8 Easy Ways To Hotelify Your Home, According To Interior Designers
The best hotels in the world offer an environment in which visitors can relax. Whether that’s courtesy of an insanely big bed, stacked high with goose down cushions, or having a roll top bath in one’s room, there is often a clever interior designer and team behind the creation of these ultra luxurious homes away from home.
“With busy lives, people want to be transported somewhere really special and feel cocooned away from it all – that’s what a good hotel environment offers,” says interior designer Nicola Harding, who has worked on London’s Beaverbrook Townhouse and The Rose in Deal. “For example, I love rich tones without too much contrast to create a welcoming atmosphere and a sense of indulgence.”
While booking into a boutique hotel isn’t an everyday luxury, there are ways in which we can enjoy the look and feel of some of the best ones by imbuing our own homes with some savvy design choices, straight from the experts.
Don’t be afraid to get things made
While working on The Zetter Townhouse, his most recent hotel project, interior designer James Thurstan Waterworth came across some unique antique fabrics that weren’t enough to make into curtains, but were too special not to incorporate somewhere in the design. “I was in Istanbul and found the most amazing 19th century Turkish dressing gown, which was ripped to shreds but the colours were amazing,” he explains. “The only thing I could really do with it was make it into a lamp shade, which now looks incredible.”
Likewise, he found old “dilapidated” dresser bases and enlisted his joiner to adapt them into mini bar doors for a characterful way to access that evening gin and tonic. So keep an eye out for interesting buys at flea markets and online (eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Vinterior, are great places to shop) and if they’re not quite right, work with a professional to give them a new lease of life – you can do it with pretty much anything, and the best part is no one else will have them too.
Your bed needs to be comfortable (and chic too)
“When we worked on all the Soho Houses [Waterworth was formerly European design director at the group], Nick Jones always said that you’ll spend about 10 hours in your hotel bedroom, eight of which are in bed, so the bed itself has to be the thing you spend your money on,” says Waterworth. “You spend more time on your mattress than you will any other space in your house.”
As well as investing in a good mattress, consider the bedding you’re sleeping in too. A duvet that has the right TOG rating for the season you’re in (look for between 1-4.5 in summer and 10-13.5 in winter) is key, and so are breathable sheets that are suitably beckoning. When it comes to pillows, you’ll find that goose down offers a medium to firm feel and comfort levels to match those found in a hotel.
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