10 Tips to Create a Hotel Bedroom at Home
The bedroom is one of my favourite spaces to make over – as a frequent traveller, I am endlessly inspired by the sights and sounds of foreign places, but always relish that moment of stepping into the hotel room wherever I am in the world. Hotel bedrooms may be a luxury, but with a little decorating help, it’s surprisingly easy to create a tranquil cocoon of your own, right at home.
The main thing to remember when creating your own hotel bedroom is the power of editing. Hotel bedrooms are equal parts refreshing and soothing because clutter is eliminated from the space. Start with a deep clean of the room before embarking on the makeover. After all, your bedroom is a place of rest, and surrounding yourself with unnecessary objets can disrupt your quality of sleep. If you only have time for a weekend project, focus on tips 1 through 7. The last few tips are for those willing to go the extra mile.
1. Start with crisp, white bedding
There’s a reason why hotels prefer white linen: it’s unfussy and sophisticated. Whether you have a queen- or king-sized bed, my first recommendation is always to swap out your linens for an all-white, 300 thread-count set.
Certain hotels have a practice of layering sheets for an extra luxurious feel. The Westin Hotels & Resorts, for instance, has a practice of making their beds with a flat sheet, a middle sheet, and a fitted sheet. Outfitting the bed at home need not be that extravagant, but for an extra restful sleep, consider adding a mattress topper. This will add height to the bed (making it look plush and luxe) but also improve your quality of rest. A memory foam mattress topper is worth the investment.
2. Top with throw pillows
This is an optional step for those who prefer their spaces unadorned, but I always add throw cushions because they add visual interest with their plush textures. After all, you’re gunning for a luxe bedroom, not a bland and uninteresting one.
The rule of thumb is to overdo the pillows to achieve that look of hotel luxury. Depending on how large your cushions are, you can add up to five throw cushions. I like to decorate in odd numbers – so if you’re using larger throw cushions, you may want to limit yourself to only three. Try to look for contrasting fabrics too; instead of cotton, opt for silk, velvet or damask.
3. Consider blackout curtains
This is less about aesthetics and more about the quality of sleep. Blackout curtains help to conserve energy by reducing the heat entering a room, and they also allow you to sleep in by blocking out the morning light. While we don’t have the problem of 3am summer mornings in Singapore, blackout curtains can also help to block out artificial light sources such as street lamps as well as muffle street noises.
The standard hotel set-up is a heavier curtain (with a blackout liner) over a sheer panel, but you can turn existing curtains into blackout ones with the addition of a liner. I personally prefer curtains to blinds for their luxurious feel, but if you already use blinds at home, consider adding a simple curtain panel on top of it. Since they take up so much visual space, it’s important for the curtain fabric to be made from a heavier material that drapes well. Velvet, wool, or even a heavier cotton-polyester blend would work well.
4. Tackle bedside storage
A basic rule of decorating is that symmetry creates formality. You see this in hotel rooms where both sides of the bed are identical in set-up. All you need is a simple bedside table and a lamp, if space permits. One trick that more modern hotels are now doing is to incorporate extra shine into their rooms with mirrored side tables. Although modern, the mirrored surfaces are a nod to the elegant Art Deco era.
I prefer using tables that have storage options to hide clutter. Remember to leave space on your tabletop for bedtime essentials, like a glass of water or reading glasses. If you don’t have space for bedside tables, consider a simple wall-mounted shelf or a recessed cubby for these night-time necessities.
5. Use ambient lighting
Never rely solely on overhead lighting. I find myself saying this all the time but I continue to see this mistake everywhere. Ambient light helps to set the right mood, creates texture through dramatic shadows, and helps you wind down in the bedroom.
A combination of controlled task lighting and general ambient light works best in the bedroom. If you like to read in bed, make sure to outfit your table lamps with opaque shades to reduce the glare. Certain hotels also use the nifty trick of painting the inside of a lampshade a soft pink, which gives off a warm glow when lit. Avoid fluorescent bulbs that give off blue light, which has been shown in several studies to inhibit melatonin and decrease the quality of sleep; instead, use 40-60W incandescent bulbs.
6. Option: Wall sconces for reading
If you’re tight on tabletop space, skip the table lamp and opt for wall-mounted sconces. I like swing-arm, wall-mounted reading lamps as they are adjustable and most suited for couples who require reading light at different heights (for different reading, working, or resting positions).
These lamps are also task-oriented, allowing each side to use the light as he or she wishes without disturbing the other.
7. Now add plush accessories
While a hotel bedroom is well-edited, the decorating style is certainly not sparse.
The easiest and most affordable way to copy the look of luxury hotels is to meld accessories in different textures. Don’t know where to begin? Simply combine three different textures: sleek, like a mirrored bedside table or a metallic vessel; plush, like velvet throw cushions or a soft cashmere throw, and natural, such as a wooden tray or photo frame.
8. Buy or build an oversized headboard
A tall, tufted headboard adds instant opulence to a bedroom. It’s also the perfect support for reading or watching TV in bed.
If you don’t already have a headboard, don’t swap out your current bed frame just yet. With a little carpentry and upholstering skills (or just some help from the professionals), you can add a headboard to your current bed frame.
The key is to think tall: you want to draw the eye upwards to create the illusion of height and grandeur in the room. I like classic diamond tufting for a more formal and elegant look, while biscuit tufting is more suited to rooms with a contemporary feel. If possible, opt for a headboard made in a sumptuous fabric, like velvet, satin, or linen. For a more rustic look, a large piece of sanded, treated wood will do the trick.
9. If space permits, add a storage bench
Not just to add a touch of luxury, the bedroom bench is also highly functional: it can store extra linens and hide clutter, while providing seating and an extra surface to put bags on.
I recommend using storage benches that are closed storage options to dial down the visual noise. While benches that aren’t upholstered in fabric may be more practical, they are also nowhere near as luxurious, so be aware of that trade-off when shopping for your bench.
10. Create a new seating area
Before you start rearranging your furniture, make sure to carefully consider your current floor plan. Unless you see existing wiggle room, an added seating area will not add to the restfulness of your bedroom.
If you can afford the space though, add an armchair, which will offer alternative respite in the bedroom – a space to read or relax in. If you’re fortunate enough to have an extra large bedroom, you can even go for two armchairs or a small-seater.
