Freestyle Tuesday: who works in an office like this?

Oh Google, you thought you had the amazing office thing sewn up, didn't you? 

Well check out the rather incredible working environment below. Which big international company do you think it belongs to?

Now that is a civilised meeting room.

Top marks if you've already guessed it is the home of Air BnB.

The company, which of course specialises in allowing home owners advertise their spare rooms and empty pads on its vast global website, upgraded to a new HQ in San Fran before Christmas.

And with homes being their trading stock, it makes sense that much of the design would reflect that. Indeed, it does more than reflect: each of the eight meeting spaces are not just styled to look like a real front room. They are exact replicas of Air BnB listings – including the founder's apartment, where it all began. There is also, apparently, a circular conference room inspired by the War Room in Kubrick's  Dr. Strangelove.

And today, Wallpaper* Magazine's Design Awards take place at the building, and will acknowledge the people, places and products that have fascinated the style-loving world over the past year. Endorsement indeed.

See more photos at Designboom.com.

Meanwhile, I don't know if it's just me – but maybe some of your browse the interiors on Air BnB regularly too, fantasising about stepping into someone else's lifestyle for a moment (and occasionally even booking a holiday to do so).

Well, if you don't, this might tempt you. My current favourite fantasy life is in this sweet little house on the Canal Saint Martin in Paris. Yours for just £115 per night.

À demain!

Post by Kate

An idyllic Welsh holiday cottage

We were meant to be in the Isle of Wight. But at the last minute plans changed: we were craving a holiday somewhere remote, blustery and warmed by an open fire.

So we drove for almost a whole day to spend a week on the very beautiful Llŷn Peninsula in north Wales.

After despondency at so many holiday rentals that were photogenic on the outside, but startlingly ugly on the inside we couldn't believe our luck at finding Aberdaron Cottage, in the village of the same name. This is what "country cottage" should look like – what do you reckon?

It being so surrounded by water, there was quite a sea theme going on.

So many of the cottages we'd looked at seemed to have no concept of good lighting. Note to owners: stark overheads aren't a welcoming look for your promo photos. We couldn't move at Aberdaron for lamps: perfect.

Little details count. Loved the light switches.

The cottage isn't style mag fashionable (hurrah!): instead it had clearly been furnished with warmth, care, a collector's eye and in a style befitting the building, an ancient crog loft (a Welsh crofter's cottage).

The strong wall colours were different in each room, but picked up as a theme in details all over the cottage to hold things together. They really added to the cosy glow of the place.

And the views... This one is from the sitting room, while below you can see what we woke up to – the picture was taken out of the bedroom skylight.

Even the bathroom, often a chillingly blank canvas in the average holiday rental got lots of love.

The kitchen was huge and its orange walls and cosy lighting (it's out of shot, but there's a worktop lamp – instant atmosphere while you cook. But I loved the sign above the door most.

And as for the walks nearby... We spent one afternoon on a four-hour trek around the headland. We came back to tea and Welshcakes by the fire with a very happy dog (oh yes, and the cottage is dog-friendly too).

Reggie eyes up the local sheep.

Fancy staying in Aberdaron Cottage? Here's the website. Rates are currently £50 per night and technically it sleeps four, though probably only if the extra guests are your children – or you're very close friends – as the bedrooms open onto each other. There's an outhouse called the Garden Lodge on the land behind the cottage that sleeps more people. And the owners are very friendly too.

For more stories on other interesting holiday rentals, check out these previous posts.

Words & photos by Kate

Wishing I was here: the perfect country getaway?

No posts for the rest of this week, as I'm on holiday... on the Isle of Wight. You may have read about black leather sofa-gate the other week, when we were first looking for a UK cottage to stay in. 

Well, we found a decent place with friendly furniture – but it wasn't a patch on this which, typically, I discovered too late. But for anyone else planning a southern British break...

This is The Shack, one of the shamelessly nostalgic self-catering locations run by Isle of Wight-based Vintage Vacations, started up ten years ago by Helen and Frazer Cunningham. Their colourful accommodation collection includes Airstreams, a 1950s caravan, a bungalow, an old scout hut and a former mission hall – all beautifully restored and furnished with gems from the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and a joyful little sprinkling of kitsch.

Most are for families or larger groups, but The Shack could have been our dream holiday base a deux (though it actually sleeps three – the dog could have has his own room). Prices, in case you're tempted, start at £525 per week, or £255 for a weekend. Have a nose inside.

Not sure how much use we'd have got from this in October, but you never know.

Here are some more examples of Helen and Frazer's hospitality options, all on the Isle of Wight.

Here are the airstreams for hire. What dinky insides...

The Mission and very similar looking adjacent building, the Scout Hall (pictured above), both sleep 8 in four rooms, and prices per week start at £780.

Stay toasty. Catch up next week.

Find out more about a holiday in one of the locations above – and more – at

Vintagevacations.co.uk

Post by Kate