Interior designer Natalie Jahangiry is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on decorating a home to suit a busy family life while sticking to your aesthetic values, too. See the rest of her articles here.
There’s something irresistible about the way great hotels balance comfort and character. From playful textures and bold colour palettes to scent, lighting, and the smallest finishing touches, I’ve gathered my top tips to make your home feel curated, inviting, and tastefully elevated, just like your favourite luxury hotel.
“Can you make my home feel hotel chic?” is one of those questions clients love to ask, and honestly, I get it. Who doesn’t want that effortless, luxurious calm?
With my background in wedding stationery and Jen’s experience as a wedding planner, it made perfect sense that our first “venture into the wild” would be at a wedding venue. So, off we went to Kin House for our very first Q&A session – a chance to explore, ask questions, and soak up design ideas straight from a space that beautifully blends character, comfort, and style.
We left Kin House brimming with ideas (and a camera album full of inspiration) on how to bring its style into our clients’ homes. While most of us can’t live in a Georgian manor, we can borrow clever design tactics to make our spaces feel just as elevated, welcoming, and thoughtfully curated.
So here’s some tips to bring the essence of hotel chic into everyday living and where exactly to take your inspiration from on your next hotel stay.
Design details worth borrowing
Taking cues from a hotel’s colour palette, paint techniques, patterns, and wallpaper can elevate your home with a touch of modern luxury. Don’t be afraid to replicate small design details, mix patterns, or introduce thoughtful styling elements that echo the atmosphere of a space you love.
Run a bold colour around your woodwork to pay homage to a Berlin hotel you once stayed in; seek out a wallpaper reminiscent of that cosy cabin in the Lakes; clash patterns like the New York boutique that stole your heart; or borrow the panelling layout from that effortlessly stylish stay in Copenhagen.
Don’t be scared to experiment with colour, pattern and their usage. Whatever resonates with you, let those memories shape some of the character in your home.
A play on scents and senses
The scent of a hotel often carries a sense of luxury, warmth, and nostalgia. More often than not, this atmosphere is intentionally crafted to draw you in and romanticise the space, and there’s no reason you can’t recreate that feeling at home.
A subtle nod to your favourite hotel stays can come through considered touches such as candles, incense, hand wash, or fresh flowers. At Kin House, I was particularly drawn in by the delightful lingering smell of Verden, which appeared in different forms thoughtfully placed throughout the venue.
Adding depth through texture
Texture plays a vital role in interior design. Without it, a room can feel flat and one-dimensional. Introducing a mix of materials and tactile finishes instantly adds depth and warmth.
Think of subtle nods to the rugs or upholstery you’ve admired during hotel stays, or the way textures are layered in boutique spaces, from velvet cushions and woven baskets to statement marble or soft linens. Consider soft furnishings like cafe-style curtains, wool cushions, or layered throws to add warmth and depth.
Incorporating these elements thoughtfully creates a more considered, inviting space that feels both luxurious and lived-in.
The finer details
Lighting and the finer details are key to shaping a space. It’s often the small touches that are forgotten, but these are the elements that elevate a design, making it feel effortlessly luxurious with hotel-like qualities. The beauty of a brass light switch, a statement pendant lamp that draws the eye, or carefully placed side lights that create a cosy glow.
Lights are really important to creating a stylish room design – my golden rule is don’t use the big light (something my fellow Open House writer Grace documents so well here), so never underestimate the power of a soothing glow… it transforms a room from simply functional to inviting and indulgent.
Don’t overlook your knobs, handles, taps, and door hardware also, these small details can elevate your space and bring a truly thoughtful design aesthetic to life.
The finishing touches
Beyond lighting and hardware, consider other subtle details too. Carefully chosen accessories such as structural vases, a curated tray, foliage and chic storage baskets can instantly lift the mood of a space. A statement piece of artwork, even a large print or a well-chosen poster, can act as a focal point and inject personality without breaking the bank.
Smaller touches, such as metallic coasters, a luxe soap dispenser, or a stack of beautiful books, can make your home feel thoughtfully designed and luxurious. By focusing on the little finishing touches, you can capture the elegance and comfort of your favourite hotels in a way that’s both personal and affordable. These thoughtful elements work together to create a space that feels sophisticated, and uniquely yours, much like the hotels that inspire you.
Creating a hotel-inspired home isn’t about copying a space exactly. It's about capturing the essence of the places you love and translating it into your own environment. By layering colour, texture, lighting, and those thoughtful finishing touches, you can design a home that feels personal, and inviting.
Whether it’s a signature scent, a statement print, or a carefully chosen throw, these small, considered details make all the difference. A little creativity and thoughtful choices can infuse your home with the elegance and comfort of your favourite hotels, creating a space that’s uniquely yours.
