Bringing the outside into your holiday home

Bringing the outside in; the perfect way to create an extra special look and feel to your property

We all come on holiday for a wonderful change of scenery so why not make sure your guests enjoy the outside even when they are inside, perhaps having a lazy start to the day in your holiday property, or when opening a bottle of wine after exploring the great outdoors. Plants bring an innate sense of calm and well-being, so make it about the location with a little bit of plant life from the garden.

A great way to bring some greenery into the house and add interest to any space, often a house plant can fill a space that nothing else can. For smaller spaces why not try an air plant, succulents or some cacti which need less watering and general maintenance. You can get some great ideals from the Botanical Gardens Directory.

For easy care indoor plants try an Aspidistra plant. It grows long green leaves and thrives in dark corners with low light, needing little attention. Or perhaps Dracaena trifasciata (also known as snake plant and Mother-in-law’s tongue), a flowering succulent with long pointed leaves.

If real plants aren’t your thing there are plenty of alternatives. 

 Fill glass jars with dried moss and lichens to create a unique centre piece

Dried flowers such as hops look great and deliver on style without the maintenance

Artificial flowers have come on leaps and bounds in the last few years and these add colour to any setting  

Simone Cranston creates the most gorgeous paper flower bouquets, a clever and sustainable way to transform a room. 

Simone says “Flowers have always been part of the way I see the world. Their colours, textures and shapes have an incredible way of transforming a room, lifting a mood and marking life's special moments. However, as much as I love fresh flowers, I have often found myself wishing there was a more sustainable way to enjoy their beauty without watching them fade so quickly. 

After a creative career in interior design, teaching and antique restoration, I founded Dreamboat Studio in 2025 with a simple idea: to create artisan-crafted flowers that capture the beauty and joy of real blooms while lasting for months or even years, rather than days. 

Every bouquet is made entirely by me from the finest Italian crepe paper, with each petal, leaf and stem individually cut, shaped and assembled by hand. I love the thoughtful, mindful process of making flowers, each with its own unique character—pieces to be treasured long after a fresh bouquet would have faded. 

 Every bouquet I create reflects my love of craftsmanship, thoughtful design and the belief that beautiful objects should have a lasting place in our homes. My hope is that when one of my bouquets finds its way into your home, it brings you joy every day—not just for a week, but for a long time to come” dreamboatstudio.co.uk 

Bi-fold doors will of course take up a chunk of any budget, but if your French windows need replacing anyway, what a perfect way to frame a garden. The pure simplicity of whitewashed walls bring the outside greenery view to the forefront. Choosing complimentary lighting gives a soft diffused light even on a duller day, and a large mirror can also help to bring in reflections and colour from outside. 

If your property has a garden-room this can be doubled up as a dining-room to make the most of a special setting. Keep all the colours as simple and neutral as possible for a calm atmosphere, letting the outside do the colouring. Don’t worry about curtains so long as you have other living space that feels cosy and snug.

And, when dusk falls, position your seating so that you can enjoy the colourful cinema of the sky turning from sunset to dusk to night. Turn off the main lights and let inset spotlights mirror the night sky. The smaller the spotlights, the more twinkling and magical the effect, and layers of light will really enable you and your guests to create a mood for any occasion.