Picture this: You are FINALLY on vacation and you couldn't be happier.
You're rebooked one of your favourite destinations in Greece at the same hotel and couldn't be more pleased with that decision.
Yes the ocean, the views, but oh my goodness the hotel. The hospitality, the service and your room. Your room has everything - a little lounge area for your morning coffee, natural light, smart devices to make everything seamless and oh that king sized bed. You just feel relaxed, calm, happy and serene. You want to bottle that feeling and take it home with you.
We’re firm believers that you can, and it starts with the interior design of your bedroom.
Your bedroom space should be that getaway, that sanctuary space. This is where we rest, we retreat, we reenergize. It may not always have an ocean view, but why can't the interior elements help support and get that relaxation feeling to you?
In years of working in hospitality design, any design output came down to the client experience, the intangibles, the feeling – the connection that a user had to a space.
At APD we treat every project with the same approach: what is the narrative? What is your story? What do you want to feel in your home? What was the design narrative of the hotel from setting foot in the door to the room?
Our top recommendations for a hospitality approach to your bedroom include paying attention to your senses and fueling them with what they need. Play your routine of getting up in the morning to getting into bed at the end of the day, and what your habits are - and compare them to how you want to feel during these experiences.
We've rounded up key elements that we factor in hotel suite design that can be applied to your bedroom space:
1. Smart Technology
2. Lighting
3. Window Treatment
4. Storage
5. Mirrors
6. Colours + Materials
7. Area Rugs
8. Bedding
1. Smart Technology
Smart technology has come a long way. You can literally do everything from the control of your fingertips even when you're halfway across the world from your home, you can lock your door.
It's a huge element that we integrate in hotel design, not only to be innovate and keep up with technology expectations, but to give the user a comfortable experience when they have control and option over their own settings.
Think about what you want to control from the coziness of your bed, or when you walk into your bedroom: light switches, dimmability options, air temperature control, window treatment automation, plug-in points for our personal devices, the list goes on. What we love about options today is that many are so sophisticated and attractive with the ability to customize your own settings and preferences, and they come in beautiful metal finishes that can tie into your finish palette!
2. Lighting Layers
Newer and luxury hotels often have different levels of lighting in the space, with a mix of task lighting, overhead lighting and more ambient lighting. The same should apply for your bedroom space.
Lighting can really change the mood of your room, as well as support you for various functions, so we love to incorporate lighting that is integrated and dimmable!
An eclectic mix of lamps, sconces, architectural and integrated LED lighting really helps elevate the room and gives layers to the space.
3. Window Treatment
What I love about hotel rooms is the ability to completely blackout the natural light at any given time of day – and that’s because of the attention to detail in the type of window treatment they use.
The same applies to a bedroom – having blackout window treatment is key and can help support better night sleep. You can also layer your window treatment with sheers and blackout materials, as well as make them automated or manual depending on your comfort and investment level.
A place for everything is essential. Storage is a huge consideration when designing hotel rooms (think of where to put your suitcase, hang your clothes and place your shoes!)
The same applies to a bedroom where storage is the number one painpoint in bedroom spaces. From wardrobes in the same space, to make-up counters, to adequate nightstand space, and even something to place your throw pillows into – storage should not be overlooked. Try to think about your own habits in your bedroom as you wake up to when you go to bed, and try to address each moment with the key storage and millwork pieces in your space.
5. Mirrors
It drives me crazy when I get to a hotel room that DOES NOT have a full-length mirror in the suite.
If you have your closet in your bedroom, we always recommend carving a spot for a full length mirror in the space so you do that proper outfit check while getting ready. This could look like an oversized floor length mirror, a wall mirror, or even an integrated solution in your closet millwork – but a must in our books for bedroom/closet combos!
6. Colours + Materials
The colours and materials in the space will look different for everyone. More often than not, we are getting requests for bedroom spaces that feel calm and soothing and tend to use more earthy, grounding and neutral tones in the spaces. We also love to wrap every wall and the ceiling with the same colour, to make it feel like a hug.
Really think about the spaces you've been to that you have felt the most calm and relaxed - there is likely a commonality in colours and textures in these spaces that you can draw upon for your own space. Or look to your closet to see what you gravitate towards when you feel the most at ease and confident! If you can wear it, you can more often than not live in it too.
7. Area Rugs
Nothing is worse than getting up and out of the bed in the morning, and your feet land on a cold surface.
Enter area rugs – a sure way to be comfortable way to start your day.
Hotels have been shifting from wall-to-wall carpet solutions, moving to wood floors with area rugs and we are here for it.
Since engineered wood flooring is pretty typical in most Canadian homes, introducing a rug is easy – just be mindful of the size of the rug, and aim to have minimum 18” inches (24-26” is preferred!) of foot landing space on each side of the bed.
8. Bedding
I’ll be quite transparent here, I’m no bedding expert like some of my counterpart designers, but this is of course integral to a good night’s sleep, comfort and a wonderful experience in any hotel room.
The same should be said for your bedroom where you’re sleeping in daily! We have been loving our organic bedding from Homebird (not a sponsored callout, we just love the products!), and there are so many amazing brands out there – we highly recommend investing in your linens!
We were inspired to create this blog post after giving our own bedroom a refresh - realizing the importance of creating the sanctuary space for ourselves - and we couldn't be happier with having made that decision. You can do it for yourself too and we hope these hospitality tips were helpful. And as always, if you’re ready to create that hotel-inspired sanctuary bedroom you can connect with us to make it happen sooner! Make sure to reach out for us and set up a complimentary Phone Date to get the process started!
-AP