All I can dream about right now in my current quarantine lockdown situation is being on the beach and breathing in that fresh coastal air.
I have a beautiful house and flat by the sea near Margate (Kent) in a cute little place called Broadstairs, which I have been holiday letting for the last few years.
One of the things I love about Broadstairs is that even though its on a stunning sandy beach away from the hubbub, you can arrive by train super easily from London in just over an hour. It’s the perfect eco get-away as you don’t need a car and everything is so accessible.
As a sustainable interior designer it was of course important to me to continue my ethos of eco-friendly and healthy interiors into my Airbnbs using the same ethical brands and techniques that I use in my own home and in our projects and consultancy through The Healthy Home Therapist.
I decorated these spaces using Eco paints from Edward Bulmer and the Little Greene Paint Company. The beautiful wooden floorboards were brought back to life with some natural varnishes and waxes and fireplaces were restored using finds from local salvage yards. The Furniture and Rugs have all been acquired from auctions, flea-markets and local antique shops. I have tried to make sure that everything has been sourced sustainably and designed to optimize the health and wellness of the property and therefore the occupants (my guests).
Bedroom
I believe the bedroom is the most important room to get right.
Bedrooms are about comfort and as well as looking good, they should be easy and functional to use. Whenever I go away for the weekend my top priority is rest and relaxation (preferably in a beautifully designed space) and a nurturing nights sleep is top of the list. The bed is the most important feature in the room and if you get this right, everything else will follow. Go for as large a bed as the room will take but allow space either side for a cabinet or nightstand and make sure that you are not squeezing around furniture. Nothing kills the mood more than smacking your shin as you are trying to sexily slide in to bed!
Bedlinen And Towels
The bed linen and towels are super important.
When you run an Airbnb, it feels like all you do is circulate linen and towels to and from the laundry but there are a few tricks I have learnt that make my life a bit easier without compromising on quality.
I like all linen to be white. There is nothing like sleeping in fresh white sheets; and keeping all linen the same colour makes it easier for changeovers plus things seem to go missing less at the laundry. I prefer 100% cotton percale because its natural and buy organic where possible. Non-organic bedding can be coated with cancer-causing chemicals as a flame retardant which the skin can absorb leading to other health conditions. These nasties also leak out into the air damaging air quality.
Inhaling chemicals all night long definitely does not constitute a healthy nights sleep even if you are getting 8 hours and I want my guests to wake up feeling super refreshed.
I try to buy linen with a thread count of at least 200 (even better 300) because it feels more luxurious on the skin. I also make sure that there are hypo-allergenic covers on the pillows and duvets to make sure allergy sufferers are protected.
One trick I have is that I buy Super King size sheets and covers for all my double beds regardless of the size. As I have 5 double beds of varying sizes in the 2 holiday properties I learnt quickly that it was a pain in the neck trying to work out which linen went on which bed. Having all the linen super large means that you know whichever sheet you pull out is going to work; you just may have more to tuck in. Plus, i like having lots of duvet which trails over the bed. Having a tug-of-war all night with your bed sharer is no fun!
Towels should also be 100% cotton, and in one colour; preferably a dark one in my opinion. I love the idea of white fluffy towels that look like clouds but annoyingly people don’t seem to think twice about wiping a full face of makeup off with them. You can never get them looking pristine again without nuking them with some hideous chemicals and that’s simply not allowed in my rule book.
My grey towels last longer and don’t get lost in the wash. Keeping to one colour also cuts down the amount of washes you need to do. Believe me , this may sound simple but when you only have a few hours to change over the property for new guests, having a slick system really saves you stress.
Furniture
All the furniture I use are vintage or second-hand pieces. Its a much more sustainable and healthy way to furnish a space than buying new and I prefer the unique personality and eclectic look that they give. New furniture can off-gas for up to 6 months or so.
I don’t allow it my own home so wouldn’t wish it on my guests!
Plus, buying vintage is generally more cost-effective. Items hold their value more and if you have bought from auction or flea markets, like I tend to, then you can sell on this way when you are bored of your current interiors scheme without losing too much on the money you have outlaid. Sometimes, I sell items on for more than I bought them and feel doubly chuffed that nothing is going to landfill. Sustainable economics and design!
Water Filters
I am a big fan of water filters. i have a filter in the kitchen and on every shower in my homes and holiday rentals. The amount of damage caused to the planet in the consumption of water in plastic bottles is criminal.
You could of course drink the tap water but there are so many chemicals and heavy metals in it, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Filters are much healthier for us and the planet. They not only cut down on plastic waste but also extract all the nasties in the tap water that enter our body through our skin in the shower as well as drinking. I feel that water filters are an essential item for a healthy home and wouldn’t skrimp on this for my holiday clients. They cost extra but I feel its an important service to offer. My guests always comment how much better their hair and skin feel after a stay at mine and appreciate not having to worry about the water quality or lugging plastic bottles from the shop.
Hopefully, they will lift this crazy lockdown soon and when they do i will be heading straight to Broadstairs.
I am hoping to work with a gallery and some local artists this year to put some more art on my walls and there will be some more furniture additions arriving from a local auction no doubt.
If you fancy a little holiday and lots of fresh sea air after this quarantine, come and stay at our house or flat in Broadstairs. You can book via the link in our bio on Instagram or via this link to Airbnb or send us an email.
Be my guest…. I would love to have you !!
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