journal

Restored to bring out the house’s traditional character and structural features, Vidovici 9 in the Island of Cres, Croatia, has an interesting mix of contemporary and provincial style. When the owners were cleaning the house before the construction, they found a pot hanger made by hand out of cast iron. This piece is a couple of hundred […]

Casa Dos Passaros in Alentejo, Portugal is a pretty amazing revival of old world elegance and the art of graceful style. When you enter you are welcomed by the beautiful hand-painted hall that gives this house its unique name: House of the Birds. Co-founder and artistic director of the brand SIÈCLE Paris for the past […]

It’s always fascinating to discover more about the chic nomads behind our properties – as well as the objects within their homes. When we came across La Romaine Villa, an 18th-century vacation home rental in France, we really fell for its stylish mix of designer furnishings and vintage finds – as well as the striking art […]

Once a fisherman’s house, the Moorish Townhouse in Olhão, Portugal was recently given a sleek and contemporary makeover. But its roots were not forgotten, with simple decor and fun features like this decorative sea urchin sculpture. We were thrilled to find out that the owner himself made it, using sea urchins found at Ishla of Armona. This […]

Our Countryside Retreat in Alentejo, Portugal is a family-friendly home designed by the well-known Portugese architect, João Favila Menezes. We love the cool merge of clean architecture, wild land and vibrant interiors… and we were instantly intrigued by this whimsical and fun wallpaper found in one of the bedrooms. The owner shared with us the […]

The Lake Como Apartment in Italy is a crisp and modern restoration of a historic apartment that features cool contemporary style and some of the most amazing views of Lake Como. Along with some vintage inspired design we found this interesting wallpaper add on, a wing personalizing the wall above the bed. The owner chose this […]

The Slow Life Hideaway in Montepulciano, Italy is an ideal place for peace and discovery. There you can reconnect with nature, experience the rustic beauty and the delicious flavors of Tuscany. Inspired by slow life and nature Karin Lijftogt, the owner, was able to reconnect with her “former life” as a fashion designer in Milan […]

The Heinz Julen Loft in Zermatt, Switzerland is composed of epic proportions that still manage to be warm and inviting. The interiors take a familiar context with custom furnishings and art straight from Julen’s own furniture workshop. So many pieces caught our eye but when we saw the cube chairs we wanted to know more! This […]

Every detail our owners add to their chic properties is part of the story they are trying to tell. We love finding the coolest ones and learning more about what makes them so unique. This time we went to one country: Italy, and in two different regions and two very different houses we found one […]

La Camera Ancona in Le Marche, Italy is a rural apartment set on a beautiful Italian hilltop. It has been carefully and respectfully restored with chic new details and understated modern style. There, we found this feature wall adorned simple black and white stripes and a small colorful detail… We also discovered that the idea came from the […]

Kith & Kine is a sharply crafted 19th century apartment that sits at an interesting crossroads in London, England. Right behind it you’ll find hip, buzzing Shoreditch where London’s vibrant tech community work and play. To the north is Islington, a more established residential place with a history of politics and left wing journalism and across the […]

Dangar Island is a blissfully remote community just an hour north from Sydney. There, overlooking the Hawkesbury River, you will find our modern Dangar Island House. Each bedroom is decorated with an eclectic collection of one of a kind vintage pieces and eye catching art and furnishings, but the collection of black and white images by the artist, Greg Geraghty kept […]

When Boris Kajmak, a Croatian artist and designer, found Kuca Fotografa, it had been empty for many years. He decided to bring it back to life by restoring its charm and preserving its original features, using local materials and elements of contemporary design. We were drawn to many elements, but one of the most interesting features […]

Photographs are a full expression of feelings, ideas and observations. They store memories and tell stories. This is one of the reasons why Kuca Fotografa, a charming cottage in the old town of Novigrad, Dalmatia – Croatia, caught our attention! Once the home and studio of wartime photographer Nikica Karavida, it has been given a new lease […]

