Ballarat House: Bright, Funky & Large Holiday Home Margate

It won’t have escaped your attention that Margate in Kent is now firmly on the cool list as a British seaside destination. So, if you’re curious to check it out, then you need a Margate holiday home equally on-trend and only moments away from Margate’s best bits. Ballarat House is that place.

This former piano shop and guest house has gone through a sensational metamorphosis thanks to owner and textile designer, Amelia. Without losing any of the building’s 150-year-old character, she’s created a delicious seaside den of colours, textures and patterns for a group of friends or family to kick back in (and drink martinis) on a Margate sojourn.

Ballarat House | Made up of The Upper House (Sleeps 8) & Lower House (Sleeps 2)

Take the whole of Ballarat House for your stay and you get 5 individually designed bedrooms to fight over: Seascapes (forest green room featuring kingsize bed with velvet headboard), Tamarisk (inky blue room with two huge sash windows, a balcony to the front of the house, an original marble fireplace and a kingsize bed), Sunshine (a small cosy bedroom with zip-and-link beds and painted in ombre shades reflecting midsummer on the beach), Sunrise (a small cosy bedroom on a mezzanine level painted with tangerine coastline colours), and Alexanders (apple green bedroom with a dusky pink velvet kingsized bed and a view of the tiled sunken patio).

There are 3 bathrooms too: the upper bathroom with marble surfaces, ceiling chandelier and soak-perfect tub; and the ground floor shower room and lower floor wet room – each with its own personality and bespoke design touches.

Your living, dining and kitchen combine as one fabulous open space alive with purples, golds, blues and greens. And dressed with vintage furniture, eclectic curios, show-stopping lights and quirky prints. The microwave is pink – of course, the wooden dining table is bespoke and easily sits large groups, the TV is smart and there’s a log burner with complimentary wood to get you through a Friday – Sunday stay.

Light floods in through the gaping bay window at the far end of the room and on an evening you can stay private by closing the wooden blinds and gorgeous curtains (designed by Amelia). NB: Ballarat House is on a residential street so there are buildings opposite you.

Of course, Margate’s vast golden beaches will probably lure you out all day long. But should you want a private coffee in the sun, then this seaside holiday home also comes with a lush cottage garden thick with juicy plants. In it, you’ll find a wrought iron table with 2 chairs. And a decked pergola area with large custom-made wooden table seating 10, a hanging basket chair and extra stars thanks to a ceiling of fairy-lights.

This quiet outdoor spot is a cool place to escape the heat of summer or sink a sun downer whilst toasting Margate’s incredible sunsets. And boy, does Margate have good sunsets. But don’t just take our word for it – book now and you’ll find out soon enough.

• Ballarat House can be hired as a whole Margate holiday home for 10 guests
• Alternatively, hire The Upper House which sleeps 8
• Or hire The Lower House Apartment which sleeps 2
• The house is 150 years’ old and is loved by groups, so expect some creaks here and there, along with a bit of weathering
• Children welcome
• Large well-appointed kitchen with everything you could need for happy self-catering, including a modern range, Lavazza coffee pod machine, and a cupboard full of condiments
• Log burner to help this holiday home stay cosy in the winter; huge bay window to keep it chilled in the summer
• Free parking on the street outside
• Netflix on both Smart TVs
• Wi-fi throughout the property
• Luxury hotel quality 100% cotton white linen and thick fluffy towels
• Bespoke curtains throughout
• Traditional board games and plenty of LED candles for mood lighting
• Moments away from Cliftonville (voted coolest neighbourhood in the UK 2022 by Time Out)
• Ballarat House sits on a residential area in the heart of Margate, so it’s a tad colourful around the edges
• 550 yards from Walpole Bay Beach and 900 yards from The Bay Beach
• Within easy reach of the Turner Contemporary, Old Town, Margate’s famous seafront and Dreamland