HOME SWEET HOTEL: BRING A TOUCH OF HOTEL LUXURY TO YOUR DIGS

From luxe bathrooms and opulent bed linen, learn how to bring that holiday feeling home with our guide to the latest hotel design trends for your own space.

The feeling of waking up in crisp white sheets, knowing that a freshly cooked breakfast is waiting for you downstairs and someone will shuffle in after you to make your bed and replenish your towels. It’s a comfort of travelling that we can never quite replicate at home. But there’s another way to commandeer that magic holiday feeling in your own space: by taking a lead from the contemporary design of boutique hotels. The antidote to homogenous hotel chains with cookie-cutter décor, boutique hotels keep it fresh with cutting edge, avant-garde features catering to the design-savvy traveller.

It’s hardly surprising many residential interior designers and home renovators are taking cues from the boutique hotel world opting for lush features and finishings, including luxe bathrooms with freestanding bathtubs, opulent bed linens, mini bar areas, statement chairs, ample greenery and clever use of textures and materials. As Eva Sue, Associate Principal at Woods Bagot, explains, boutique hotels exude a sense of uniqueness through authenticity in their design. “The great news is, boutique hotels rarely rely on grandeur or exclusive use of designer pieces, instead, luxury comes in the form of personalisation and attention to detail.”

“Changing the layout of a space could be the key to creating a sense of luxury and experience, for example creating a more fluid relationship between the bedroom and bathroom could elevate the master suite experience to evoke a sense of ‘retreat’.” “A considered layering of texture and pattern, curated with collected objects and art can bring together a collection of memories and create a highly personalised and visual environment, and a well-placed lounge chair and lamp could ignite a renewed appreciation of a view or use of space.”

For those on a budget, adding texture and colour to your bed is the easiest way to give your bedroom that luxe weekend-away feel without breaking the bank. As Bettina McIlwraith, Stylist and Creative Director of Appetite for Decoration explains, a bedhead can be a sure-fire way to create that five-star hotel richness.

“Invest in a great bedhead, the bigger the better. Not only will it offer great emotional support to you while you sleep but a great looking bedhead will frame in style, all the activities we act out in bed these days – think, eat, sleep, work on our computers, love, repeat.” For those with a penchant for eco-friendly homewares, take a lead from the rise of sustainable boutique hotels by investing in recycled products that look great but don’t cost the earth.

“Create a sense of sustainable luxury comparable with the newwave of hotels who are doing it differently with handmade, fair-trade and recycled textiles in seasonal layers. Or start collecting textiles from your own travels and use them in all aspects of decorating your space,” she continued. It’s all about getting the balance right between your personal aesthetic and just the right dose of luxury. After all, your home is a space you live and breathe every day, not just for a weekend escape, so it needs be a place you can unwind and feel comfortable.