Beach Vibe Home Tour -Inside a Stylish Portuguese Villa
Photo credit: all photographs courtesy of Maria Myers
As we are now in high summer, I thought it was the perfect time to take you on a home tour of a beautiful Portuguese villa decorated in brilliant white and soft, neutral tones, with a relaxed, beachy feel.
Welcome to Casa Alegria, designed and self-built by homeowner Maria Myers, who previously owned an interiors boutique in London and now runs a lifestyle shop in the South of England. It’s therefore no surprise that her styling expertise is evident throughout. Her interiors even caught the attention of Casas de Portugal, and Maria personally styled the villa for a full editorial feature in the magazine.
With its oversized rope pendant lights, sandy-toned soft furnishings and an abundance of natural textures, this gorgeous holiday villa on Portugal’s west coast has a wonderfully harmonious feel. Jute rugs, woven baskets and crisp white walls give the villa a distinct beach-house vibe, while its understated palette flows through the living room, bedrooms and beyond. The all-white kitchen pictured above features streamlined cabinetry that almost disappears into the walls. Although the decor is minimalist, touches of rattan and untreated wood soften the white surfaces and pale resin floors, creating a light, airy space that is perfectly suited to its Portuguese setting.
I particularly like the rustic wooden console pictured here, stacked with earthenware, as it is both decorative and practical. Its irregular shape and rustic finish contrast beautifully with the sleek white island. The standout feature, though, has to be the trio of oversized pendants. They immediately evoke a coastal feel and bring a handcrafted quality to the room while setting the tone for the villa’s natural, laid-back style.
Whether lounging on the sofa or enjoying drinks on the terrace, Maria has created the kind of relaxed atmosphere that instantly transports her family and guests into holiday mode. Join me as I tour Casa Alegria and, along the way, share some of Maria’s clever interior design ideas and styling tips to inspire your own home.
Stylish tablescape on the terrace
The terrace is just as impressive as the rest of the house. With its rope pendant lights, fringed seat cushions, and off-white linen table runners, it is styled like another indoor room and becomes a natural extension of the villa’s interior. Palms in large planters bring fresh greenery and a touch of nature to the all-white space and add to its relaxed feel.
Maria has dressed the table with linen runners, a mix of patterned and plain stone-coloured earthenware plates, ribbed glasses, woven bread baskets, and cutlery with wooden handles, bringing in the same natural materials used throughout the villa. The generously padded seat cushions add another layer of texture, while making the area more inviting and comfortable. For more inspiration on outdoor tables, visit my Outdoor Table Ideas: beautiful tablescapes and stylish outdoor dining sets.
Key styling takeaway: Mix plain with patterned tableware to create more visual interest, and choose glasses that have some form of detail, such as the ribbed design pictured here. Layer in texture with a linen tablecloth or runner, placemats and napkins, to give the table a more considered, dressed look.
Embracing nuances of the coast into the interior
The interior of Casa Alegria embraces the nuances of the nearby coast and feels naturally connected to its setting. Rather than simply following trends, Maria has taken her inspiration from her surroundings with the light beiges of sand and stone, and the brilliant white from the sun-bleached buildings, which are so much part of the landscape.
The understated palette flows effortlessly around the villa, while natural materials such as rattan, linen, rope and weathered wood reinforce the coastal charm of its surroundings.
Key styling takeaways: If you’re looking for inspiration for a neutral colour scheme for your interior, look no further than the tones found outdoors. Create visual interest through texture, as Maria has done with woven baskets, earthenware, rustic wood and other natural fibres, to give your interior a tactile and inviting feel.
Neutral-toned living room
Beyond the oversized pendant lights, the living room is anchored by a generous modular sofa in a soft sand tone. Its low, relaxed shape suits the easy-going feel of the villa, while striped linen cushions and throws add a casual touch. Maria kept the furniture around it simple, allowing the sofa and pendants to take centre stage. The palette is pared back with a white coffee table and side table styled with simple white and glass dishes.
Key Styling Takeaways: In a predominantly white room, where the overall look is calm and restful, introduce soft beiges in the furniture and rug to create contrast and definition in the room.
A dreamy master bedroom
The bedrooms are equally stylish with crisp white linens and beds dressed with linen throws and cushions. In the master bedroom pictured here, a freestanding bath adds a luxurious feel, while sheer netting is draped over the bed for that dreamy, cocoon-like effect.
Maria has continued the villas colour scheme with soft furnishings in beige tones for that restful feel. Below you will see how she has accessorised with blue tones to give the room a very different feel.
