Create hotel chic at home

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.

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.

Layers of grey bring a pared back opulence and elegance to a room that’s perfect for relaxing with a cocktail. The walls are painted in Resene Half Stack with a circle in Resene Surrender. The floor is Resene Silver Chalice, the half circles on the floor and door areResene Half Grey Friars and the door is Resene Surrender. The bedside tabletop is Resene Double Stack with the tall vase in Resene Grey Friars, with a short vase and tealight holder in Resene Cape Palliser. Project by Vanessa Nouwens. Image by Wendy Fenwick.

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 would work or greens and beiges that invoke nature such as Resene Green Pea or Resene Bronco.

Simple elegance with layers of texture is at the heart of most chic hotel spaces and that is easy to recreate at home. The walls here are in Resene Nepal with a tile paint effect in Resene FX Paint Effects medium coloured with Resene Frozen. The floor is in Resene Blanc, the round coffee table is Resene Tuscany and the side console tabletop is in Resene Bokara Grey. Project by Melle van Sambeek. Image by Bryce Carleton.

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 wallpaper, that complements the larger room but clearly defines your retreat space and invites you in.

Turquoise adds a fresh, calm note to a spa-quality home bathroom. The back wall is Resene Elderflower with tongue-and-groove panelling and a shelf in Resene Yes Please. The floor is finished with Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash. The tall glass vase is Resene Meditation, the shorter vase is Resene Kandinsky, the large round basket is Resene Remember Me and the facecloth basket is Resene Freelance. Project by Megan Harrison-Turner. 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.

Luxury comes in all guises. Here natural tones and textures bring comfort with a sense of peace and calm. The wall here is in Resene Eighth Stonehenge, the floor is Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash and the headboard slats are in Resene Double Stonehenge. The shelf is Resene Ebony Clay and the small mirror and tealight holder on the shelf are Resene Corvette. The vases next to the bed are painted with Resene Double Stonehenge, Resene Half Barely There and Resene Rakaia (medium) and Resene Cinnamon. Project by Kate Alexander. Image by Bryce Carleton.

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. And make a statement with 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 timber flooring stained 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, such as Resene Magma or Resene Bullion, for a luxe finish. Finish with plants and plenty of plush towels.

For more ideas and inspiration for decorating your home, visit your Resene ColorShop, resene.co.nz/colorshops, and view the latest looks online, resene.co.nz/latestlooks.