how you live and the little things you can do to make each day special.
Jason Grant, author of Holiday at Home
Below are some of my favourite pieces of advice that Jason offers in this book:
Trust your eye and have the confidence to make decisions. try not to over-think things.
Every day is special. Use your ‘good stuff’ all the time. Don’t keep it hidden away in your cupboards
Life is hectic so make your home a sanctuary. A special place of your very own
Your home is your opportunity to make your very own space. It should reflect your personality
I hope that by writing this review I have been able to give you a flavour of what you can expect from reading this book. If you still need more of an idea about what you’re getting from Holiday at Home then check out this cute little video.
Photography by Ruth Adams
To purchase Holiday at Home simply hover over the image below.