Hotel design: How to get the look at home

Much of your focus will be on creating a bedroom that fits the bill

Make room for improvement with the Sheridan’s range of bed linen (Sheridan)

As our collective thirst for photo-ready interiors is baited on Instagram and Pinterest, so is it quenched by the myriad design hotels and members clubs materialising across the globe. From the international Hoxton chain to largely millennial pink, velvet-centric independent joints, the modern western metropolis cannot compete in the hospitality sector without such spaces.

The success of these design hotels, according to Marlon Roosblad, marketing manager at the design-led eco-hotel QO Amsterdam, is that they strike a balance between the aspirational and the achievable. This is down to the simple fact that as the accessibility of and exposure to interior design increases on social media platforms, so does the public’s confidence in creating more exciting schemes at home. The design-savvy public is drawing further inspiration from hotels like the QO, and according to Roosblad are more likely to visit hotels that they feel have an aesthetic they would like in their own homes. In his own words: “Great design feels like home.”

Eco-friendly: the top-floor restaurant in QO Amsterdam serves recycled cocktails

The QO Amsterdam hotel and its contemporaries hit the nail on the head for this market, creating highly photogenic design schemes with feasible aesthetic touchstones that guests can look to for inspiration. Not only this, but the hotel is eco-friendly, from its innovative “living windows” to the recycled (yes, recycled) cocktails it creates in the sleek top-floor restaurant, complete with a sweeping verdigris bar and brass seating, 21 storeys into the sky.

Since the hotel opened its doors this time last year, it has won several awards for its outstanding design and sustainable approach to hospitality. Roosblad talks about the design process, which involved overseeing design studios Conran and Tank as they put together the interiors for the aspirational eco-hotel of the moment. He believes the focus of the hospitality interiors industry should not focus on the colour and material trends themselves, but “contribute to the overall trend of beautiful, achievable design”.

Recreate an environment: Urban Collective’s range of dressing gowns are soft and organic

To get the hotel look at home, much of your focus will be on creating a bedroom that fits the bill. Rooms at the QO feature crisp white linens that emphasise the dramatic design in the surrounding space. Sheridan Australia has cottoned on to this trend, creating a line of bed linen to mimic the feeling of a sumptuous hotel bed. Jo Ross, the brand’s general manager of design, says: “Nothing compares to a restorative weekend getaway. It’s that decadent feeling of waking up on a hotel bed with crisp, airy sheets against your skin. With the right bedding you can slip into the luxury of a five star hotel bed every night from the comfort of your own home.”

Lighting can elevate the mood of a room substantially, and in a hotel as much as at home the aim is to achieve the ultimate level of relaxation. Soft lighting should comprise a mix of table lamps, pendant lights and backlighting where possible – the most impactful hotel-style lighting. An unexpected and innovative design accent is to include low-hanging pendant lights above desks or bedside tables, for example. For something similar, try Aram’s online selection.

Designed for comfort: the bed linen at QO Amsterdam

The hotel experience isn’t complete without an indulgent bathroom, and this is easy to recreate at home. Firstly, hotel-worthy towels should be soft and generous in size. Urban Collective, a premium eco-conscious brand from Sweden, provides a great range of 100 per cent organic cotton towels in a selection of muted jewel tones. For an uber-modern hotel feel, opt for dark grey or icy white. Of course, you could always pick up the matching dressing gowns from the brand’s clothing line for the ultimate pampering session.

Getting the hotel look at home shouldn’t stop at beautiful lighting and soft furnishings, but extends right down to products on display in the bathroom. There is an emphasis on display: it is important the handwashes, shampoos and conditioners look great on the counters. New Zealand modern-day scent company brand Ashley & Co puts just as much thought into the design of its bottles of handwash as it does into the architecture of the fragrances of the products. The sleek, dark pumps can take pride of place next to your bathroom sink, providing a great alternative to more mainstream brands.