Effortless holiday home ownership

Set within Tourrettes-sur-Loup, this Provençal home now unfolds with a quiet sense of ease, shaped as much by its surroundings as its architecture. But this wasn’t always the case. When we first encountered the property, it offered something different, a blank canvas. The bones were there: double-height windows drawing in light, a sweeping staircase, stone underfoot, and far-reaching views stretching toward the sea. Yet the interiors felt disconnected from their setting, modernised to a point where much of the home’s regional character had been lost. The opportunity, then, was not to rebuild, but to reawaken. To bring the landscape back into the home, and to layer in the textures and details that would root it once more in the South of France. What followed was a transformation that feels both complete and quietly considered, a home that now reflects its setting as much as it frames it.

Spring in the Cotswolds has a way of settling you into a different rhythm. For Evan, Scott and their eight-year-old son, their time here formed part of a much longer stretch spent across their August homes. After weeks of travel through Europe, it became a place to pause, to gather, and to experience a quieter kind of stay, one shaped less by plans and more by how the days naturally unfolded. Set in the village of Blockley, their home became both a base and a backdrop for spring in the English countryside.

Last week, August hosted a celebration at Waddington Custot Gallery in London to mark the beginning of our collaboration with the gallery and to introduce the work of artist Kenia Almaraz Murillo. The event brought together members of the August community alongside several families who have recently joined the Paloma Collection, offering a rare opportunity to experience Kenia’s work privately within the gallery setting. Designed as a relaxed and considered occasion, it created space for conversation, between owners, future owners and the wider creative community surrounding Paloma. It was also a moment to see the pieces that will soon find their place within the Paloma homes themselves.

When the Prime Tuscan estate is complete, stepping inside will feel immediate and grounding. The interiors are being designed not to announce themselves loudly, but to unfold with quiet confidence, shaped by history, materiality and proportion. Rooted in Florence’s architectural lineage yet interpreted through a contemporary lens, luxury is felt in weight, texture and restraint rather than polish. Guided by Francesca, Head of Design at August, the interior approach has been one of careful listening. “The villa already had a very clear character,” she explains. “Our role was to respond to that, honouring its structure and spirit while refining how it lives today, shaping the kind of quietly generous, lived-in luxury that defines the Prime lifestyle.” The result is an interior language that feels both deeply Tuscan and unmistakably Prime.

The Prime Collection has always been about more than beautiful homes. It’s about how those homes feel to live in, how they hold memory, and quietly shape the rhythm of everyday life. As Prime enters its second chapter with the Paloma Collection, that philosophy continues through a new artistic collaboration, this time with Waddington Custot Gallery and Bolivian-born artist Kenia Almaraz Murillo. This is the second artist collaboration for August, and one that felt instinctively aligned. Kenia’s work explores heritage, migration and the emotional weight carried through materials, ideas that sit naturally within spaces designed to be lived in and defined by place. In conversation with Kenia, we spoke about memory, family, and what it means for her woven works to move from the gallery into the intimacy of the home.

There’s something special about returning to the same place, not only because of the familiarity, but because it removes any sense of rush. Day trips further afield suddenly feel easier, without the worry of missing out, and you’re free to really soak up what’s around you. This is the first in a series of day trips we’ll be sharing, starting close to home, with easy escapes from our London and Cotswolds houses. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, a spontaneous escape feels particularly called for, and the first place we always suggest is Bath. The best part? Bath is only around 90 minutes by direct train from London Paddington, making it one of the most civilised day trips you can take from the capital. Early start, late supper back home, no overnight bag required.

Mallorca is often imagined in high summer, all long lunches and sun-drenched beaches. But when winter arrives, the island softens.The roads quieten and villages breathe out while the landscape grows greener, and daily life feels gently reclaimed by those who call the island home. For those spending the season in their August home, winter is a chance to experience Mallorca as locals do. And few people know that rhythm better than Tara, our property manager on the island, who looks after your homes year-round and lives in Palma with her dog, Rory. From preparing log fires and stocking wood baskets to readying terraces for sunny afternoons that still invite you outdoors, Tara shares what makes Mallorca in winter quietly special.