Discover the charm of a traditional Dalmatian-style house – on the creative example of a project by renowned Croatian interior designer, Lucija Kolenić, member of the Community of Interior Designers (ZADIN). Contemporary furniture meets traditional architecture, and prevailing green and wood tones enhance relaxation. These are among the design elements of this stone house in the village of Svirče on the island of Hvar.
Expert Tips for Designing Villas, Holiday Homes, and Vacation Apartments
It is well known that the architecture, as well as the indoor and outdoor design of spaces, create an alluring and functional villa, holiday home, or vacation apartment. Every detail counts, and each space tells its own design story. Design elements also play a crucial role in marketing tourist and hospitality properties. Attractive hotels, villas, holiday homes, and vacation apartments are like treasure chests filled with storytelling ideas – great for selfies, social media videos, blog posts, and travel articles.
So, where should you begin when designing a hotel, villa, holiday house, or vacation apartment? One of the first steps is to consider the desires and needs of your potential guests – including everything from color palettes and materials to furnishings and hotel amenities.
All design choices should reflect your guests’ preferences. Lighting, interior design, and decor work together to create an atmosphere that welcomes guests, inviting them to stay a while, relax, and enjoy themselves.
In this article and the other four, we guide you through trends in designing villas, vacation homes, and holiday apartments on creative examples from five projects by renowned Croatian interior designers, members of the Community of Interior Designers (Zajednica dizajnera interijera – ZADIN) – a professional association that includes interior designers, decorators, stylists, architects, landscape architects, garden designers, and other design enthusiasts.
Svirče on Hvar – the Charm of a Traditional Dalmatian-Style House
The small village of Svirče, on the sunny island of Hvar, is ideal for family tourism. The inhabitants are engaged in agriculture, and there is a famous small winery. Also, there is almost no traffic. It’s a real idyll for a family vacation. Therefore, green, the color of relaxation, fits beautifully into this charmingly designed interior of a Dalmatian-style house.
“I am the only interior designer on the beautiful island of Hvar, and my business and design are mainly related to my home island. Working with local people is an exceptional pleasure for me. However, our traditional stone houses on the island have their own challenges. All my projects have one thing in common, and that is the sloping and wide walls.”
Stone House in the Heart of the Village of Svirče
“Therefore, I am giving you a glimpse into a very slanted interior of an old stone house located in the heart of our small, beautiful village of Svirče. In this project, custom-made furniture was inevitable, precisely because of these slants. For example, the TV stand adapts to the slanted load-bearing wall, and although it gives the impression of a regular stand at first glance, it actually looks like a triangle in plan. The goal was to create the illusion of a flat space, while furnishing every centimeter and every niche in these old stone walls.”
“The kitchen, located on a wall that is not parallel to the opposite wall, has a mask on the left and right sides in the color of the front, precisely to mask the slant.”
“Green and wood tones prevail, and the furniture, such as chairs, a corner sofa, and a bed, was chosen in darker colors. The entire interior of this Dalmatian-style house (except for the bedroom) is covered with ceramic tiles.” – revealed to us interior designer Lucija Kolenić (Dizajnira Luce), adding, “Every interior designer will tell you how passionate they are about their work. So why wouldn’t they be when this is one of the more beautiful professions. A designer creates, imagines, and leaves a mark on the space after them.”
About the Project:
Location: Svirče
Interior Designer: Lucija Kolenić (Dizajnira Luce)
Photos: Christian Prerauer (Cucin Photography)
Four Related Creative Design Projects
Click on these links to discover four related articles on designing trendy villas, holiday homes, and apartments.
Contemporary Style Vacation Apartments
Key Design Trends for Villas, Holiday Homes, and Vacation Apartments
Let’s sum up… If you wish to design a villa, holiday home, or vacation apartment following key design trends, here are some guidelines. Open spaces filled with natural light, calming and joyful color palettes, nature-inspired interior design and decor, natural materials such as stone, wood, cotton, and linen, and an eco-friendly and eclectic approach to design. All of these elements create a holiday accommodation where guests can relax, enjoy themselves, and take away beautiful memories from their stay.
I wrote the original article (in Croatian) for Place2Go travel magazine.
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