London-based real estate connector Modernist Estates has launched the next chapter in its ever-evolving history: founder Stefi Orazi is officially operating in holiday mode with Modernist Estates Holiday Lets, a new platform featuring a hand-picked selection of midcentury holiday homes across the UK.
Modernist Estates started in 2013 as a blog, developing into a peer-to-peer real estate agency in 2017. Orazi’s work has been dedicated to finding modernist gems and connecting prospective buyers or tenants with sellers. Orazi’s work also included books and the Perambulations series, maps offering tailored walks around London to discover modernist domestic architecture, and a marketplace for all things midcentury.
Modernist Escapes: midcentury holiday homes at a click
The new holiday homes platform launched in May 2023 and, Orazi notes, was a natural evolution of her brand. ‘I often get asked if I can suggest any holiday lets, and I wrote a book, Modernist Escapes (2021, Published by Prestel) which is an architecture travel guide to modernist houses around the world that you can visit and, in some, stay overnight – essentially, the kind of properties I like to stay in when I go on holiday!’ she says. ‘There’s so much choice everywhere, so by presenting a curated selection of properties I hope to take some of the hard work of having to trawl through much larger holiday home websites. It also benefits the property owners, as they'll know that people interested in the properties have an appreciation for the architecture and will look after it.’
The holiday offering is now live with a few properties in Suffolk, the Scottish Highlands, the Isle of Mull and Cenarth, West Wales. But there are also urban options in London, and Orazi is hopeful to expand the offering to outside the UK in the near future.
Letting or renting a midcentury holiday home: how it works
Orazi explained the process behind the holiday homes letting platform: ‘first of all, [the property] needs to fit the criteria – essentially a modernist property or architecturally exceptional contemporary home rooted in modernist principles. As an introductory offer, I’m offering to photograph the properties for free depending on where they are. I’ll then list the property on the site, for a fee of £48 a month or £425 a year. Holidaymakers can then contact the owners directly and organise booking directly, or link to a third-party booking site, such as Airbnb to handle the financial aspect.’
Each property listing comes with photography of its interiors and exterior, including key architectural and design details, and a plethora of information both practical and cultural on the home and area.
As the project stemmed from Orazi’s own experience finding modernist holiday homes to let during her travels, we asked her for highlights from past holidays. ‘I purposely seek out modernist properties to stay in, and recent ones have included The Anderton House by Peter Aldington in Devon, Chert and Little Chert, a 1970s house on the Isle of Wight owned by the National Trust and most recently a 1960s house in Suffolk owned by the Pritchard family (Jack and Molly Pritchard commissioned the Isokon in Hampstead). They only allow friends and family to stay, but I managed to persuade them to let me and a few of my closest friends stay for my birthday last year. It’s a beautiful modernist house in an amazing setting, it was a fantastic weekend.’
Find modernist holiday homes via modernistestates.com/holiday
