Virtual Vacation: Capri

Beth of the lovely and inspiring blogs Style Redux and Chinoiserie Chic sent me this photograph of the salon at the J.K. Capri hotel on the Island of Capri in Italy to show off a room painted in Farrow and Ball's Drawing Room Blue (a color I'd love to use in my next house). Intrigued, I dropped into J.K. Place's website and found photograph after gorgeous photograph of impeccably designed interiors. Coupled with stunning views of the Gulf of Naples, I'm seriously rethinking my summer plans. How amazing would it be to spend a few nights at the J.K. Place? Unfortunately, until I find my missing [read: nonexistent] trust fund and can afford the minimum $1000 per night rates, I'll have to content myself with a virtual vacation.

I just love all the beautiful Mediterranean blue and white in this salon, it's so refreshing. What makes this room interesting from a design standpoint is how easily the decorator managed to work contemporary furniture and accessories that convey an easy, beachy feel into a formal architectural setting. I think the classical sculpture placed throughout the room really helps bridge the gap between the Ionic columns and intricate mouldings, on the one hand, and the casual striped rug and contemporary white sofa, on the other.

Here are a few more shots of a few of the other public rooms (all equally gorgeous):

Fortunately, the private rooms are as nice well-appointed as the public ones:

Each of the hotel's suites has a unique personality and color scheme and yet all the rooms feel related and speak to each other because of their pale walls, classic architecture and understated furnishings. The rooms are also all similarly appointed with a canopy beds, comfortable sitting areas and magnificant views of the bay. While I love the classic orange fabric (which reappears in another room in its yellow colorway) in the first photo and the dramatic purple and white upholstered wingback chairs in the fourth photo, my favorite room is probably the second photo. I love how the large canopied bed is oriented towards the fireplace, which is flanked on either side by gloriously huge french doors. I'd like to imagine that those doors open out onto a long private terrace. Magnifico.

Of course, the island itself is really the star of the show:

I'd spend the first day or two of my arrival simply relaxing on their large deck, taking in all the glorious Mediterranean sun and snoozing off my jet lag. After some good R&R though, I'd be sure to hit the major tourist spots on the island: the Villa Jovis (the Roman Emperor Tiberius' villa) and the famous Blue Grotto.

Since Capri is just a 45-minute boat ride away from Naples, I'd also plan on spending lots of time both in Naples and neighboring coastal towns (like Sorrento). As a devotee of Roman history, my first stop on the mainland would inevitably be Pompeii, which is just on the other side of the Gulf of Naples from Naples itself. In the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii is without a doubt the most mystical, most beautiful and most fascinating place I've ever visited.

For me, at least, this vacation has everything: a luxury hotel with gorgeous interior design and stunning views of the ocean, mountains and the city within a stone's throw of major Roman archaeological sites as well as several vibrant and lovely Italian cities. I just couldn't ask for more. What's your idea of the perfect vacation destination?

Photographs courtesy of the J.K. Capri.