How to style your second home

Having a second home, whether it’s a holiday home or a property you use for guests and family, is an opportunity to embrace a new style of home decor. 

Styling one home, let alone two, takes a lot of consideration and it can be hard to pick out decor that works for you and your space. 

Luckily for you, in this blog, we’re giving you the rundown on all the ways you can style your second home to truly make it your own.

What should you consider when styling your second home?

Your second property is most likely a home away from home. This means that the aesthetic choices you make should reflect you and your personality. Consider what types of decor express your sense of style.

If it is a holiday home, you’ll want the space to feel relaxing and peaceful, avoiding the clutter from your first home and possibly incorporating the natural elements surrounding you, be that the coast or countryside. 

If you often have guests, or perhaps let your home out when you’re not using it, you might also need to consider what’s practical for your house in terms of both maintenance and storage.  

Think about the elements from your first home that you love and also consider what you would add or change. These can all be features you try to bring to your second home. 

Styling a countryside cottage

Getting out and about in nature is proven to be good for our mental health, so second homes in the countryside can act as a wonderful retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily life. 

Easy ways to style your countryside cottage include:

Traditional cottage trellises

Adding plants and flowers to the interior of your second home is an easy way to bring nature inside, but what about the outside? To embrace the country cottage aesthetic, pop some trellising on the exterior and add winding vines and local flowers. It looks beautiful and is easy to maintain. 

Colourful kitchen spaces

Rural living doesn’t have to be dull. If you’re blessed with a traditional cottage kitchen, you can update your cabinets and kitchen table with contemporary colour choices like muted pinks and blues. 

To add more visual interest to the kitchen, vibrant wallpaper lining your cupboards and patterned tiling are winning options.

Showcasing traditional elements

Many cottages will come with beautiful existing features that give a property character. If your second home has exposed brickwork and wooden beams, original doors or a thatched roof, be sure to highlight and look after them. 

To further the traditional feel of your second home, add appropriate antiques to each room. You could even use your second home as a place to display treasured heirlooms that might not work for your main residence. 

Styling a coastal retreat

As Brits, we’re lucky enough to live on an island, surrounded by some beautiful coastal scenery so, if you have property near the beach, adding touches inspired by your surroundings can be a great way to elevate your second home’s decor.

Easy ways to style your coastal home include:

Sustainable, rustic furniture

Recycled wood and wicker furniture is a staple of any beach house and you can easily put your spin on it with a splash of paint. You can also recycle seaside essentials like anchors and rope to create unique beach-themed furniture or accessories.

Neutral walls & pops of colour

To create a tranquil space, neutral walls and wooden floors are a great choice, keeping things simple and opening up your space. 

If you love colour, have no fear as you can still add it in by choosing colourful cushions, rugs, and throws for a cosy feel. We recommend blues, greens, and yellows to evoke positive emotions. 

Blue and white is synonymous with the coast, but it doesn’t have to be basic. For your kitchen and bathroom especially, patterned blue and white tiles can add interest to your neutral walls, making your second home feel like a holiday villa from Greece. They’re also durable and clean well – making them perfect for a low-maintenance holiday home.  

Bridging the gap between the interior & exterior

If your second home is by the coast, embrace it! You can bring in that natural light and make getting into the garden easier with large French doors, plus you can add local plants and foliage into any room. 

For alfresco hosting, outdoor furniture, warm garden lighting, and, if you’re able to, an outdoor kitchen can all be lovely additions to your coastal retreat for your or your guests.

Styling an urban apartment

If you’re a fan of city life and have a second home in an urban area, there is still a lot you can do with your interior space. Think modern accessories, chic but classic furniture and trending themes to fit into the metropolis. 

Easy ways to style your urban apartment include:

Bringing in natural light

Whether you have a garden or not in your city escape, getting outdoors isn’t always easy. Natural light can help to combat the low feelings that come from this while opening up a room, making smaller spaces appear larger. 

You can add expansive windows or, if you can’t change them, opt for stylish sheer curtains and blinds to stop the natural light from being blocked. Make sure that furniture isn’t blocking your windows either. 

Space-saving furniture

As you may be working with limited space, combine fashion with functionality when choosing your furniture. Pieces that adapt to your space, for example, a sofa bed or compact dining set, can still look the part while being a practical choice too. 

Using every nook and cranny

Apartments are typically smaller but you can do so much with every corner of it while avoiding the trap of creating clutter. Throws, cushions and clever storage can make a deep windowsill into a reading nook with ease.

Hanging up shelves and hooks on your walls saves space but also provides an opportunity to display accessories and personal decor. 

Work with structure and shape

Creating contrast in the home is, stylistically, a contemporary option that looks effortlessly elegant. Pick structured furniture but add more organic decor; for example, vases, figures, and picture frames with fluid shapes. The artwork you choose can also reflect this. 

Insuring your second home 

Whether it’s your main residence or second home, you’ll want insurance that reflects your needs. Adrian Flux can offer you a choice of holiday home insurance and unoccupied home insurance policies to suit you, helping you to avoid hours of searching. 

For our best rates, call 0800 369 8590 or book a callback at a time that works for you.