How to make your bedroom feel like a luxury boutique hotel

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06 November 2022

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4 min read

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Eye-catching decor, ambient lighting and high-thread-count sheets needn't be forgone come check out. Here's how to emulate the chic and soothing effect of a boutique hotel in your own bedroom.

When it comes to all-encompassing indulgence, nothing delivers like a luxurious boutique hotel. Eschewing standardised decor and unimaginative furnishings in favour of transportive spaces thoughtfully curated by renowned interior designers. However, the good times needn’t end at checkout; it’s possible to recreate the same vibe in your own bedroom.

Here’s how to create a soothing and sophisticated space redolent of a boutique hotel.

Use ambient lighting

To emulate the feel of a high-end boutique hotel, lighting should be soft, indirect, and a little sexy. Make use of indirect light sources such as bedside lamps with fabric coverings, bronze or copper wall sconces, and maybe even a chandelier for a touch of drama.

Peninsula House by Arent&Pyke | Photography by Anson Smart
Peninsula House by Arent&Pyke | Photography by Anson Smart

Pay attention to bedding

For many, the comfy and cosy hotel bed is a key drawcard while travelling – along with the buffet breakfast – with business people and incurable nomads alike espousing the somniferous properties of sleeping away from home. By paying careful attention to your bedding, you can bring the soothing properties of a hotel bed to your own bedroom. While a good quality mattress is a necessity for all, premium bedding takes it to the next level. Linen sheets are a trendy option for the elegant yet lived-in look, however silky soft bamboo or Egyptian cotton never go out of style.

Redesigning an Empty Nest in Mosman by Cloth + Stone Designs | Photography by Brigid Arnott
Redesigning an Empty Nest in Mosman by Cloth + Stone Designs | Photography by Brigid Arnott

Keep it symmetrical

Symmetry is essential to cohesively unite multiple design elements. Symmetry is not synonymous with being identical, however keeping shapes, silhouettes and colours balanced in a space is a surefire way to ensure design harmony. In the bedroom, let your bed serve as the focal point and branch off from there, keeping design elements balanced. Ground the room with a large-scale rug underfoot and let your art and bedside tables mirror each other.

Darlinghurst Terrace by Tom Mark Henry | Photography by Pablo Veiga
Darlinghurst Terrace by Tom Mark Henry | Photography by Pablo Veiga

Create a thinking corner

Due to their studio setup, hotel rooms have pretty much everything you need for short stays within a small floorplan. While we’re not suggesting you place a kitchenette in the middle of your bedroom, creating a space designed for quiet contemplation is a smart idea. To facilitate technology-free activities like reading and writing (with a pen and paper!), place a comfy statement armchair and a table in your bedroom.

Ghin Ghin House by Dion Keech Architects | Photography by Mitch Lyons
Ghin Ghin House by Dion Keech Architects | Photography by Mitch Lyons

Engage in your own daily turndown service

Now, one of the best things about staying in a hotel is not having to make your own bed. While you may not get the same treatment at home, taking the time to make your bed in the morning sets your evening self up for a hotel-like experience upon entering your bedroom. Take the effort to turn down the sheets, perhaps even tuck in your fitted sheet, fold your clothes and put them away, and fill up a carafe with water and leave it on your bedside table. If you want the full hotel experience, try leaving a wrapped after-dinner mint on your pillow.

By the time bedtime rolls around, you’ll feel like you just entered a luxury hotel.

Queens Park by Alexander & Co. | Photography by Felix Forest
Queens Park by Alexander & Co. | Photography by Felix Forest

Install bedside light switches

Representing an easily achievable luxury in any home, installing controls for task lighting by the bed means you needn’t leave the comfort of your sheets to darken the room before sleeping. Alternatively, simply having wall sconces or lamps by the bed means you can engage in a little pre-sleep reading before easily flicking off the lights.

Hue House by Arent&Pyke | Photography by Anson Smart
Hue House by Arent&Pyke | Photography by Anson Smart

Go graphic and colourful

To avoid a staid ‘white-box’ feel in your bedroom, take design cues from boutique hotels by incorporating splashes of colour and aesthetically pleasing patterns into your space. Painting or wallpapering a feature wall is an obvious way to do this, however decorative soft furnishings are an impactful low-commitment option.

Find the right bedding and furnishings for your bedroom on ArchiPro.