My first realisation that something very interesting was happening in the luxury break market took place a few years ago. My husband Ed and I have always loved taking ‘spoily’ short breaks in the UK because we adore the British seaside and wanted our dogs to join us. It was during these getaways that I came to appreciate how the holiday home had progressed.

Many of the homes we managed to find went well beyond being just ‘comfortable’ or ‘attractive’ - they were genuinely luxurious when it came to the outstanding design of the rooms, quality of the furnishings and the thoughtful extras being offered.

This was a real eye-opener for a professional interior designer like me who, after graduating from the Inchbald School of Design, had worked on many high-profile projects for private clients in Mumbai, Monaco, Gstaad and London as well some Super Yachts. These holiday homes might not have had the ‘ultra-budgets’ I’d once been given (and also happily spent) but the results were certainly impressive, nonetheless.

It was clear to see these homes had been designed rather than just tastefully decorated. The planning of space and lighting, the use of joinery and bespoke architectural features as well as the choice of soft furnishings were first-class.

From a professional perspective I could see just how well designed these homes were and meanwhile, as a customer, I was enjoying all the benefits of a truly luxurious retreat!

After yet another great stay in a beautiful home I began to sense that a quiet revolution had taken place. The British holiday home - often pigeon-holed as purely functional and even a bit drab - had, in many instances, grown up and become a very special place to stay!

It did not take long for me to think about using my professional experience in the luxury sector to launch a business - one dedicated to discovering some of these outstanding holiday homes and then showcasing them in the right way for customers and owners.

And whilst finding a great holiday home via word-of-mouth or by accident can be a lot of fun, I sensed that by having a great presence on the internet with all the information to take a virtual tour of a property, and to make a booking right away, was also a valuable service. We don’t always want to leave things to chance, or indeed have the time to hunt down the perfect spot.

As all these ideas began to shape, I also thought carefully about the importance of hand-picking properties rather than just adding lots and lots of nice homes to our website.

So, an important part of the Luxury Boltholes approach is that we are committed to not only visiting every potential property, but carefully assessing whether it has the character, facilities and location to be viewed as luxurious and join our little collection. We would prefer to offer our customers a limited selection of superior holiday homes - which we have managed to curate - than hundreds of merely ‘good’ places to stay.

There’s been a quiet revolution in the luxury holiday home sector, and we’re determined to find you the very best of this revolution.