Make your home feel like a hotel

Many times you go to a hotel and you never want to go home or at least you want to carry part of the hotel with you back home.
But the challenge is that most of the decorative ideas in hotels work best with large and spacious spaces but even though you have a small house, there are some ideas you can borrow from a hotel.
According to Andrew Mbabazi, an interior designer at Erimu Company, if you want to get that hotel experience at your home, the first step would be consulting an interior designer.
“Interior designers are the master minds behind the hotels’ comfort. If you want to feel the cozy experience you get from a hotel at your home, you must consult an interior designer first,” says Mbabazi.

Decor style
Having the hotel experience begins with the architectural style you have chosen. A contemporary style is very vital in making your home look more comfortable and appealing.
Mbabazi says, “Each style has different requirements so you will need an expert to help you make an informed decision on the style to take on with the appropriate designs required.”
One may decide to choose between Victorian, African, French or Spanish revival, Indian or Islamic style.

Spot lighting
Accent Lighting makes your house look modern and enables you to focus on a particular object or area of attraction like a wall hanging, television set or corridor. The lighting should be hidden in the ceiling and only use reflected lights.
“The rule is, no direct lighting”. Access lighting is the new way to go. It helps you highlight art or a particular place like a corridor or piece of art.”
Some accent lights are not made to shine on a particular object or place, but are a piece of art with a light source so they serve as a piece of decor for a home. They can also be used outdoor as walk-way guides.
According to Moses Kinobe, an architect at Kinobe and Partners, mood lighting is important and he emphasises using bright colours as they show less clutter in a room.
Also have bedside lamps just in case you wake up at night and must use the bathroom.

Dining area
You may choose to have either an indoor dining area but make the place is as comfortable as possible with flowers and pillows if it is going to be indoor.
If you opt for an outdoor dining, “Just like the indoor dining, you will need rugs which protect your patio or floor from food spills, says Kinobe.
Integrate some elements from indoors such as vases, candles and other decorations to make it more comfortable. These decorations should be protected from the sun or rain.”

Bedroom, curtains and wall hangings
It is very difficult to forget the experience of a great night sleep you had while at the hotel. Sometimes you may wonder what magic it was that made you sleep so comfortably. No one likes sleeping on old, scratchy sheets or it could be about having extra pillows more than those on your bed.
Use cotton beddings, remarks Gloria Kawuma an interior designer at Habitat Consultants Uganda ltd. Headboards can also be a great comfort for your bedroom.
“Crystal white cotton beddings make you feel clean and the comfort will come from the extra pillows. It should not be only one or two. Make them many.”
According to Mbabazi, over decorating the room will make it look cluttered. “Choose to have between a closet and a wardrobe in your bedroom depending on the style you have chosen. Do not, however ,over decorate the room because it will make it look cluttered.”
Bedside rugs and sandals will add more comfort and a feeling that you will not have to carry dirt to your bed. The shoe racks and dressing mirrors should be items never to be forgotten.
You may also choose to have a potted flower for décor purposes. Extra mirrors according Kawuma will make your bedroom look bigger.
“Have a small chair and table in case you must use your computer or want to read or write something while in your bedroom. Your bed is not for reading but rather sleeping,” says Kawuma.

The curtains
Renewal may not necessarily mean buying new items but rather recycling and changing what you have. Instead of investing in brand new curtains, try to work with the ones you already have according to Kinobe.
Mbabazi says you can work with long cream, or black and white curtain colours.
“The era of using short curtains that stop just at the window area phased out. The curtains at the windows must be at least 10 cm long from the ground to help keep out noise.”

Wall hangings and art pieces
Wall hangings are a good way to bring variety, colour and visual appeal into your home.
They are easy to arrange or replace although it may be hard to know what type would best work for you. Kinobe, however, warns, “Do not put all the hangings at the same time as this will make your room look cluttered. Put one at a time but change them periodically and often.”
He advises that if you have children, create an area where they can play so that they will not have to write on the walls to keep them clean.

Bathroom and music
The simple things like bathrobes, sandals, towels are must haves in the bathroom. “However small these things may be, they must be in the bathroom.”
A provision for toothpaste and toothbrush holder with a sink, where you can put your glass of drink while relaxing in the bathtub, extra towels and mirrors, having to choose between a cold or warm bath will help you get that hotel experience at home. Mbabazi says, “It is better to choose a standalone bathtub built using bricks because it is more stylish than the inbuilt.” You can have a tile up to the ceiling design in the bathroom but if you left some space, you can finish it with some wood cladding.”

Position of speakers
In hotels, speakers are usually hidden and the music played is usually not so loud but just to help you get relaxed. Also try to make your home sound-proof with the help of curtains and ceilings.
Kinobe says, “Find a suitable place to put the speakers but not directly facing you. The speakers are designed to be at a certain listening height and some manufacturers recommend a specific measure for speaker separation.”