When you have a holiday home, you want to make it as authentic to your local surroundings as you can. People who live and work all the year round in a small town or village will appreciate it when you make the effort to fit in with the local cultures, and understand that you really want to embrace the location of your holiday home.

It depends, of course, on which country your holiday home is in and whether it’s quite isolated, in a small hamlet or village, or a little town. The first thing to do is look around you and see what the locals are doing to their exteriors. You don’t have to copy them slavishly, but if the majority of paintwork is quite subdued it’s probably not the best of ideas to do your paintwork in shocking pink.

Courtesy of mostamazingwonders.com

Inspiration in Italy

European countries have long traditions of beautiful architecture and simple but classic interior design. Italy is a case in point, showcasing some of the most iconic buildings in the world, such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the magnificent Colosseum in Rome, the Duomo – cathedral – in Florence and the towering presence of St Mark’s Church that dominates St Mark’s Square in Venice.

You can incorporate elements of the Venetian style into your holiday home by including elegant furniture and attractive pictures, perhaps with colors and themes that make reference to the great paintings of the Old Masters. Cool, tiled – terracotta is popular – or wooden floors help to dissipate the heat when the weather is very warm, and one of the standards for bringing the touch of Venice into the home is Full Height Shutters. You’ll see these throughout the city as well as all other cities, towns and villages.

Shutters make a very attractive addition to the look of your holiday home as well as giving you control over how much light and heat comes into your rooms.

French features

France is one of the most visited destinations in the world and here a holiday home can easily fit into the French way of life. Outside the major cities, French life is often relaxed and convivial. Beautiful old towns and villages are strewn throughout the country so here again you need to take time to see what other inhabitants do so you can fit in as best you can.

France is a byword for elegance in its décor and, of course, its fashion. Introduce some beautiful fabrics with provincial patterns and use softer colors to bring out the stonework and woodwork of your home. Then go to your local bar and relax with a glass or two!

Finding your feet

It can be hard at first to work out how you can fit in with the local culture where your holiday home is located. When you take the time to explore your options and look at what’s around you, you’ll find it’s not as difficult as you think.