Key Styling Takeaways: You don’t need a four poster bed to create a simple canopy. Lightweight sheers or netting can be suspended from a hook in the ceiling, making it an easy way to add softness to a bedroom and that touch of drama. It’s decorative and is also practical in warmer climates.
Master bedroom dressed in blue
Maria likes to refresh the room by switching the colourway, and here she has introduced blue and white cushions and a throw to create more of a nautical note, with the blue accents feeling fresh teamed with the crisp white linen.
From this angle, you can also see how the handcrafted detailing on the mirror echoes the decorative carved headboard, creating a link between the two and making the room feel more pulled together. Maria found these …………..
Key Styling Takeaway: Here is an excellent example of how simply swapping out a couple of soft furnishings is one of the easiest ways to change the feel of a room without having to buy new furniture or redecorate.
Statement mirror and freestanding bath
I love the look of a freestanding bath in a bedroom, as it instantly gives the space a spa-like feel. I had one in a bedroom in my last house and it definitely had that wow factor, turning the room into something more indulgent and luxurious.
Maria has styled the bath like another piece of furniture. Her attention to detail can be seen in the soft beige rug and linen towels, as well as the small side table styled with a diffuser, candle and soap.
Key Styling Takeaway: A small table or stool beside the bath is both functional and ideal for displaying decorative and practical items, such as soaps, candles, product bottles and bath salts, making the bathroom feel more considered.
Three stylish bunk beds
In another bedroom, Maria shows us how a space with no less than eight bunk beds can still look stylish and well-put-together. By keeping the bedding crisp white with the same striped cushion on each bed, she has created a uniform look that feels calm, not cluttered.
Woven baskets and cushions in shades of beige and white continue the natural scheme, while the SEA lettering introduces a fun, coastal touch without being overly themed. With six beds, the room is perfect for accommodating children or a large group of adult guests.
Key Styling Takeaway: Woven baskets are an attractive way to store toys or spare blankets tidily and keep the room clutter-free.
A co-ordinated play zone for the little ones
Even the children’s playroom is coordinated with the rest of the house, with a beige and white teepee continuing the villa's palette. Paired with a jute rug and woven storage boxes for toys, Maria has created a play zone that works perfectly for small children.
Key Styling Takeaway: A designated play area can still tie in with the rest of your home’s interior scheme. In a family home or vacation rental, using attractive storage, soft furnishings and a restrained colour palette makes the space feel welcoming to children and adults alike.
Maria’s alternative blue-and-white tablescape
Just as she does in the bedroom, Maria likes to create a completely different vibe on the terrace by switching the colour palette. This time she has chosen blue and white, but rather than the classic navy often associated with the coastal look, she has used a brighter, more vibrant blue. It works beautifully with the fresh green of the small plants dotted along the centre of the table and the large potted palms on the terrace.
Instead of table runners, Maria has used white placemats with blue edging, paired with blue fringed linen napkins. She has then layered a blue dinner plate with a smaller white plate on top, giving each place setting more contrast. The occasional blue glass adds a final splash of colour without making it feel overly matched.
Key Styling Takeaway: If you pick one colour, repeat it in different tones for details such as placemats, napkins and glassware. Choose decorative centrepieces in a contrasting colour, like the green plants pictured here, for a balanced and stylish result.
LET’S SUM UP
I hope you enjoyed the tour of Maria’s Portuguese holiday home. Although Casa Alegria is not on Airbnb, if you would like to stay in this beautiful coastal abode, you can visit Maria’s instagram @casaslegria.cabanas or contact her via What’s App on +447379 850004.
Further reading: If you have enjoyed this tour and would like to see some of the world’s most beautiful vacation rentals do take a look at my feature: Inside some of the Most Beautiful Vacation Rentals: with Styling Ideas to Steal
Other home tours you might like to check out include:
A visit to a desert-inspired vacation retreat in Arizona: Inside JTH Tucson: One of the World’s Most Stylish Vacation Rentals
Take a tour of this vintage-filled old Fisherman’s shack that has been featured in Vogue: Stylish Home Tour: Inside the Vintage-Styled Captain’s Rest by Interior Stylist Sarah Andrews
I’m Sandra,
If you're in awe of stunning interiors and crazy about home decor, you’re in the right place. As an interior writer with a background in styling and photography for leading magazines around the globe, as well as an avid home renovator, I am here to help all you interior enthusiasts to style and decorate your home with ease and confidence, like a pro.
On this blog, I’ll be sharing inspiring tours of beautifully styled spaces, along with insightful articles packed with advice, tips, and ideas for home styling and decoration. Having styled countless different homes, I am able to introduce you to a wide variety of interior styles and aesthetics, rather than focusing on a single look.
