A (very stylish) home from home by Zoë Power

Over the years, Al and I have learnt a lot about what we like and don't like when it comes to holiday accommodation. We are definitely creatures of comfort and love the space to potter about, rather than being crammed into a room. Essential for me as a coeliac is having a kitchen so we can self-cater, otherwise it's a nightmare trying to find places to eat out all the time (and expensive!). A bath is a bonus and wifi is an absolute must!

We are huge fans of Airbnb - if you haven't come across Airbnb before it's basically a website/service where people rent out their apartments/homes/rooms all over the world and the prices are usually much cheaper than hotels, and the hosts often provide fantastic really helpful advice about the area you are staying in, etc. It works on a review based system, so both the hosts/homes and the guests get reviewed - I've found the reviews really helpful in deciding where to stay (it definitely pays to do your research). So for our big USA trip this year we decided to Airbnb it all the way and I'm pleased to report we had a fantastic experience!

First up, I thought I'd share our New York apartment in Tribeca.

The owner (host) is an art dealer, so the apartment was filled with cool, quirky art pieces. I can't say they were my taste, but they worked well in the apartment:

Our New York Airbnb apartment in Tribeca

The main living space was one big open plan area which worked really well and provided a great space to socialise in. We shared the apartment with some friends, which helped make it a bit more affordable.

We then moved on to Vermont, via a beautiful train journey to Albany, where we rented a car. We stayed in the most amazing modern Lake House, which literally was on the edge of Lake Bomoseen. It was simply stunning and such a treat.

The house had enormous windows overlooking the lake. We spent many an hour, with a cup of tea or glass of wine in hand, just staring out the window and watching the leaves gently float by. The view was simply stunning and constantly changing with the weather and the light. The house had been designed around the view and the bedroom had windows which looked through the main living space onto the lake. It was such a treat to wake up to that view.

The living area was open plan and I loved the feeling of space, and the wooden floors. The kitchen was great too and we made good use of it - we couldn't bear to leave the house when it got dark and we had got all cosy, so we cooked for ourselves every evening! The bedrooms had super comfy lovely bedding and I just adored the vintage chair in the living room - made a good home for my Blythes :)