Hunker down for a happy holiday at home

Turn confinement into the ultimate luxury staycation, says Emma Love, by giving your house a hotel makeover, complete with a party-starting cocktail bar and in-room spa

One of the best things about checking into a hotel is that moment when you unlock the door and arrive in the sanctuary of your room. Now that most of us are confined in our homes, it’s the perfect opportunity to work on making them places we really want to be, and recreating that feeling of calm in our own spaces.

“To be cosy and provoke an emotion, interior decoration should tell a story,’” says Arnaud Zannier, whose hotels include Phum Baitang in Siem Reap (where the Jolie-Pitt clan stayed for months) and Ghent’s 1898 The Post. “Choose one or two remarkable pieces – whether that’s objets, candles or flowers, anything that brings personality to a room – and put the emphasis on those.”

“I like to compose a few areas of focus – perhaps a painting, a table, a stack of books – but for me, bed linen is the key to making a bedroom look plush,” says Karen Roos, co-owner of The Newt in Somerset among other hotels, and former editor of Elle Decoration in South Africa.

Lighting and the bed are a priority for many interior designers – but even the smallest change, whether it’s repainting the walls, rearranging artworks or ordering new bed linen online, can make a big difference to the ambience. Here are some simple tricks for recreating hotel-level interiors at home.

PIMP YOUR BED

“In a hotel, the first thing you see when you walk into a bedroom is the bed,” says interior designer Robert Angell, who created a new look for One Aldwych, which reopened last June. “The bed is usually positioned to make the most of the view, so if you can, rejig the layout so that it faces the window. At this unprecedented time when we’re all stuck indoors, feeling like you’re connected to the outside is more important than ever.”

To ensure your bed feels inviting, Kit Kemp, co-founder and creative director of Firmdale Hotels, suggests getting out the sewing machine. “We love bringing craft into a room. If you can make a headboard out of your favourite quilt, or collage together scraps of fabric, it’s something completely unique.”

Make sure you have all the vital accessories in your bathroom, main; lighting the way, the Fife Arms in the Scottish Highlands, right

“Great bedding is the ultimate accessory for a bedroom,” says designer Kelly Wearstler, who recently overhauled the Proper Hotel in downtown LA and has just launched a timely series of interior designfocused video lessons for MasterClass – ideal for creative inspiration while we’re cooped up inside. “You spend so much of your time in bed that the sheets should be as luxurious as possible – they’re worth the investment. I am obsessed with SFerra’s ‘Giza 45’ sateen bedding.”

LIGHT UP YOUR LIFE

For Russell Sage, designer of hotels such as the Fife Arms in Scotland and the Goring Hotel in London, lighting always comes first. “At the moment there’s a real desire to make our homes feel cocooning and getting the lighting right really helps with that. From cocktail hour onwards, switch to lamp light and, if you have overhead chandeliers, use the dimmer. Lamp light makes faces and rooms look softer,” he says.

Meanwhile, Robin Hutson of the Pig hotel group believes the secret is ‘“well-planned circuitry mixed with flamboyant vintage lampshades to give that cosy glow”. In his book, The Pig, Tales and Recipes from the Kitchen Garden and Beyond, he writes: “Characterful lampshades made from reclaimed fabrics can really add wow factor to a room. We often use old saris which are translucent and colourful.”

‘In a hotel, the first thing you see when you walk into a bedroom is the bed’

COLOUR AND PATTERN

Calming, tonal palettes work especially well in a bedroom. “For the Goring Hotel, we used a lot of old golds and very pale greys, rather than being too fashionable or loud,” says Sage.

Meanwhile, at The Newt, Roos favours cool hues. “I like colours such as greens and blues in off-tones, not too bright; they should blend into the

Afternoon Tea at Claridge’s, served in the art deco Foyer, is a British institution. Stick to the classics: finger sandwiches (crusts off), scones (cream first, then jam), tinkling piano music in the

background rather than make demands on the senses,” she says.

For an easy DIY overhaul, Kemp’s tip is to paint part of a piece of furniture. “Mix and match different woods – mahogany with pine, say – and then just paint the legs or drawers a bright colour. Suddenly it becomes much more interesting,” she says, suggesting using fabric to line walls or wardrobe doors as another way of introducing print. “Often fitted cupboards can take over a bedroom but by covering the doors in fabric so you only see the handles, it makes them feel less obtrusive – something which is especially important if a bedroom doubles as a study.”

Another update worth considering is eye-catching textiles. “Statement cushions and blankets are a great way to experiment with colour and pattern, in a way that doesn’t have to be long-term if you do find yourself changing your mind sooner than you expected. Layered on to a bed or sofa, they create new focal points to a space,” states Siobahn Farley, creative director of Soho Home, the interiors collection from Soho House.

Rugs, too, are a good way to add character. “A rug brings a sense of comfort – it is always nicer to walk barefoot on a rug than on the floor – but it’s also a way of picking up colours elsewhere in the room,” says Zannier.