AUDIO: HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOUSE SEEM LIKE A FANCY HOTEL
Huffington Post asked interior designers, as well as hotel experts, to share their tips for making your home feel like a fancy hotel. Here they are:
– Establish a scent: “Luxury hotels have a recognizable aroma. This evokes a sense of calm and feels very inviting for travelers.” (* Oh, my house has a scent, alright. Somewhere between roasted garlic and sweaty Nikes.)
– Invest in your bed: “Buy the best bedding you can afford. Luxury bedding comes in a range of price points and will provide you with a five-star slumber.” (* …that you’ll never notice because you’ll be asleep.) Your bed should be extra-deep with a 12-inch mattress. Dress the bed beautifully with lovely toppers and six to eight pillows. (* … that you’ll have to throw on the floor every time you want to lay down.) And don’t forget to make your bed in the morning. (* Whoops! Time to pick up those pillows and put them on the bed again!)
– Use warm lighting: “Look into adding interesting lamps, chandeliers, sconces and more. Put dimmers on everything. Put blackout shades or draperies on your windows.”
– Create a nice bar space: “If not a full bar setup, it could be a decorative bar cart stocked with beautiful glassware and a bowl of fresh citrus.”
– Create a spa-like bathroom environment: “Install an oversized bathtub with intricate tiling or even just plush towels and a bathrobe. Put up decorative mirrors to add even more luxuriousness to your space. Invest in pleasant smelling hand soaps, diffusers, candles, bath salts… anything that enriches the sensory experience in your home.” (* And by all means, an exhaust fan for the toilet.)
– Incorporate conveniences: “Always have a charging station ready for your electronics, a water glass situated next to the bed and a lamp switch in arm’s reach.”
– Bring in plants and fresh florals. (* And don’t forget the gummies and edibles.)
– Focus on nice presentation: “Add a ceramic Q-tip holder, place your soap on a nice teak tray, invest in tissue covers, soap pumps and toothbrush holders.” (* This one came from Bed, Bath & Beyond.)
* Buy some memorable statement art. (* Nail it to the wall so no one steals it.) Curate special pieces. Less is more (* except when it comes to those damn pillows on the bed!). Purposely place items and objects in your home that you are fond of. Buy only coffee-table books that mean something to you ― such as an artist you like or a destination you’ve visited. (* In other words, don’t buy coffee-table books about stuff you hate, or that disgusts you. Like the breeding habits of insects.)
– Keep it organized. (* Oh, well, great, screw that. That’s never gonna happen.)
* Oh – and you’re going to want to move your house next to an IHOP or a Denny’s.
* They forgot about putting an ice machine outside your bedroom door that hums real loud, and installing an air conditioner that rattles.
* It’s like they just want you to buy everything in “Oprah’s Favorite Things” catalogue.
* And when you’re done, don’t forget to hire someone to come knock on your door every morning at 7:15 and go, “Housekeeping!” (see audio below)
CLIP: “Housekeeping” from Family Guy.
