Bedroom Makeover with HotelTonight
before.
after.
If you've been following along for a while, you've seen us transform a plain bedroom into a jungle hideout, take a dark and depressing dining room and turn it into a full blown pink and gold dining FANTASY, and renovate a 50 year old trailer into a glamper.
Those projects were fun, but like, what if you don't want to sleep in a jungle room? Or commit to eating every meal in a dining room fit for Malibu Barbie? Or spend three very hot months tearing apart 50 year old wood and metal to create a tiny home on wheels fit for the pages of Country Living* and Design Sponge* and Dwell Magazine*?
*shameless brag because we're just as surprised as anyone tbh
What if you just want some simple tips for things you can do to your bedroom in a single day to make it feel more like that simple minimalist luxury of staying in a boutique hotel. Gentle reader, this one is for you.
A couple months ago, we partnered with HotelTonight and used their booking app to stay at La Serena Villas in Palm Springs and, well, it was amazing. Long story short, it legit had us transported to a world where the architecture and relaxed coastal vibe of the Amalfi coast meets the upbeat midcentury desert Palm Springs is so well known for. It was an oasis of relaxation and luxury, with every detail well-considered and executed perfectly. When thinking about how we’d like to design a room based on this hotel, we opted for bringing in the same white and sea blue color scheme, with a few midcentury elements and greenery to brighten the space up. Throughout the room, from the linens to the decor, you’ll find we’ve strived for keeping the details in line with the clean and organized structure of a hotel room, so that every morning can get off to a good start.
Our goal: create an approachable and affordable re-design that anyone can recreate in just a few quick steps following their stay at a well designed hotel booked through HotelTonight. It should be do-able in one day, on a budget of $500 - $1000, and without any major renovations or furniture purchases. See how we did it below!
p.s. read more about our booking process, and the perks of using HotelTonight at the bottom of this post... you shouldn't miss out on this app.
STEP 1: BED LINENS + PILLOWS+ THROWS
Opt for: bright, minimal, clean
Our pick: West Elm Belgian Flax Linen Duvet in White // Oversized Stripe Pillow (Target)
The Belgian Flax Linen has a fantastic cooling but cozy feel, with a lived in look. You likely wouldn't actually see this material used in a hotel because it can be somewhat delicate (and you know people can manage to destroy things real quick on vacation), but if it's for your home it's a great way to take that comfy cozy and clean hotel bed feel and kick it up a notch further. Also it's great for in-bed Instagram photos because it captures the light so beautifully. It's 2018, that's a real thing to think about. Yes, we can all collectively roll our eyes at that.
Beyond the perfect duvet, our favorite touch of luxury is a euro sham pillow - these are a bit oversized at 26x26" and really help fill out a bed, giving it that "come on, jump into my comfortable pillow-covered wonderland" vibe.
STEP 2: NIGHTSTAND
Opt for: contrast
Our pick: Jewel Round Side Table from Target
While we're not expecting most folks to get home from vacation and replace their entire bed, changing out a nightstand is typically an affordable way of bringing some fresh life into your bedroom. If you're working with a somewhat dark bed and dresser like we were, brighten things up with a bedside table that is lighter in color. It will bring in a slightly more bohemian vibe without getting too cray. We chose this particular side table as it gave a nod to the carefree attitude every vacation should have, which is one of the best parts of staying in a hotel duh.
STEP 3: GREENERY
Opt for: being honest with yourself and picking out fake plants if you don't want to set yourself up to waking up in a room full of dead plants every morning OR if you actually do take care of plants -- the real deal!
Our pick: 5 ft Faux Fiddle Leaf Fig from World Market // Faux Monstera Leaf from West Elm
Millennials LOVE rooms overcrowded with plants ... but plants are basically the goldfish of adulthood. At first they bring excitement and joy but the next thing you know, you're literally flushing a dead fish down the toilet. This maybe wasn't the perfect analogy.
Anyway, if you have a history of creating a succulent graveyard on every window sill, there are a TON of fake plants out there that look remarkably real and we're here to be the ones to tell you you shouldn't be writing them off! Check out the links above in "our pick" for a couple examples!
STEP 4: WINDOW TREATMENTS + RUGS
Opt for: black out curtains // basic, calming bedside rugs
Our pick: To stick to our Mediterranean theme we chose black out curtains that had a sea blue color. They keep out all light, and help provide a nice backdrop for the bedside table to pop against. And for rugs: Bleached Ivory Basket Weave Jute Rug
The best part of being on vacation is being able to sleep in. While you maybe can't do that on a super regular basis, make sure you're getting that option whenever you can by using blackout curtains. They're designed to block out pretty much all light and ohmygod they are a must for anyone who is prone to waking up with the sun, but doesn't actually want to.
Onto rugs. Is there currently a rug under your feet when you get out of bed in the morning? If not, that’s step 1 — waking up to a cold floor is honestly rude to your feet and there are so so so many cute and simple bedside rugs you can purchase. One of our favorite places to grab these is World Market. They’ve got a huge selection of 2x3' rugs that range from basic to CrAzY.
We recommend going for a bedside rug that is comfortable and basic, as it’s one of the first things you’ll see in the morning and before you go to bed, so leaving it a blank slate is typically a good idea.
STEP 5: ACCESSORIES
Opt for: minimalism, organized
Our pick: simple candles, clear vases, trays for holding items and decor (check out these adorable soy candles from Anthropologie!)
One of the things that makes a hotel room feel so airy is its complete lack of clutter. There's none of "that stuff." You know... that stuff... the papers sitting on the desk or the stack of books waiting to be organized or the pile of unopened 'Jonathan Taylor Thomas 4 Ever" posters waiting to be hung (just us?).
That stuff weighs on your mind, so take a note from hotel design and make sure everything that is in your bedroom in plain site - EVERYTHING - has an actual functional purpose. Take inventory of each item out in your bedroom, and if you haven't used it this week, find a proper storage place for it. You're immediately going to feel better.
And that's our redesign! We did it in just one day after a couple days of planning and kept it well under $1000. Check out more before and after coverage over on our Instagram in the Story Highlights, and let us know if you use any of our tips. Don't forget to check out more about HotelTonight right below!
xoxo Matt & Beau
More about HotelTonight - our favorite hotel booking app
The app partners with hotels around the country to compile a list of hotels in each city with unbooked rooms, which they can then sell for cheap. They're organized into helpful categories like "basic, solid, hip, and luxe" and you get "geo-rate" discounts if you're in the same area as the hotel. The app is incredibly user friendly and has kind of a sexy design which is a weird thing to call an app but like, you'll get it once you check it out.
Thanks so much to HotelTonight for sponsoring this post, and a major thanks to our readers for supporting the companies that keep Probably This up and running. As always, all opinions are our own.