Lobby inspiration
Many of us are guilty of acquiring toiletries from hotels, but what about taking advantage of another hotel ‘freebie’ – the interior design expertise they use to lure us in the first place? Home of the Year judge, Deirdre Whelan, who has worked on hotel interior design projects for more than 20 years, has some take home ideas
Every year on Home of the Year is different. This year we had a lovely mix of small, very large and everything in between. There were new builds, extensions and getting old and new to work together. It’s so interesting to see how people make things work for themselves and it’s always nice to see authenticity rather than something that’s styled because it’s in fashion. I think people are travelling so much more now and staying in hotels with great design as well as all the inspiration of websites, Instagram and design books.
This year we had a few houses where there was a problem with acoustics, which is something that can be a big problem in busy hotels and restaurants. Someone might have built a beautiful extension and created a magnificent space, but you’re in the room and if there’s three or more people talking, then it becomes really uncomfortable. It’s something that’s often not thought about when people are designing a space and they may not have lived in it long enough to realise they need curtains or rugs to soften it up and reduce sound bouncing off all the hard surfaces. In restaurants or the big spaces of a hotel foyer, where there is obviously a problem of a lot of people speaking at once, a cushioned fabric or felt put in the underside of the tables can improve the acoustics. There was more than one place in Dublin during the Celtic Tiger years that had that problem. Rugs, curtains and big soft sofas can help in the home after the build, but from an architectural point of view, before the build, you could consider acoustic plasterboard to help with sound absorption and reverberation.
In general, hotel rooms have to be really functional, where things have to be easily accessible and with good lighting, switch control, a spot for a TV or a desk. The layout needs to be such that you have enough space around the bed so people can circulate comfortably. All of these are essential in your home too, especially so in newer homes, where the rooms aren’t so big.
I think keeping the decor simple and uncluttered is another lesson from hotel rooms that we can use in our own bedrooms – it’s supposed to be a space where you chill out after all.
Modern hotels are more casual and flexible spaces, so for example, people can work in the bar area or have meetings in quiet parts of the foyer – building this kind of flexibility into your home is also good, especially if you have an open-plan living area. Spaces need to be multifunctional, which I think is something that many hotels do brilliantly – creating a home from home.