The Hotel Look

Okay, this is more than a coincidence. My last five design clients in a row have all said the same thing during our initial meeting. "I want the bedroom to look like a great hotel."

So this begs the question, just what makes a great hotel room? Because if this many people want it, it's something special!

Emotionally, a great hotel room is a comfortable, relaxing retreat. It makes you feel like your problems are a million miles away. How do you get that?

First of all, I have to mention what is NOT in a great hotel room...Clutter! There is nothing relaxing about clutter. And it doesn't make you feel like you're getting away from it all; it feels like you're waist deep in it.

The pressures of work are not relaxing either. So banning the desk, computer and piles of files is crucial.

Now, what to add.

Gotta start with the bed. A really comfortable bed with soft linens, plump pillows and a fluffy comforter are mandatory in a great hotel room. Go for the highest thread count your budget will allow. After all, you spend 1/3 of your life in this room. Rather than spending money on a shirt you will wear only a few times, get quality sheets that you will use every night for years.

It's worth noting that a cheap hotel room has matchy-matchy furniture and the drapes are made of the same fabric as the bedspread. A great hotel room has a mixture of furniture styles and multiple layers of coordinating fabrics.

Creating a sense of balance is another tenet of a great hotel room. Not too feminine. Not too masculine. For example, a hard edged wood furniture piece next to an upholstered chair.

An interesting, yet restful art piece is found somewhere in the room. That doesn't mean expensive, it means interesting. And restful. 

And don't forget the lighting. Well-aimed reading lights and dimmers for all switches.

Last but not least, a great hotel has equal-sized bedside tables with equal-sized bedside lamps. In feng shui this represents an equal-sized relationship. Gotta love that.

Remember, it's not about the amount you spend, it's the way you pull it all together. You might want to search hotel sites for inspiration. 'Cuz you don't need a ticket to get where you wanna go.