Create hotel chic at home

From the Resene decorating blog

There’s nothing quite like that feeling of walking into a stylish, luxurious hotel room. Even if you’re there for work, there’s a sense of relaxation, seclusion and calm that comes with a fancy hotel room that it would be wonderful to recreate at home.

It can be done. While part of the joy of a hotel stay is that you’re away from your usual routine and the hustle and bustle of daily life, devoting a little design attention to part, or all, of your home can help you relive that feeling of escape.

Of course, with the popularity of platforms such as Airbnb you may also want to add a little hotel chic to your spare room, or rental property to generate some extra income.

An opulent lounge

Smoked glass and velvet touches add easy opulence.

Walls painted in Resene Gold Coast, floor in Resene Pendragon and Resene Hairy Heath, nesting tables in (from large to small) Resene Hairy Heath, Resene Pendragon and Resene Gold Coast with legs in Resene Noir, vase in Resene Hairy Heath and candlesticks in Resene Noir. Chair and ottoman from Soren Liv, cushion from Adairs, candelabra by Stoff Copenhagen and candles from Good Form, artwork by Helen Bankers, lamps from Monmouth Glass Studio, Gem candleholder from Wooden Horse Homewares. Project by Melle van Sambeek, image by Bryce Carleton.

A simple and elegant lounge

Simple elegance with layers of texture are at the heart of most chic hotel spaces and that is easy to recreate at home.

Walls painted in Resene Nepal with a tile painted effect in Resene FX Paint Effects Medium mixed with Resene Frozen. Floor in Resene Blanc, round coffee table in Resene Tuscany and side console tabletop in Resene Bokara Grey. Ceramics from Formantics, artwork by Maiko Nagao, candlesticks from Power Surge, dried flowers from Wandering Willow, lamp from Lighting Plus, sofa from Wolf & Co, rug from Good Thing, cushions and throws from Adairs. Project by Melle van Sambeek, image by Bryce Carleton.

Purpose and personality

Before you start your at-home hotel makeover, think about who the space is for and what the purpose of the space will be. Is it for reading and retreating, work inspiration, creativity or simply sleeping? Is it for yourself, for a family member, for guests – or all of the above?

Hotels, because they are often about escaping and fun, represent luxury. So have a think about what luxury means to you – or the people who will most use the space. For some luxury is opulence and all kinds of indulgence. For others it’s simple relaxation and quiet time out.

No matter what kind of space you're creating, having a clear idea about what you want to achieve and who it’s for will help you make your design choices and achieve a chic and coherent finished space.

A peaceful bedroom painted with natural tones

Luxury comes in all guises. In this bedroom, natural tones and textures bring comfort with a sense of peace and calm.

Wall painted in Resene Eighth Stonehenge, floor in Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash, headboard slats in Resene Double Stonehenge, shelf in Resene Ebony Clay, small mirror and tealight holder in Resene Corvette and vases next to the bed in Resene Double Stonehenge, Resene Half Barely There and Resene Rakaia (medium) and Resene Cinnamon. Duvet cover, pillowcases, bedspread and mirror (painted) from H&M, waffle throw, cushions and slippers from Collect Living, artwork by George Sands from endemicworld. Project by Kate Alexander, image by Bryce Carleton.

A turquoise bathroom

Turquoise adds a fresh, calm note to a spa-quality home bathroom.

Back wall painted in Resene Elderflower with tongue-and-groove panelling and shelf in Resene Yes Please. The floor is finished in Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash, tall glass vase in Resene Meditation, shorter vase in Resene Kandinsky, large round basket in Resene Remember Me and facecloth basket in Resene Freelance. Bath, bath filler and vanity from Plumbing World. Project by Megan Harrison-Turner, image by Bryce Carleton.

Start simple and aim for restful

If you’re not sure where to start creating hotel chic at home, go for neutral tones to create a blank but stylish canvas then layer your look with furnishings, art and plants.

Resene Thorndon Cream and Resene White Pointer are warm neutrals that work well with rich jewel tones such as Resene Stromboli or Resene Hot Chile for a warm, comforting retreat. Or try cooler neutrals such as Resene Sea Fog or Resene Seashell for fresher, summery tones with Resene Santas Grey, Resene Chinook or Resene Chateau Green.

