Get the Look: MAISON MOSCHINO IVY ROOM

If you recall a few months back I posted a Hotel feature on the Maison Moschino in Madrid and have decide to include this in my "Get the Look" range - and I highly recommend you do get the look as its surprisingly simple to do, and far more achievable than some other Hotel schemes to implement in your own abode.

Firstly, the rooms are imaginative and fun - both key factors in replicating the look - but not entirely practical (rose petal bedspread = not easy to wash!) so its not necessarily a bad idea to deviate slightly from the actual hotel rooms and go at little less OTT. I've looked at two of the rooms - the Ivy room and the Rose room so far - my favourites. I'm saving the Rose room for a later date, but for now...

Here is the Ivy Room Scheme:

The main feature of this room are the stripes. I think you could go with a dark olive or dark blue and achieve the same result - I've shown dark blue in the below scheme as its widely available and a little cheaper. Ikea have some blue & white striped fabrics in store, but I've shown William Yeoward in my scheme as he does a matching St Ives wallpaper.
The bed style requires a decorative ornate headboard which is both framed and upholstered (ideally customers-own-fabric so you can get the stripe) so the frame helps define the headboard against the matching striped wallpaper. The bed below is from Stokers and is called Sofia, but you could use a divan bed with separate headboard (if on a tight budget, headboards of this style can often be picked up at House Clearance shops or even Charity shops for a bargain price, leaving the relatively simple task of upholstering the board in your chosen material.
The Ikea staple, Hemnes Bedroom furniture, is a close match in terms of style and colour, though french shabby chic furniture would also work for a more decorative look. Top the bedside off with a simple shaded lamp.
Finally, add an Ivy garland and drape up the wall. These are available at many garden centres and would really complete the look.

Creative Interiors: Hotel Maison Moschino

I love Hotel design, particularly when Hotels push the boundaries and break the mould. Yes, we all love to wander into a stylish hotel and marvel at how coordinated the furnishings are, how comfy the mattress is etc etc. But design, really imaginative design, works on a whole other level. These are the 5* hotels dreams are made of – the ones where an imaginative architect, interior designer and more importantly, a client willing to trust their designers, have worked tirelessly to make their hotel the one to which all others aspire. They’re not common and we average Joes will most likely never have the pleasure of staying a night in one, but that just makes them even more appealing. I’m talking the like of the Sanderson in London, The Hotel Puerta Americas in Madrid, and now included in the ranks, the Maison Moschino hotel in Madrid.

The Maison Moschino has a clear concept which is creatively expressed throughout the Hotel and inkeeping with the fashion brand.

“True to the essence of the Moschino brand, we completely reinterpreted the building, adding 65 contemporary hotel rooms and junior suites inspired by a visionary and contemporary fairy tale theme. Spread out across four floors, the rooms are sensuous visions of surreal diversity. Entering the Maison Moschino is like falling down the rabbit hole: after a while, you come to expect the unexpected.

Highly imaginative and eccentric, we created the spaces to inspire the mind while the body relaxes – because to sleep is perchance to dream. The hotel features several luxurious amenities supporting the surreal Moschino theme: the imaginative menu served in our "Clandestino Milano" restaurant, the dreamlike drinks welcoming you in our exquisite ground floor bar, and the elysian atmosphere of our Culti Spa.

Welcome to Maison Moschino, where four stars meet a few clouds – and the occasional teacup table, forest bedpost, and rose petal-covered bedspread.”

I really love how whole heartedly the theme has been implemented into the rooms. What pleases me most about this type of boutique hotel is how multiple room schemes are used and how varied these schemes are – they don’t simply opt for a different coloured scattered cushion, they re-invent the concept from scratch to produce a unique design. Hotels used to aspire to a create rooms of a better quality than at home domesticity but essentially, they sought to provide a home-away-from-home experience where familiarity would relax and comfort. These concept hotels look to abandon familiarity and instead seek to provide an experience far away from domestic design –a real “Alice down the Rabbit Hole” adventure.

Out of the Moschino rooms, I really love the Forrest concept - its simplicity in colour and quirky use of woodland creatures appeals to me, for sure. I also LOVE the rose petal bedspread and am truely baffled as to how that actually works in a Hotel environment (seriously, how do they wash that?!). I also love the Ivy room with matching striped wall and headboard - its like an optical illusion.

I think it’s only a matter of time before this "concept design" makes its way into our homes – we are already seeing products emerge on the high street of a quirky nature (Next have a beautiful Teacup &  Saucer lamp i'm currently coveting). Will home design become akin to stage design in the near future?

