In the hotel business the initial impact your room has when you turn the key and walk in is priceless.
Hotel decorators understand the psychology of first impressions and at five-star establishments the key factors are luxury, functionality and beauty.
What’s fascinating is how incredibly simple and yet inviting many establishments manage to keep their rooms. This simplicity is something you can easily incorporate into your home space.
A new space rouses all the senses at once, says interior designer Nikki Rolfe.
“Think of the fluffy pillows, the spotless bathrooms and the clean smell. You can easily incorporate the senses into your interiors and this is what makes it inviting.”
What many hotel rooms have that homes with busy families don’t is balance.
If there is one bed, it is centred on one wall.
A sitting area, usually consisting of a small table and two chairs, is likewise centred in front of the window area.
Ensure that your furniture is laid out in an aesthetically pleasing and functional way.
A simple rule here is symmetry.
However, you do not have to replicate everything on one side of a room at the other to achieve this. Height, colour and size all play a role in balance, says Rolfe.
Proportion is crucial, too.
For example, a painting above a headboard should be in proportion to the size of the headboard. So if the top of the headboard is 1m above the bed, then the painting should be about 50cm in height.
Basic hotel decorating begins with a neutral colour palette. The colour of a hotel room is provided in the bedspreads and either matching or co-ordinating curtains.
In your home, which will have far more personality, colour can help create harmony – for example, you can use a bold rug to tie in the colours in a room or use it to mirror the colours in the artworks on your wall.
If you find the classic nature of hotel settings appealing, consider adding an antique armchair to your contemporary living space. Rustic pieces add character.
In terms of colour, remember that it is boring to match shades exactly and you should concentrate on combining a variety of tones that will mix with patterns and textures to create a tapestry of colour.
When mixing different flooring materials such as carpeting, tiles and wood, try to stick to the same colour.
It is jarring to the eye when floor colours differ dramatically and it is preferable to stick to earthy tones. Add rugs for colour.
Hotel spaces are all about peace, relaxation and indulgence. So avoid clutter by being clever with storage in the early stages of planning a room.
Don’t let this become a cumbersome afterthought.
In hotels a housekeeper’s cart usually contains relatively few cleaning supplies. A high-quality all-purpose spray cleaner, furniture polish, window cleaner and an effective carpet and upholstery stain remover are the basic essentials.
Mirrors in a space lighten the area considerably and are inexpensive relative to the impact that they can create.
Adding mirrors is a simple and effective way to make a room appear larger and expansive.
Interior decorator Karen Petzer emphasises the importance of lighting.
“Lighting is an important factor in any room and natural sunlight gleaming into a sparkling clean area makes the shining mirrors, glass and lighting fixtures glisten.
“If your initial entrance to the room is after dark, the street lights, lights of the surrounding city or the outdoor lighting of the hotel courtyard likewise leave an important impact on your first impression of the room.”
She adds that quality, commercial grade furnishings and carpeting, quality room-darkening draperies and bedspreads and the finest linens all make a difference.
Buying quality products for your own home is often less costly in the long run because quality products are more durable.
Having a few exceptionally high-quality items instead of lots of low-quality goods takes up less space and makes you feel luxurious.
Both decorators agree that your gym bag, sunglasses, newspapers, magazines and that old house-coat lying around may make you feel cosy and comfortable, but certainly won’t give you the feeling of being in a hotel.
If this is what you want, opt for fresh flowers instead. - The Mercury