Restful colours are another good place to start if you’re not sure what style of hotel chic you want. Warm blues are a good place to start like Resene Kashmir Blue or Resene Bali Hai, soft pink and peach tones such as Resene Blossom or Resene Calico or greens and beiges that invoke nature such as Resene Green Pea or Resene Bronco.

An opulent bedroom painted with layers of grey

Layers of grey bring a pared back opulence and elegance to a room that’s perfect for relaxing with a cocktail. Bedroom walls painted in Resene Half Stack with circle in Resene Surrender, floor in Resene Silver Chalice, half circles on the floor and door in Resene Half Grey Friars, door in Resene Surrender, bedside tabletop in Resene Double Stack, tall vase in Resene Grey Friars and short vase and tealight holder in Resene Cape Palliser. Euro pillowcases from Allium, linen cushions from Adairs, printed pillowcases and throw from Homebody, rust linen look throw from The Warehouse, duvet cover and euro pillowcase in magnet from Adairs. Project by Vanessa Nouwens, image by Wendy Fenwick.

Create space within spaces

One thing a beautifully designed and decorated hotel room does is make good use of limited space. With careful selection of colours and furnishings a single room can be divided into spaces with distinct functions such as working, reading, sleeping, or eating among others.

This can be a good way to start a hotel chic transformation in your own home. Trim the cost and commitment by selecting a small area of a larger, open plan room in which to create your retreat space. It might be a cosy corner for reading or listening to music, or it could even be an under-used landing, or one end of a large living area. Define your area with a change of colour, or even a stretch of dramatic Resene wallpaper, that complements the larger room but clearly defines your retreat space and invites you in.

A brown intimate lounge

A simple paint effect creates an intimate conversation space within a larger room. Walls painted in Resene Smooth Operator with stripes in Resene Mountain Mist. Floor in Resene Wafer, peg stools in Resene Mountain Mist and Resene Kalgoorie Sands, large plant pot in Resene Rodeo Drive and lightshade in Resene Mountain Mist. Chairs from Dawson & Co, rug from Ivy House, plant pot from Kings Plant Barn, lampshades and peg stools from Freedom. Project by Kate Alexander, image by Bryce Carleton.

Think about lighting

Lighting has an important part to play in setting the tone for your hotel chic space as well – whether it’s natural light or artificial. Lighting is another way hotels define separate spaces within one room. Layers of lighting from bright bathroom and kitchen lights to functional main lights to bedside reading lights, and ambient living area or bedroom lamps, help determine how guests use the space.

A good lamp is a great feature to include in your boutique hotel space at home, particularly if you’re looking to create somewhere you can curl up and escape.

Yellow toned warm lights will invite a sense of comfort and retreat, whereas brighter, whiter light will make your room feel more energising and upbeat.

The lighting will also affect how the paint colours look on the walls and other surfaces so make sure to check with Resene testpots before committing to your colour scheme.

Hot tip: think about strips of low brightness LED lights on the underside of tables, benches or shelves for ambient glow.

Finishing touches

Once you have the basic colour scheme for your at-home hotel retreat it’s all about layering on the furnishings and fittings. Think about the type of fabrics you want in curtains, throws, bedding and cushions. Go plush with velvets, satins and silks for an indulgent finish, or veer toward linens, cottons and textured finishes if you’re aiming for more of a back-to-nature type finish.

A quick guide to theming your at-home hotel:

Go opulent: Use jewel tones and opt for darker walls in shades like Resene Persian Red or Resene Plum. Furnish with velvets, suedes, fake fur and silks. Add metallic touches in Resene Gold Dust or Resene Rose Gold. Make good use of rugs and mirrors. Add bold, dramatic wallpapers such as Resene Wallpaper Collection KEN001.
Beachy relaxation: Think classic Hamptons style with various shades of blue – Resene Bondi Blue and Resene Danube work well – with bright whites such as Resene Black White, or the creamier tones of Resene Half Spanish White. Add natural fibres and textures and stain wood flooring in Resene Colorwood Matai.
Spa retreat: Take to your bathroom with crisp tiles in white or a cool neutral then add pops of contrasting but soothing shades. Turquoises like Resene Calypso or cool greens such as Resene Destiny are calming and work well with bronze and coppery metallics like Resene Magma or Resene Bullion for a luxe finish. Finish with plants and plenty of plush towels.