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13 houses from the pages of House & Garden that you can rent for a holiday
If you've ever seen a house in a magazine and wished you could live there, this feature is for you. Each and every one of these houses has utterly beautiful interiors, often dreamed up by the world's best interior designers and usually functioning as much-loved homes. But they're also available to rent, making them perfect holiday destinations for interiors lovers. From Cornwall to Galle in Sri Lanka, you're not short on choice. Which one would you pick?
Davide Lovatti1/13Lambs House in Leith is one of the most beautiful places you could wish to stay in Edinburgh. The main 16th-century house on the site was beautifully restored in the 2010s by conservation architects Kristin Hannesdottir and Nick Groves-Raines, who also added this heavenly pavilion in the grounds, and this is the part that is for rent. Charmingly decorated, it forms part of a constellation of buildings in the area owned and restored by what is now Gras architecture studio, run by Kristin and Nick's son Gunnar.
Mark Anthony Fox2/13This eco-friendly house in one of the most beautiful parts of Cornwall has calm, contemporary interiors. Named Ukiyo, meaning ‘floating world’ in Japanese, it has pared-back, relaxed interiors, with tinted plaster walls, slubby linens and, reflecting the exterior, plenty of wood. A mix of antique and vintage pieces furnish the space, including an old Senufo coffee table from West Africa in the sitting area and a set of Vico Magistretti’s ‘Carimate’ dining chairs.
Owen Gale3/13When Tobias Vernon, the gallerist and dealer behind 8 Holland Street, opened a new space in Bath, he decided to create a superlatively sophisticated guesthouse where visitors can immerse themselves in the gallery's unique aesthetic.
"I think it’s really interesting to consider the interiors you would want to live in versus those you would want to stay in,” says Tobias Vernon, reflecting on the guesthouse he has created in 8 Holland Street's space in Bath. “I designed this as an interior that I wanted to stay in. We did want it to feel like a home, but we also embraced the fact that people would just be there for two or three nights. And that meant that perhaps we could be a bit more over the top, a bit more fanciful.”
The 8 Holland Street Townhouse, as it is called, occupies three floors of an elegant John Wood house on Brock Street, the road which links two of Bath’s most memorable landmarks, The Circus and the Royal Crescent. The ground floor houses a gallery, the sister of 8 Holland Street’s main space in St James’s, London.
Christopher Horwood4/13Tasked with reinventing this cottage on the Bradford Estate by its owners, Viscount and Viscountess Newport, Emma Ainscough has created something magical – and the best bit? You can rent it out for holidays. Located on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border, the cottage makes a lovely base for exploring the Shropshire hills and valleys, and taking day trips in the charming town of Shrewsbury.
Paul Massey5/13With perfect modern country interiors by Laura Stephens, Well Cottage in Ramsden is a heavenly Cotswold escape. Ramsden is near Woodstock, the home of Blenheim Palace, on the eastern edge of the Cotswold AONB. It's a particularly good location, not just for ease of access but also for the stellar village pub, The Royal Oak, a mere four minute walk down the road; there are plenty of others well-placed in neighbouring villages for mid-hike refreshments.
Boz Gagovski6/13Paddy O'Donnell of Farrow & Ball and the owner of the Beckford Arms in Wiltshire have transformed this distinctive building at the entrance to the Fonthill Estate into a characterful house to rent for holidays. The location is great for visits to Salisbury and Stonehenge, and also within striking distance of Bruton and Frome in Somerset, where you'll find yourself awash in excellent restaurants and art galleries.
Paul Massey7/13Ashby Manor House in Northamptonshire is a distinguished estate with a fascinating yet chequered 900-year history. Previously transformed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in a grand Edwardian style, it is now enjoying a new lease of life as a much loved home for the latest generation of a family to fall for its charms. If you're envious of them, the house is available for private hire, and makes a perfect venue for weddings or special occasions, with enough room to accommodate up to 20 people.
James Fennell8/13Since 2008, Charlie and Tweenie Wrey have lived in Sri Lanka. Their house is perched on the crest of a hill near the fort city of Galle, with views across dense vegetation and acres of tea plantation to the Indian Ocean beyond. The six-bedroom villa sleeps 14 and makes the most of outdoor space, with a verandah, sun terrace, roof terrace and swimming pool.
Christopher Horwood9/13Serial renovators of historic houses on a grand scale, the dynamic design duo Peter Sheppard and Keith Day took on their greatest challenge yet with exquisite 18th-century Wolterton Hall in north Norfolk, which had lain uninhabited for almost 30 years. The house was built between 1727 and 1742 for Horatio Walpole by the architect Thomas Ripley who was, at the time, also working on nearby Houghton Hall for Horatio’s prime-minister brother, Sir Robert. You can rent the grand Regency East Wing of the house, or various cottages and houses on the estate, or take over all the available accommodation for a wedding.
Jonathan Bond10/13Interior designer Elizabeth Hay's cottage in Devon is characterised by the layered, colourful schemes that she is known for. ‘I wanted everything to be sympathetic to its history, with a cosy cottage atmosphere. But also a bit quirky, with fun modern twists, not endless layers of chintz – though there is some of that, too.’ In the hills of East Devon, the cottage is within reach of the coast at Lyme Regis, but the local landscape has a wild beauty all its own.
Michael Sinclair11/13This idyllic cottage in Oxfordshire was looking rather tired until a trio of creatives - designer Sarah Delaney, architects Barnaby Gunning and garden designer Butter Wakefield - gave it a characterful update, both inside and out. Located a short way to the south of Oxford, the cottage is within an easy distance of London, and sleeps eight in four double bedrooms.
12/13You may well have heard of St Giles House in Dorset and the remarkable restoration project that its owners Nick, the 12th Earl of Shaftesbury, and his wife, Dinah, have undertaken there. The main house is now a highly sought-after wedding venue, but it is also a home for the couple and their three children and they felt strongly that it needed to remain as such. With that in mind, couple also decided to transform the early seventeenth-century Riding House, part of the home farm buildings, to create deeply stylish and very comfortable accommodation for wedding guests and anyone wanting to gather a house party for the weekend. The theatrical decoration makes it perfect for interiors lovers.
Simon Brown13/13Alexandra Tolstoy's picture-perfect cottage in Oxfordshire is a perennial favourite. Decorated in a traditional, understated style, the house is surrounded by rolling fields and has an utterly charming cottage garden. With three bedrooms, it's a delightful base for exploring the Cotswolds.
