Keep Your Feet On The Ground & Transform Your Home Into A Hotel
PLANS ON STANDBY? CHARACTERISE YOUR LIVING SPACE
After what feels like years of rescheduled holidays, empty hotel rooms, false promises and (let’s face it) utterly embarrassing twists and turns of an untrustworthy government spouting – ‘traffic light system nonsense’ and what feels like £1000 pound testing kits to even leave our bedrooms – I think we can all agree that we’re fed up of pushing our plans forward to what feels like 2028, getting our hopes up and wondering what that ‘whosh of summer air’ even feels like anymore. Human beings are very adaptive to situations, and after spending nearly two years having to improvise using our ironing boards as work desks, performing wild yoga moves in the kitchen and wondering if the world is ever going to be ‘normal again’ – one thing has remained constant, and that’s the comfort and style of our living spaces.
Yes, we want to escape the stress of life more than ever, but whilst it may not be possible to enjoy a long week in a luxurious hotel in today’s climate, it is possible to make some changes to our décor so that our homes can attain that 5 star finish. From bed sheets to mini bars, to home gyms and nursery spaces, you will have everything we all so desperately crave at your disposal, literally on your doorstep.
Here are 10 Reasons Why making changes to your interiors to elevate your home to the 5 star standard:
1. TEXTURED WALLS
Photo by Victoria Borodinova from Pexels
Swapping out your average block colour, painted wall for a textured wall will add depth and character to your room. Whether you opt for exposed brick, wall panelling or textured wallpaper, the overall aesthetic of the room will be elevated. Not only will this enhance the space, it will also allow you to express your individual style and add another layer of luxury to your décor.
2. LIGHTING
Photo by Saya Kimura from Pexels
Each room within your homes serves a different purpose. So why would they all have the same lighting setting? Create the specific ambience needed for any activity with dimmer switches.
Rather than the standard on and off, adapting the intensity of your lighting will help you to set mood for a more authentic experience. Consider the colour of your lamps too, a bright white can often be harsh and clinical while, in contrast, yellow lamps are much warmer and create a cosy feel to the room when dimmed.
To turn it up a notch, consider statement light fittings like oversized lamps, geometric light fittings, or clusters of light bulbs. The pieces you select can make or break your overall aesthetic so treat your light fittings in the same way you would a painting or picture.
3. DRESSING THE ROOM
Photo by Sidekix Media on Unsplash
Other than wallpaper and furniture, there are other ways to introduce texture into your room. Dressing your furniture and windows gives your room a cosy and inviting feel. Achieve this by adding further texture to the space with a rug, heavy curtains (perhaps consider a patterned curtain), cushions, and blankets. In a bedroom, make sure you select good quality pillows and dress the bed with a high thread count bed set. Add extra layers to your bedroom with cushions and a thick throw.
4. TROLLEYS & TRAYS
Photo by Taryn Elliott from Pexels
The extra details that might seem insignificant can be the finishing touches that really complete the room. Adding a drinks trolley to your living room or dining room is a lavish way to replicate the feeling of a mini bar in a hotel room.
While you can just go for a built in mini fridge, a stand alone drinks trolley is a less intrusive alternative for a bar and a beautiful piece that adds interest to an empty space. Another plus is that it is portable so you can bring the bar to any room in the house.
Organise your home further by placing your soaps and hand creams onto a sleek mirrored tray to polish the look of your bathroom. add a tray with glasses on your bedside table etc.
5. DINING AREA
Photo by Spacejoy on Unsplash
In the modern era of open plan living, it is more and more common to dine where we cook. By separating the two spaces the act of eating changes from a routine activity to an experience.
In order to feel the splendour of dining in a restaurant within your home, having a dining room that is dressed with beautiful plates, cutlery, glasses and a centerpiece, allows us to always have a little piece of luxury in our everyday lives without having to book three weeks in advance. This will also be an enjoyable way to indulge guests at a dinner party post covid.
6. HOME GYM
Photo by Jelmer Assink on Unsplash
Having a home gym exposes excuses because the sheer convenience of having one provides you with so much flexibility.
Let’s face it, we are busy people and we don’t have time to pack a bag for the gym, drive to the gym, wait to use the equipment and take a shower afterwards. And it doesn’t stop there.
All the things you don’t really consider can take up a huge amount of time, and will cost unnecessary money. Be in control with your gym, your rules, your time and be in control of your own destiny.
7. COLOUR
Photo by Ralph (Ravi) Kayden on Unsplash
When designing, take your colour choice into consideration. The colours that we are exposed to can play a part in our mood and productivity which means that certain colours correlate positively to specific activities within the home. Blue is an appropriate choice for calming spaces as it is known to promote relaxation and prevents insomnia. Similarly, splashes of green reduce stress and promote peace and balance but if overused, green can encourage laziness and yellow (as seen in the photo above) is the brightest colour of the spectrum, and is commonly used in images depicting fresh ideas, creative projects, or new projects. You probably already know the prototypical image of someone brainstorming ideas links to a lightbulb. This is a random association but yellow has been know to enhance mental activity, and heighten awareness of energy levels.
8. ARTWORK
Photo by Kam Idris on Unsplash
Art is a powerful form of expression not only for the artists who create it, but also for those who own it. Art encourages dialogue, it gives people permission to share thoughts, feelings, ideas and impressions that they might not ordinarily share. Art let’s you ask questions, introspect, think about new ideas, experience fresh new perspectives and maybe most importantly, it lets us take brief moments out of our busy lives too.
9. SIGNATURE SCENTS
A smell isn’t just a fragrance — it’s a memory. When you get a whiff of hot apple crumble taken out from the oven, you may think of baking in your Mum’s kitchen. When a warm breeze blows the smell of fresh flowers, you’re instantly transported back to Spring, running through fields with friends, without a care in the world. These nostalgic moments are not a coincidence, there is an exact science behind it as to why we cherish such specific aroma’s for specific reasons. Our olfactory response is linked to the emotional nucleus of our brain, causing a warm rush of joyful feelings with a simple sniff. Unlike any touch or taste, there’s a correlation with past experiences. From lavender having the power to aid sleep and peppermint helping to boost concentration to the fact that Citrus can help you to feel more energized and pumpkin serving as an aphrodisiac- the scents have a HUGE impact on how we feel, and can even physically help us. Casing point- apples can mitigate a migraine. So, how about those apples…
10. NURSERY
Have you ever stepped on lego? (Ouch) Get the kids from ‘out underneath your feet’ and invest in your child’s very own Playroom. Many surprises parents face when having a child is how much space such a tiny human can take up, and it only gets worse as they get older! Many people would love to extend their property and for those lucky bunch with enough income to execute a room of this nature, we would fully recommend this decision. A playroom could well be the answer to your prayers and the benefits are endless. Firstly, and possibly most importantly, it will leave bedrooms spare solely for sleeping. Children are very good at making patterns and if they come to associate their bedrooms with playtime, it may affect their ability to sleep effectively. It’s much better to have a dedicated playroom so that bedrooms are solely to sleep. Another benefit is a tinder home, without the toys, books and childrens items being stumbled upon throughout the house. So, not only can you declutter your home but you’re in far less danger of stubbing your toe on the sharp side of a toy dinosaur back during the night. (weirdly specific i know, it happened to a friend)
