Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Thursday 12 March 2020
Bringing it home: Find inspiration in public spaces’ décor

By MELISSA RAYWORTH of fabric. “Everybody talks
Associated Press thread count,” Morris says,
Sometimes, sitting in a pub- but find out whether the
lic place like a hotel lobby, hotel sheets that impress
you notice a mix of colors you are percale or bam-
you’d never considered boo or jersey or something
using in your own home — else. “Bamboo sheets are
and you realize you abso- really silky and soft,” she
lutely love it. says, “compared to the
Or you see furniture that’s really crisp nature of per-
much more modern than cale.”
you thought you liked, but Another bonus when stay-
it’s just what your living ing in a beautiful hotel
room needs. room: Take a good look at
Interior designers say clients the tiles in the bathroom.
often tell them about public Hotel bathrooms “tend to
places with style they want be a little over-designed,”
at home. This can function Burnham says. But you may
as a useful shorthand, says notice a nice tile arrange-
Lauren Buxbaum Gordon, ment. “Or you could love
design director and partner the use of a small-scale tile
at Nate Berkus Associates, on the floor versus a large-
who designs commercial scale stone on the wall.”
and residential spaces. This 2019 photo shows the inside of andSons Chocolatiers in Beverly Hills, Calif., which was de- If you take photos “and you
“If somebody tells us they signed by Lauren Buxbaum Gordon and Nate Berkus. Associated Press really think about it while
love the Park Hyatt in New you’re experiencing it,” she
York versus the Greenwich their home. says, “you can bring a lot of
Hotel,” Gordon says, “we If you discover chairs or a that home with you.”
know we’ve got a good table you’d love to own, Want one more finishing
place to start with them.” take a photo. “We use touch? High-end hotels
It’s not about trying to du- Google image search all and restaurants are often
plicate that space’s style. the time,” Burnham says, subtly scented with a signa-
It’s more about specific el- when a client has a photo ture fragrance, Morris says.
ements — the flow of the of a chair they like. If you If you find out that one de-
space, or the lighting, or can’t find that exact chair lights you, ask the staff if
“the coziness factor” — for sale, you might find they can find out what it is.
that you’d like to emulate. something very similar. If they tell you the space is
If a client loves a certain Burnham and Gordon flavored with vanilla, Morris
resort in Mexico, Gordon both suggest Pinterest for says, you go to a home re-
says, that style is “probably this purpose: “If you have tailer “and you buy yourself
not going to translate to a particular restaurant in a vanilla candle. You do
Chicago, exactly. But we New York that you like, not need tons of money to
try to tap into some of the search for it on Pinterest,” make this happen.”
details: If they’re respond- Gordon says. “It’ll also pull And if you love a particular
ing to wicker woven chairs, up 1,000 other images that public space, don’t hesi-
we can certainly incorpo- look similar.” tate to ask the staff who
rate details like that.” CONSIDER YOUR SHEETS designed it. You can get
Northern Virginia-based in- Hotel visits are a great way the designer’s name, fol-
terior designer Tracy Mor- This 2019 photo shows the inside of andSons Chocolatiers in Bev- to test out design ideas low them on Instagram and
ris agrees: If you fall in love erly Hills, Calif. for bedrooms, from furni- perhaps even direct mes-
with the design of a sleek, Associated Press ture arrangements to color sage them a question.
modern dance club in Mi- palettes to bedding. If you “I have people reaching
ami, that’s worth noting. lamp or two.” says Burnham, and often it discover sheets you love out to me all the time on
And though bringing that So, notice which restau- comes down to choosing at a hotel, ask the staff for Instagram asking me ques-
entire style home to a tra- rants have lighting that the right chairs — in terms the brand name and type tions,” Gordon says.q
ditional Georgian house pleases you, and see how of style and comfort.
might not work, Morris says, they do it: Does the space So, take note the next time
you can bring in “cleaner- have “cove lighting,” you’re enjoying a restau-
lined pieces of furniture” to meaning things like strip rant: Are the chairs fully
get a bit of that style. lighting tucked out of view upholstered, or made of
We’ve asked Gordon, Mor- underneath cabinets or wood or metal, or a mix of
ris, and Los Angeles-based other indirect light? these? Do they have arms,
designer Betsy Burnham for Take photos of light fixtures and is that important for
advice on the best ways to that appeal to you, and your comfort?
make this happen. considering adding types Also, consider table shapes:
LIGHTING YOU LOVE of lighting you don’t have. Many of Burnham’s cli-
“There are so many differ- NOTICE CHAIRS AND TABLES ents love the long, narrow
ent layers of lighting in res- Is there a restaurant where communal dining tables
taurants,” Morris says. “In you’d be happy to sit for that have become popu-
a house, most people only hours and talk with friends? lar in restaurants — some- This 2019 photo shows the inside of andSons Chocolatiers in Bev-
have two: the overhead That’s the way you want thing they might not have erly Hills, Calif., which was designed by Lauren Buxbaum Gor-
don and Nate Berkus.
lights, and then maybe a your dining room to feel, thought of otherwise for Associated Press