How Do Vacation Homes Differ from Primary Residences?
At Soucie Horner, the short answer we like to give is: not very much!
Whether for respite, a place to gather family, or a departure from the everyday, we create vacation homes that demonstrate our belief that good design defines lifestyle – the lifestyle you live today, or the lifestyle you aspire to live tomorrow. Whether in a mountain’s shadow, along the water’s edge, or dotting grassy plains, our vacation homes – like all homes we design – are lovely, livable, and unique to each client.
Our design process begins by asking these three questions: How do you live? What is your lifestyle? What do you value? From there, we create a set of recommendations based on your lifestyle, design aesthetic, and project rankings. In other words, the plan becomes the list of project actions.
Let’s say you’re building a mountain retreat. Your family is an active one, and values time spent together both indoors and out. You want your kids to engage with you, not their screens. You plan to host frequent guests for extended stays and will enlist a private chef to cook meals. Maybe you’re interested in art, or wine – or both. Perhaps you want your vacation home to continue to draw your children – and their children – for decades to come.
These are the things unique to your lifestyle that will define the design we create for you. We may plan activity-driven spaces such as a ski room, a bar, a pool room, or a game room. We may include a fireplace in your ski room to soften the transition between indoors and out. We’ll give you a bunk room to make hosting easy, cozy spaces for reading with your kids, and larger rooms meant to gather crowds. Dining options will abound inside and will stretch into the open air so you can eat under the stars.
Designing to your unique lifestyle is the approach we always take, whether for a primary residence or a vacation home. It’s what ensures your home functions properly and fulfills your personal design aesthetic no matter where in the world it might be located, or how frequently you might visit it.
Lead Designer
An avid hiker and camper, Samantha’s work often references both her love of the outdoors and her affinity for antiques. “My dream is to restore an early 1900’s Edwardian home,” she says. “Because I believe your surroundings should influence your design choices, it would pull colors, materials, and textures from nature and its setting.” Her other dream? “To be a florist. But I have a completely brown thumb!”