The Suite Life Of Hotel Inspired Living

Have you ever stayed in a hotel and wished that your home was just like a hotel suite? You are not alone. An increasing trend is developing where individuals are using hotels as inspiration for their own interiors.

Hotel guest rooms are full of ideas for hotel-inspired décor and with high street stores offering more and more themes, patterns and textures, hotel opulence is even more at home in the domestic setting.

HomeDSGN’s tips for achieving the 'hotel look' include making the most of symmetry in order to achieve a classic, sophisticated glamour.

Frequently used techniques for hotel-inspired interiors are the use of statement light fittings and elegant mirrors, which are the types of fittings that hotels invest in in order to define its brand’s look.

Hampstead flat hotel makeover

Hampstead flat gets 'hotel-inspired' makeover[/caption]
One couple that has truly pulled off the hotel-inspired makeover is Bojana and Christian Reiner, who bought a dated flat in Hampstead, United Kingdom, with the aim of transforming it into a luxurious home with the feel of a contemporary boutique hotel.

The couple enlisted interior designer Danielle Lee of

DCL Interior Design.

The project was started from scratch, with no previous furniture being used. Ms Lee said this allowed plenty of flexibility, however also meant that there was no starting point for the design.

“What I did know is that they wanted something modern, elegant and serene, with a sense of continuity and flow throughout – very much like a contemporary boutique hotel,” Ms Lee told

Ham & High Property.

The design used elements such as textured vinyl wallpaper to add luxury, while skirting boards, radiators and ceilings were painted in matching tones, but not the customary white.

What inspirations are people drawing from hotel rooms?
There are numerous tricks that hotels use that people want to start applying to their own homes. Interiors blogger Jen Bishop shared a few tips with Haymes Paint regarding the use of a statement chair.

Statement chairs are something that seem so simple, yet can be so effective. They provide another place to sit, besides the bed.

Another favourite that regularly comes up, is the use of decorative pillows. Everyone knows that hotels don’t tend to scrimp in the pillows department, this is a trend that ordinary people are jumping on and applying in their own homes.

Hotel rooms also commonly tend to use a neutral colour palette, which is built upon with the use of accent colours in order to tie together different elements in a room such as lampshades and throw pillows.

Yet another norm influenced by hotel décor is the absolute necessity to hang pieces of art in order to draw attention and build colour in a room. Where in days gone by art was a luxury, it has now become commonplace, and indeed integral to interior design.

A Hotel-Inspired bedroom[/caption]
Local use of hotel design elements in the home
More locally, hotel design principles have been applied to a Federation style home in Mosman, Sydney, designed by architect

Luigi Rosselli.

The main bedroom suite of the home channels a number of common warm-climate hotel features, including a ceiling fan and timber louvered shutters.

Architect Kristen Stanisich, director of SJB, uses these hotel features regularly in homes and apartments.

The wet areas of a grand Victorian house in Paddington, Sydney now boast marble finishes and a concealed laundry nook.

“It’s like the laundry you would find in a luxurious hotel, where the touch points are important,” Ms Stanisich told Sydney Morning Herald.

The bathrooms of the Paddington home are no exception, receiving the same luxurious hotel-inspired treatment. The ensuite features a blue granite floor and Cararra marble walls.

Like top-end hotel rooms, there is a generous sitting area adjacent to the bedroom, with lounges and television.

“It’s an oasis at both the end and start of each day,” Ms Stanisich said.

Lennox Street By Luigi Roselli[/caption]
So why are people choosing to live like they’re in a high-end hotel?
It may seem odd that people are moving away from the creature comforts and mismatched finishes that they used to hold so dearly, but now people seem to prefer luxe and simple interior design elements.

It may have something to do with a greater emphasis on interior design principles in everyday life, resulting from an influx in reality programs geared at interior design and decoration.

“We’re finding fine hotels are forming a strong direction in our domestic work. People travel, get inspired by fine hotels and the finest details well after they have returned,” Ms Stanisich tells Sydney Morning Herald.

It seems to be a positive that we are increasingly finding inspiration everywhere we look, and hotels are the ultimate in giving the consumer the opportunity to live in and experience this ideal environment.