Lakes by Yoo: Inside the vacation homes designed by international icons

Founded by internationally renowned designer Phillipe Starck and property entrepreneur John Hitchcox as part of their Yoo group of luxury hotels, vacation properties and residences, the Lakes by Yoo promises a serene and stylish escape in the heart of the English Cotswolds.

Offering a clutch of high-end vacation homes, as well as a series of luxury lakeside properties available to customise pre-build, the Lakes by Yoo draws on the design talents of international icons, including Kate Moss, Jade Jagger, Marcel Wanders and Kelly Hoppen, to create exquisite interiors for every taste.

Click through to go inside the Barnhouse and the Poolhouse, the Lakes by Yoo's most unique and luxurious properties, with their respective designers Kate Moss and Manuela Hamilford. Guaranteed inspiration for your next superyacht or home interiors overhaul.

Set within an acre of private grounds and nestled among a forest of silver birch trees, the Barnhouse offers five bedrooms and an expansive living/dining area with separate den. Available to purchase new for £2.5 million, the vacation rental sports interior design by supermodel Kate Moss and is inspired by the old country homes in English novels - with a touch of high-fashion glamour.

“John [Hitchcox] and I became friends through our love for the English countryside (and the pub)," explains Moss. "When he told me about the Barnhouse in the middle of the silver birch wood I was intrigued and then excited to become part of the design team. We have created a luxurious haven in the woods, a perfect place to escape with family and friends.”

The opulent interiors of the Barnhouse are designed to reflect Moss' personality and tastes, including several bespoke pieces by local craftsman David Haddock, who also created Moss' dressing room for her London home. A solid concrete kitchen island is surrounded by deep indigo cabinets while softness is added via two large velvet sofas in jewel tones. Elsewhere, artworks by Allen Jones, Chris Levine, Damien Hirst, Mit Senoj and Jake and Dinos Chapman provide focal points throughout the vast space created by the soaring pitched roof.

“Intertwined throughout the interiors of this concealed treasure, the Barnhouse is a home that offers the exclusivity of privacy as an indulgence worth treasuring," adds Hitchcox. "As with any of our Lakes by Yoo homes, careful consideration has gone in to creating a balance between luxury and function, keeping the emotion of a comfortable country family home central to the environment of the property.”

Spanning 5,000 square feet on the edge of a large lake, the poolhouse sleeps up to 14 in five bedrooms with its star attraction being the heated rooftop pool. Interiors by Manuela Hamilford create a chic boutique hotel atmosphere (rental guests have access to a butler and turndown service) with a St Tropez-inspired bar area, cinema, private garden and hot tub.

"The brief was for a lake house that was modern and clean but still maintains an organic, natural design that ties in with the views," says Hamilford. "We used warm woods in the lounge and kitchen with cement floor tiles throughout the ground floor. We painted the walls in a soft grey polish plaster and created a cocoon of soft greys throughout the open plan space with honed carrera marble in the cloakroom and a soft white stone for the worktops in the kitchen.

"For the cinema room we used a grey natural hessian fabric on the walls that had metal studded rivets embedded in the wallpaper. The coffee table was from Christian Liagre and made in an aged black wood with iron legs. The dining table is also a black metal finish with wood benches and leather seats."

"Throughout the bedrooms, we used suede or linen wallpapers in various natural colours, with Ralph Lauren lamps, bespoke artwork and many commissioned sculptural pieces across the house," continues Hamilford. "For the top floor of the Poolhouse, we used mosaic tiles on the floor and tried to created a St Tropez vibe with white outdoor furniture, grey cushions, lanterns sprinkled around the pool, and, of course, a six-seater outdoor hot tub."

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