Skip to main content Skip to header navigation

Decorating Diva: Travel-inspired home decor

by

Get inspired by hotels

Travel means staying in hotels, and we’ve all had those moments when we first walk into a gorgeous hotel room or new trendy resort and wonder how to capture some of that breezy style back at home. As a traveler by trade and home fashion design lover at heart, Salmela has been lucky enough to have seen some of the finest, trendiest and chic-est hotel decors in the world. She provides her tips for bringing beautiful hotel style into your home.

Conversation areas

Like every hotel lobby, a great hotel-inspired home needs a place to convene and converse. Salmela suggest pairing eclectic pairs of chairs with accent drink tables to mimic conversation areas you’d find in a hotel lobby. Mix items that contrast, like something masculine and feminine, or formal and casual, for a unique look.

Statement beds

The bed is the single most important item that anchors a hotel suite, so pick your bed first when designing your bedroom, and let everything else in the room be dictated by that focal point.

Bedroom decorating ideas from our photo gallery >>>

Exotic prints

Hotels don’t go with ordinary, so look at signature pieces that make bold statements. Interesting textiles and exotic prints – on anything from pillows to bed sheets – add travel-inspired charm to your home.

Lucite

Lucite is a definite must-have hotel-inspired material, Salmela suggests. It literally adapts to any style that it’s paired with, making modern styles more glamorous, and classic or traditional styles a bit fresher.

Add one statement piece

Hotels are spaces that can go over the top with eccentric shapes and sizes. You can do the same, just in a smaller way. Pick a spot in your home to show off a one-of-a-kind conversation piece. It could be a coffee table or wall hanging or even a sculpture – the point is to find something people notice.

Salmela says travel is also her greatest source of continual education, and something that makes her a better designer. “I get to see different architecture and furniture styles and wood types that I wouldn’t get to see at home,” she says. “It helps me know what else is out there, available for me to use for myself and clients.”

Happy travels!

Tell us

What is your favorite souvenir or memento acquired during travels?

Share with us in the comments section below!

More from Decorating Diva

Home decor ideas inspired by Cinco de Mayo
Stylish home decor gifts for Mother’s Day
Going gaga for green home design

Leave a Comment