You all know that I like to travel… a lot. In a previous blog post, I shared some inspiration from my recent adventure in Marrakech. And, truth be told, I just returned from a trip to India before this COVID pandemic left us in our houses for an unknown amount of time. This post initially focused on the travel destinations and discussing why hospitality was so important (ideally focused on being a gracious host for out of town guests). But the world is upside down (or topsy turvy a la Mary Poppins) and talking about guest rooms and travel seems inappropriate right now.
Instead, I want to use this post to highlight the ways that you can bring luxury travel home and make your bedroom a place of refuge during these weird times. We spend so much time in our beds (1/3 of our lives :)) and now we're likely napping and working in them too since we can't travel anywhere. Part of the fun of travel is the luxury experience of hotels and nice stays where the sheets and towels feel like heaven. So let's see if we can't bring a little bit of those niceties into our own homes to help us enjoy this new time at home.
Here are my top three things you should add to your current space to make it feel more like a luxury hotel room:
1. High quality bedding
High-quality bedding is the number one indicator of a luxurious bed. Yes, you should make sure you have the right mattress (please change these every few years…). But once that investment is complete, I implore you to invest in high-quality sheets and inserts. Thread count isn’t important, it’s the materials that are used. I’m a sucker for organic cotton sheets and the cool feel on your skin when you get in a bed made with these sheets just makes you want to never leave the bed. Layer great sheets with a blanket, a down comforter, some pillows, and you will have a bed that makes you (and your body) surprisingly happy for years to come.
Note: If you think these are investments, you bet they are. Investments into your future happiness.
2. Blackout curtains
Curtains are necessary for any bedroom experience and blackout gives you the best range of options. I’m a person who relishes waking up to the sunshine without an alarm clock. And most days that works and I leave the curtains open (but only because my neighbors can't see into my room...haha). However, there are those days where the night before wasn't as kind to you and waking up at sunrise just seems like the worst possible idea. When you just need a few extra minutes (or hours) of sleep, having blackout curtains to close on those days is unimaginably blissful. Blackout-lined curtains come in a wide variety of fabrics, colors, textures, and styles, so you can find ones that are functional and fit nicely into the aesthetic of your space.
3. Cozy towels
Just like bedding, towel quality is something you instantly feel. Imagine taking a hot shower that melts all of your cares away, reaching for a towel, and feeling stiff and scratchy material. Um, ouch. Unfortunately, this is all too common in our homes where we don’t take the time to change the towels as frequently as we should. Again, I like to focus on 100% cotton towels - those made from Egyptian or Turkish cotton tend to be the softest and most absorbent. I like white towels because they are easier to clean with harsher cleaning agents (bleach, etc.) but color towels always add fun to the space as well. It’s a nominal cost but high quality towels make you feel special. Why not have that every day in your own house?
Now more than ever, enjoying your home is even more important. Take some time to elevate your living spaces to mimic your favorite travel hotels/spots.