M x

Copycat Design: Connaught Hotel, London

The Connaught Hotel in London's Mayfair is a particularly prestigious Hotel. Tastefully decorated without appearing dated, the Connaught's style is almost like Audrey Hepburn; no matter how many years past, she will always be stylish and fashionable without succumbing to the minute-fashion which adorns our high street. The Connaught has a distinct style which draws from various eras without committing to a particular one – its selective and mellow, opting to explore texture, depth and detail rather than using pattern and colour.

Though much of the Connaught's bedroom Furniture has been handcrafted by Afghanistan Artisans bespoke to each space, there are similar available to purchase off the peg, though unfortunately not at a price for every purse.

Top Scheme Items:

• Bed: The London Bed Company
• Bedsides: And So To Bed
• Wallpaper: Designers Guild, Ernani Opal & Ecru
• Armchair: Designers Guild
• Cushions: John Lewis
• Bedspread/Throw: John Lewis
• Floor Lamp: John Lewis
• Curtains: Debenhams Montgomery range

I love the Headboard used at the Connaught, and simply could not find a close match anywhere, but think that the Vermont bed by Frank Hudson is just as beautiful. I think the Hotel style overall is quite masculine, with dark wood tones, tailored drapes and wallpaper reminiscent of an Italian Business Suit – lush! – with delicate feminine touches in the floral arrangements and dainty lighting.

Cost to achieve? I'd allow for at least £10k in your budget to really go to town and replicate this in your own home, but again, stealing the colour palette and keeping minimal with cute tailored details will achieve a similar result. Happy Decorating!

HOTEL BEDROOM TOURS: the Covent Garden Hotel

Following on from the first bedroom tour of the Charlotte Street Hotel bedroom, I have decided to explore another of Kit Kemp's creations: the Covent Garden Hotel of London. Here, Kit has used a combination of her winning "English Country" style alongside local suppliers to the Hotel and a few trusted favourites from accross the pond. Though we can't all go trotting off to New York in search of the perfect bedside cabinet, I have included some of the actual suppliers for really specific pieces and alternatives in other cases, should you wish to recreate the style in your own home.

 

Top Scheme Items:

• Headboard: Just Headboards
• Headboard & Cushion Fabric: Galbraith & Paul, Citrus Maize Linen
• Wallpaper: Prestigious, Mystery
• Bedsides & Chest of Drawers: Blanc D'Ivoire
• Bedside Light: Graham & Green, Hector lamp
• Table Light: Andrew Martin
• Mirror: Graham and Green
• Desk Chair: Morgan Furniture, Diva Chair

 

This scheme is much simpler than the Charlotte, with fewer patterns and a fresher palette. I do like the simple geometric employed on the headboard and especially like the French inspired furniture. Were you to create this in your own abode, you could do so easily as the colours and patterns are those which you could find on the highstreet for less than those listed above. I think the items which I wouldn't deviate too far from are the headboard style (tall, fluted) as this really helps achieve the desired hotel look, and the Bedsides which are nicely detailed but could easily be revamped old pieces picked up from a car boot (if you're lucky enough to find such treasures!)
Next stop? You decide! Please leave a comment recommending a Hotel which you'd like exploring :D

HOTEL BEDROOM TOURS: The Charlotte Street, London

To kick start my Hotel Bedroom Tours, (where I try to source the fixtures and finishes of some of the best Designer Hotels to help you recreate the look in your own home) I thought I'd begin with one of my personal favourites: The Charlotte Street Hotel.

Part of the Firmdale Hotel Group and designed by owner Kit Kemp, the Charlotte Street has set the bar for many Hotel Designers to follow. Kit has spent many an hour sourcing lots of different manufacturers in order to create some inspiring and unique interiors. Thankfully, after a bit of research, I have been able to find some of the exact suppliers and source what I think are some good substitutes for the items which were a little more elusive, for what I like to call "the Blue Room"...

The key element for this rooms' design is the wallpaper and headboard fabric: the Jack Damask by Daniel Croyle. At a reasonable £40 a roll (cheaper than many high street wallpapers I may point out) the wallpaper has been used on all walls, rather than just a feature wall. Combined with the matching fabric in a cleaver colour change, the pattern really comes alive yet doesn't seem to overpower the space, most likely due to the calming colour scheme. The Fabric is a little more pricey at £57 a metre, and you'd probably need approx. 4m for a headboard of a similar design which would set you back around £300, making the Headboard an investment at £500-£550

Cleverly leaving the walls to provide the pattern and excitement, Kit has then used some fairly simple fabrics in the Curtains and Upholstery. Though I couldn't find an exact match, this fabric by Designers Guild is a good alternative, and they have a similar armchair design to that used in this scheme too.

