Bring home design tips from favorite boutique hotels
/Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press •July 5, 2016
Have you ever stayed in a hotel that you loved so much that you wanted to just live there? Like the capricious, six-year old Eloise who lived on the top floor of the New York Plaza Hotel?
Even though we can't all be Eloise, (although you can now book the Betsey Johnson-decorated Eloise Suite for a night or two at www.theplazany.com/eloise) you can bring a little of that special lux hotel vibe back home with you.
As a Southwest Florida interior decorator I work with homeowners on the details that go into creating a blissful home that makes them happy. And like most of us, I have my own favorite hotel ideas that I like to work into overall design plans. It’s all about taking luxury hotel ideas and creating inexpensive style for your personal space.
Create the ultimate staycation
With some careful planning, it’s possible to accomplish the same Zen resort feeling in your home. There is much to learn from hotel décor: a relatively small space has to make a huge and impactful statement during your stay so every color, accessory and piece of furniture counts. So with this in mind, you may find these easy-to-incorporate tips helpful in creating your own boutique hotel feeling.
Dreamy bedding inspires peaceful sleep in this bedroom using creams and whites for a calm effect. A fabric headboard, layered strips of fabric keep the overall effect light and airy. Camille duvet cover and sham from Pottery Barn. Photo courtesy of Pottery Barn.
Fabric headboards, soothing neutrals and minimalism
Start with just these three items and you pretty much have it covered. Most hotels that give you a calm, luxurious feeling, incorporate these. And they are easy to do if you plan carefully.
Color palette: Stick with creams and whites
It takes all of the guesswork out of the process. Timeless and elegant. If you have a sofa that is upholstered in a color or print, you can have slipcovers made to fit and switch them out seasonally.
Lux drapes
This is a big one. Elegant drapes…silks, linens, damasks…all with blackout liners are used in the best hotels. And you know you love them. Splurge on this one and you will be glad you did.
Layers of creams and white with a pop of color from this Pottery Barn Derry matelassé duvet cover and sham along with curated art, a sofa and luxurious drapes turn a bedroom into a sanctuary. Photo courtesy of Pottery Barn.
Say goodbye to the mess
Granted, when you stay in a hotel, you don’t have your knickknacks, books, lots of papers and collections taking up space. And the lack of visual clutter is what makes a hotel so calming. We aren’t suggesting that you throw everything out, just tidy it up a bit and put things away in cabinets and other out-of-sight storage.
Incorporate your favorite style
What was your favorite vacation or hotel? The tropics? Ski lodge? An old London hotel? Hip SoHo accommodation? Give it a stamp of your favorite experience with the right accessories (just a few).
Create an entry
Chances are, your favorite hotel had an entry, even a small one, that said “welcome home.” Create one in your own home that includes a table, mirror, lamp and flowers. It’s those little touches that count.
Speaking of little touches…treat yourself
Shopping list: special soaps in the bathroom, candles, towel warmer, fluffy white towels and Egyptian cotton sheets.
Something about the glow
The lighting in our favorite hotels is almost perfect. You need: chandelier, table lamps, sconces. All on dimmers. No to overhead lighting.
Spa bath
Paint it white. Add a huge mirror. Update your vanity. Add music and a bubble bath and transport yourself to your favorite vacation retreat.
Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and certified gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She has helped homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces. Her column appears the first Saturday of each month. For more information visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 949-1808 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog
