How to bring a hotel into your home
Notes from studying my favorite hospitality touches
Tops of glass bottles catch the soft light of a lamp on your left. Beyond it, the room opens up into a landscape of texture—vibrant fabrics and plush linens that transform the living space and bedroom. It feels like a getaway, but it’s better: it’s home.
For years I’ve perused, more like obsessed, over the details in the rooms that make my heart beat a little faster and grin as if I was 14 years old watching Heath Ledger swoon Kat Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You.
From the Parisian elegance of the Nomad London to the spirit and timelessness of the Orient Express and the classic sparkle of New York as worn in The Bowery and Chelsea Hotel accommodations. These spaces master opulence without the frost. There is a storied, lived-in quality to the design that makes even the most elevated room feel like an open invitation. That being said, my bank account does not support a stay at these locations; that is why I have studied and used my best efforts to weave in their sparkle into my own home.
Mini Bar
Admittedly, this is the most obvious, but I list it here for its design impact. An edited bar corner featuring full-sized bottles and spirits you actually enjoy (alcoholic or not) —none of which require a second mortgage. Admittedly, I don't mix drinks as often as I'd like and have considered tucking it all out of sight. Yet, the deep, rich ambers of the liquors and the uniquely designed labels add such a lively personality to the room. It’s a sensory detail that feels just as special when entertaining guests as it does when mixing up an Old Fashioned on a Friday night.
Turn it Down (and up)
It sounds obvious, but it’s the one detail that consistently stops guests in their tracks: the lofty, cloud-like bed. The most frequent question I’m asked is How do you get it to look like that? The formula is two down duvets and a daily morning fluffing of the pillows. It sounds indulgent, but the ritual takes four minutes and pays dividends the moment you lay down. It is about creating a destination within your own four walls. Trust the process.
Signature Scent & Chocolates
(not just on the pillow)
Amber and sweet patchouli melt into my parents’ family den, while a mist of juniper berries and grapefruit fills the air in my best friend’s seaside home. These are not just scents; they are a visceral and deep-seated memory connected to these special places. An invisible layer of design that hits you the moment you cross the threshold. By curating a specific scent for your home, whether through a heavy-bottomed candle or a discreet diffuser, you immediately establish your mood. I light Moroccan Amber when I miss home and Greenwich as my constant scent throughout the year. To take it a step further and nod to that classic five-star hospitality, I love to have a beautiful bowl of chocolates (I alternate between Kisses, Andes Mints and Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Cups) on the entryway console or coffee table. It is a small detail that feels like always feels like a special treat.
Textured Layers
While I first learned about the art of texture by studying the storied hotels mentioned above, a well-layered space isn't exclusive to hospitality—it is the hallmark of good design. This depth is achieved through a mix of materials: the tactile pull of linens and wool, the weight of velvet, and the rich, varied stains of natural wood. If you are not looking to invest in new pieces of furniture you could try adding in a different textures or patterns of pillows and throw blankets. It is the easiest and most affordable way to try it out in your space.
Floor-to-ceiling curtains
Floor-to-ceiling curtains are the ultimate visual trick I brought home from my favorite boutique hotels, and they deserve a permanent spot in your design playbook. By mounting your drapery at the highest point of the wall rather than just above the window frame, you immediately draw the eye upward, creating the illusion of soaring ceilings and grand proportions. It is a masterclass in hotel-grade theater: it softens the hard edges of a room, adds a rich, columns-of-fabric texture, and makes an ordinary room feel like a custom-designed suite
Eclectic Gallery Wall
One of the most captivating secrets of a great boutique hotel is its refusal to look like a sterile showroom, and nowhere is that more apparent than in its art. Instead of matching sets, the spaces I am most inspired by lean into a storied energy—mixing a moody oil painting with a minimalist sketch, an abstract print with a vintage photograph.
By embracing an eclectic mix of art and a deliberate mismatch of frames (pairing ornate, tarnished gold with clean, modern oak), you immediately give your home a sense of history and depth. It creates the illusion that your space wasn't decorated in a single weekend, but rather curated over a lifetime of travels and intentional discoveries.