Now, onto Furniture, I think the Keraton Range by Lombok works well with Kit's scheme - this costs £3680 for 2 bedsides, a chest of drawers and a wardrobe. The dark wood in a rustic, masculine form, really compliments what could be considered a feminine backdrop. the Bedside lamp is by Graham and Green, a not-too-bad £130 each: simple and classic.

And finally - what Firmdale Hotel would be complete without the Female Mannequin upholstered to match the headboard? I actually consider this a neat and practical addition to a bedroom and worth the extra expense - approx. £50 for a plain mannequin and then maybe 2.5sq m of fabric to upholster.

So how much would it cost to recreate this room's style? For your average bedroom, I would suggest a budget of £6,000 would do it. Of course, to reduce costs you could substitute the Lombok furniture for the Hemnes Range from Ikea and save £3,000.

I've quite enjoyed taking a look around Kit Kemp's design and am sorely tempted to try another one of her Hotels... the Soho perhaps? But in the meantime, let me know of any Hotel you'd like included in this tour

Up the Wooden Hills

Whenever it was bedtime as a child, I'd hear the fateful words from my Dad that it was time to climb the wooden hills to Bedfordshire – a place which sounded lovely but which was actually code for my bleak little box bedroom, which had the habit of being freezing cold in winter and blisteringly hot in summer. I remember, as a child, when we moved to our second home, that I specifically requested the front bedroom as I was under the misguided belief that the front bedroom was always the biggest. I based this on the knowledge that it was the case in our previous home and my grandparents' house. What can I say – I was three years old. When my mum announced that I was of course getting the front bedroom, I was delighted. Then we moved in, and I was a teeny bit disappointed when faced with a space which didn't quite have enough space to fit a bed and a dresser. I stayed in this room until I moved out and left for University at 18.

Consequently, I have a little bit of an obsession with bedrooms in general. I spent a lot of time in my room growing up (playing Sylvanian Families when I was 8, listening to music and generally moping about when I was a teenager) and the room became an extension of me. I painted it bright yellow when I was 13 as I was fed up of the baby pink my parents had thrust upon me and I was convinced it would make to room seem bigger. It didn't.

Now, all grown up, I'm still a firm believer that a bedroom is an extension of yourself; your private self – the bit that maybe not everybody knows about. You only invite a few people into your bedroom after all. If you watch any design programmes, they talk about achieving a boutique hotel look in your bedroom, and as I used to design these I can see the appeal to try and replicate that feeling of a luxury hotel in your home. You're relaxed in a hotel right? And somebody else cleans up after you… and you only have a suitcase full of clothes. But in reality, Hotel Bedrooms are not really practical for day to day living. Storage usually consists of a small wardrobe and a couple of bedsides. It does not account for your huge shoe collection, your 15 coats and your drawer full of underwear, and it certainly doesn't account for 2 people having all of the aforementioned. So the trick is to take what works, but adjust it to suit your individual needs.

So, what makes a hotel bedroom so appealing?

A 3* Hotel is plain and functional: everything is simple in design and the walls are plain, with a single coloured feature wall. The colour scheme will be simple too: white or cream, with a single colour represented on the cushions or upholstery.

A good 4* Hotel will have what appears to be coordinated furniture: a wardrobe (fitted or freestanding) which matches the desk and bedsides, and even the headboard. The bed will be located in the centre of a "feature" wall of (usually) some designer wallpaper or oversized graphic. The bedding will be white, with lots of pillows and scatter cushions of matching, luxuriant fabric, and a bedspread to add colour or pattern. There will be a desk with a desk chair, and at least one lounge-style armchair, both in a fabric which in either tone or texture, links to the bedspread, cushions, wallpaper… or even all three.
A good 5* Hotel will go one step further. The furniture will coordinate, but maybe not quite match; it will look individually sourced. Generally, the rooms seem more eclectic: the chairs may be different; the furniture is generally freestanding and does not come from a "range". They may even have a vintage, or an antique appearance.

Make it your own
So you loved the bedroom of the so-and-so hotel in that place you went for that long weekend, but was it really you? Could you stand to wake every day to that wallpaper? Could you really put up with the hassle of taking off all those scatter cushions every day, only to set the stage again in the morning? Do you need an armchair and side table if all they're going to do is play clotheshorse to your dirty shirts? Nope – Hotels work because they are selling an ideal. You walk into the room and go "wow" because you didn't spend 10 minutes making the bed and dressing it with an array of cushions that morning.

So… still keen on reproducing the hotel look?

If so, I'm going to take a look around some of the most loved designer hotels, and see if I can source the furniture, fabrics or wallpaper in a series of Hotel bedroom Blog posts. So, if you love a particular hotel, let me know and I'll see if I can help you to recreate your dream bedroom.