Creating a Hotel-Style Bedroom at Home

Spending the night in a luxury boutique hotel is a pampering experience — and one that many of our clients ask us to recreate in their homes. When designing a hotel-style bedroom, our goal is to help the homeowners feel like they’re on vacation all year round. Sounds good, right? A relaxing retreat typically includes these four elements: a soothing palette; a sumptuous bed set-up; appropriate lighting and light control; and comfortable seating. First, take a look at how one hotel I recently visited combined these elements and then read on to see how we incorporate them in our bedroom creations.

Hotel Inspiration, Island Style

I love to travel and always gather design inspiration on my trips. Our recent family getaway to Turks and Caicos certainly got my creative juices flowing. We stayed in a villa at a lovely resort named the Grace Bay Club, and our bedroom captured the essence of laidback island style. More importantly, though, it encouraged relaxation. My breathing slowed as soon as I walked in. Of course, the ocean view didn’t hurt! These iPhone photos I snapped don’t do it justice but you get the idea.

Of course, I dissected every detail of the design (a hazard of my profession). First of all, the pale neutral color on the walls sets a peaceful tone and doesn’t detract from the ocean view. Moreover, it complements the driftwood-like finish on some furniture pieces. The clean-lined bed, with its tall plexiglass backdrop, serves as the focal point. It’s lush pile of pillows offsets the hard surface. The swing-arm sconces flanking the bed allow for late-night reading. An upholstered chair and ottoman offer another spot to relax and maybe check emails. In short, all the elements are there.

Owners’ Bedroom with Tranquil Palette

Before enlisting us, our Fairfax clients painted their bedroom a light-gray hue that set the stage for our serene scheme.

They also asked us to incorporate a few of their existing pieces, such as the nightstands (we placed new Visual Comfort lamps on top). But a brand-new bed was a must. We selected a wood-frame bed with a painted finish from Hickory Chair and covered its tufted headboard in a muted, worldly print. Atop the custom comforter, we layered accent pillows in a complementary mix.

Light control is imperative for a restful night’s sleep. Here, motorized shades from Hunter Douglas do the job well. For softness, we installed side panels fabricated in a slubby, striped linen from Cowtan & Tout.

A sitting area is a thoughtful addition to any bedroom, if space permits. In this room, we placed a chair in front of the large window and added a pillow dressed in a luxe cut-velvet.

Primary Bedroom Oozing Southern Charm

Imagine staying in a boutique hotel in a captivating southern destination such as Charleston, New Orleans or Savannah. That’s the scenario we had in mind for the owners’ bedroom in a Capitol Hill row house we designed. One of our goals was to breathe new life into our clients existing furniture set. And the luxurious, cheerful bed linens from Matouk certainly go a long way.

Granted, this is a bit more color than we typically use in a primary-bedroom retreat, However, our client hails from the South originally and has a high threshold for color and pattern. She requested feminine florals and we delivered. A calm shade of blue on the walls (Sherwin-Williams Mediative, to be exact) helps to tone down the overall effect.

In the bay-window nook, two Henredon chairs offer a sunny spot to read or chat. Motorized shades from Hunter Douglas control the light with ease.

We believe private spaces deserve the same level of attention and detail that public spaces receive. And that extends to beautiful artwork. Here, an original painting, entitled Pink Peony, by Javier Cabata is a pretty sight from the bed.

Read more about this updated-traditional Capitol Hill row house in Flower Magazine.

Guest Bedroom that Stylishly Cocoons

This guest bedroom, housed within a contemporary condo at DC’s The Wharf, features floor-to-ceiling, steel-framed windows — which look out over a neighboring building. Privacy was a chief concern. Intense morning sunlight also streamed into the room. Custom blackout drapes, crafted in a Kravet fabric with an arabesque motif, address both fronts.

We then wrapped the remaining walls in a cool-gray, silk covering from Innovations. The upholstered headboard and nightstand were from the clients’ existing collection. We found the lovely duvet cover and pillow shams in a painterly print at Bloomingdales.

Owners’ Bedroom to Soothe the Senses

In the Bethesda home we designed for empty-nesters, the primary bedroom is on the small side. To keep the space light and airy, we opted to do one accent wall in a soft blue hue and painted the other walls off-white. Given the parameters, space planning posed a bit of a challenge. First, we placed the queen-sized bed in front of the window and designed a bespoke curved headboard to the ideal specifications. The headboard’s back is tufted in a nubby, linen-like performance fabric. The bedding and decorative pillows are all custom too.

The Hunter Douglas blinds already in place effectively darkened the room. To soften the look and create a beautiful backdrop for the bed, we added linen drapes featuring embroidered botanicals.

In lieu of table lamps, we mounted a swing-arm sconce on each side of the bed. This solution works well in a tight space. What’s more, adjustable sconces are great for avid readers. The acrylic nightstand almost disappears, adding no visual weight to the airy scheme.

The Comfort and Luxury of a Hotel at Home

In sum, a hotel-style bedroom provides a sense of escape. We love creating soothing sanctuaries that pamper our clients all year around — and indulge their overnight guests too. If you’re dreaming of a restorative retreat of your own, please contact A. Houck Designs. We’d be happy to help!