Holiday plans are slowly but surely becoming feasible again and whether you’re crabbing on the Cornish coast, rambling in the Brecon Beacons or simply catching up on some reading on the Isle of Skye, you’ll want a well-designed base. Read on to discover our pick of design-led holiday homes in the UK.

Life House, Llanbister

This rural retreat in the wild and windswept Welsh countryside is a collaboration between architect John Pawson and philosopher Alain de Botton. Nestled among gorse-covered hills, the single-storey abode was built from more than 80,000 handmade Danish bricks on the site of a 1950s concrete bungalow. The outside is brought into the mostly open-plan spaces by way of Douglas fir woodwork and large windows that let in lots of light; in the so-called contemplation chamber, there’s even a retractable glazed roof.

On a blustery evening curl up in front of the freestanding wood burner with a good book, plenty of which you’ll find in the library bedroom; the music bedroom is, unsurprisingly, home to a similarly extensive selection of CDs, while the bathing bedroom offers unbeatable views from its altar-like terrazzo tub. Sleeps up to six guests and a well-behaved dog (the neighbouring fields are home to a flock of sheep).

Photography by Jack Hobhouse

Pump Station, Dungeness

Fancy staying in a former fuel-pumping station? This bomb-proof number, which was built during the Second World War and sent fuel via underwater pipes to support the D-Day landings in France, was transformed into a modern holiday home by architecture studio Johnson Naylor in 2018. Situated on a shingle beach in Dungeness, Kent, the concrete structure retains many of its original features, including a concrete plank ceiling supported by steel beams.

It was the original building material that inspired the subdued palette, which comprises soft shades of grey (think Cumbrian slate and Carrara marble) and warmer oak finishes. A stone-clad fireplace separates the main space from the adjoining snug and an automatic light in the new glass entrance emits a golden glow at night – a nod to the lamps of coastal houses that used to signal to the boats.

The Black Shed, Isle of Skye

The rugged landscape of Skye has inspired several architecture studios, among them Rural Design, which completed its work on the Black Shed at Skinidin in 2008. Sidling up to the foot of Macleod’s Table, the small house is inspired by the traditional farm buildings that dot the surrounding hillsides, with simple timber cladding and a low-pitched corrugated roof. Inside, the industrial-style concrete floor and timber linings are softened by Harris tweed partitions. In winter, the sheep’s-wool wall insulation and the wood-burning stove keep out the cold. As the temperature warms up, the deck is an ideal spot to soak up the Highland sun, with views overlooking Loch Dunvegan.

Photography by Rural Design Architects and Anne-Sophie Bak Rosenvinge

The Sheepfold, Cornwall

When sustainability-first architecture studio Charlie Luxton Design started work on this former sheep barn in Tregona, north Cornwall, only the external stone walls were intact. Today it’s been converted into a low-energy holiday home with a slate roof and a spacious open-plan living and dining area with floor-to-ceiling glass windows offering sweeping sea views. There are three bedrooms – one complete with a bunkbed and a climbing wall for kids – and a patio for alfresco dining. The minimal palette is enlivened with pops of colour, most buttery yellows. The Sheepfold is available to rent by itself or together with its annex, the two-bedroom Sheepshed. 

Photography by Mark Bolton

Backwater, Norfolk 

From the Cornish coast to a secluded lagoon in the heart of the Norfolk Broads. This waterside getaway in Wroxham was completed by London-based Platform 5 Architects in 2016. The timber-framed structure is clad in red cedar shingles and takes its cue from nearby boatsheds, with three low-rise bays that contain the main living areas. While the exterior blends in with the wetland surroundings, inside the four-bedroom house has a more contemporary feel, with a spiral staircase and a skylight. On the lagoon side is an abundance of glass and a canopy for enjoying the outdoors, whatever the weather, and on a hot day you can enjoy a drink on the jetty while dangling your feet into the water and keeping an eye out for the local family of otters.

Kyle House, Sutherland

For total isolation, Kyle House – which perches at the southern tip of the Kyle of Tongue in Scotland – is hard to beat. The original structure was allegedly constructed from stone lifted from Dun Mhaigh Broch, the 2,000-year-old building whose remains lie on a nearby hill. It was derelict when Scottish design studio GRAS began the process of converting it into the elegant bolthole it is today. The exterior has been restored using traditional materials such as reclaimed stone, lime mortar and slate; big triple-glazed windows were added to allow light in and provide views of the wild landscape. Inside, the two storeys are divided into equally proportioned, pared-back living spaces. And remember, just because something’s understated it doesn’t mean it’s short on comfort – the ground floor is made from polished stone slabs that are heated underfoot.

Ty Hedfan, Brecon Beacons

Finally, we have Ty Hedfan (or The Hovering House) – so named because it cantilevers over the River Ysgir in the Welsh hills. The carefully crafted structure was designed by London-based architecture practice Featherstone Young and recalls other iconic resi-dences such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater in Pennsylvania. And yet, the mate-rials used in this four-bedroom hideaway are all Wales: locally sourced slate, stone and timber, plus a green roof and plenty of glass. The house is divided into two wings, the first hovering high above the river and the second submerged on the ground. A river-side tree house that complements its natural surroundings.

Photography by Tim Brotherton and Featherstone Young Architects

语言：English

阅读原文