We love seeing all the unique details our BH owners add to their properties. CasaCau Master Apartment in Rome, Italy,  a cool top-floor apartment located in a 17th-century mansion in central Rome, is no exception and it even had an extra surprise in store for us. When you walk into the bedroom, you will notice simple, clean lines, […]

Peek inside the charming Modern Garden Cottage and you’ll be surprised by what you’ll find! Located in The Hague, Netherlands, this sleek hideaway has been decorated with classic vintage modern furnishings and a finely curated collection of art and decor. Smoking is not allowed in the house but you’ll be surprised when you see that some […]

Would you consider bringing the playground into your dining room? The owners of our Batalha Apartment in Porto, Portugal did! And the result is this cool and contemporary dining set you have to see to believe! The table was made out of a piece of eucalyptus tree then attached to two metal tripods, then they added a picnic-looking […]

Modica is a beautiful town in Sicily full of history and architecture. There, perched high above the city with spectacular views, you will find our  Casa Alchimia. A stylish and creative home with a light, elegant style, and an interesting handpicked selection of art created by the owner. Right away the red and white artwork catches our eye… […]

The Bassiviere Barn Chic in Aquitaine, France was discovered and restored by a Dutch family. Carefully retaining the original rustic features and restored with modern materials it is the best of old and new. We were especially intrigued by the cool little sleeping nooks found throughout… “We made them for the children staying in our apartments. We like […]

The Alameda, is a crisp and contemporary apartment in the heart of Lisbon, Portugal where vintage pieces and artwork from local illustrators made the architect’s vision come to life. We wanted to take a closer look at this urban mural painting done by local artist Mario Belem, so we asked the owner the story behind it… “From the […]

Portugal continues to surprise us with rich history and cool style. The Alentejo House in Estremoz, is an early twentieth century farmhouse with a rustic refinement that is both timeless and modern. It combines simple country living and chic contemporary style… and it is home to this cool collection of Green Glass Bottles. The usage of these bottles dates back 80 to 100 […]

Some people think its lines painted on the wall, but this 3D cube is actually a wall piece! A wire sculpture by Milanese artist Antonino Sciortino. It is made of steel rods that are welded together and hung, just like a painting, in The Vannes House. This modern family home is the result of the collaboration of a husband and […]

Finding interesting pieces in our Vacation Rentals is one of our favorite things, and at Catalan Modern, an elegant, historical apartment in the center of Barcelona, the  recycled look of this dining set definitely grabbed our attention. We asked the owner to tell us more about it, and here is what we found out… The […]

La Maisonette, a charming apartment in Velletta, Malta embodies the commitment to art and vintage modern design. One of our favorite pieces in this pad is the beautifully designed antique kitchenette island, and the story behind it is just as special… “The kitchen bench once belonged to my grandfather, Karmenu Briffa. He built it himself in 1954 (it’s […]

The Alfanes Guesthouse  is a small modern house located in a low-lying peninsula a short distance from Reykjavík. If you step outside you will find yourself surrounded by sweeping country views, seascapes and mountain ranges – everything you could hope for from Iceland… then when we looked inside we were instantly intrigued by the colorful artwork on […]

The Dorset Holiday House in the seaside town of Bridport, England is a great blend of traditional British architecture and modern design. We were so intrigued by the colorful and very unique designs found throughout the house – on the headboards, partitions and even a shower screen, so we did a little digging and it led us to Jason MacLean (Studio […]

There’s a car in the living room! If that isn’t reason enough to stay in this property, what can we say? We absolutely love the uniqueness this car, forever parked in the living room, brings to the Somerset Cottage in Langport, England. We had to find out the story behind it… The car is a Ford Anglia […]

The Authentic Alentejo House, located in a remote and magical setting in Evora, Portugal are ancient watermills that have been rescued from ruin and restored with such passion for their cultural significance and simple, rural style. The same dedication has been put into the interiors, where we found these unique handcrafted wool furniture pieces. Designed and crafted by Agua […]