Hotels are designed to help you relax. Here are design tricks to bring the look and feel home | Canada Voices

Ever notice how your shoulders seem to drop the moment you walk into a great hotel room? That’s no accident. From lighting to scent to layout, hotels are carefully designed to help you relax.

The research backs this up. “There is little doubt that the environments we spend time in can influence our thoughts, feelings and behaviour,” says Dr. Lindsay J. McCunn, a professor of psychology at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, B.C. “Good design is not simply about aesthetics; it can influence stress, mood, cognitive functioning, satisfaction and quality of life.”

The good news? Many of those design tricks are surprisingly easy to bring into your home.

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Prioritize natural and warm, indirect lighting

“Lighting sets the emotional tone almost immediately,” says Sam Allen, managing director at Noisy and Co, a U.K.-based creative agency that focuses on building spaces that influence how people feel. Most experts agree: To encourage relaxation, opt for warmer, lower-intensity lighting. Allen says that the transition between bright lighting in offices – designed to keep people mentally alert throughout their work day – to something softer in a well-designed hotel helps guests to slow their pace, linger and generally feel less rushed.

Other design considerations include access to natural daylight, which Dr. McCunn says is “generally associated with better mood and well-being.” And indirect illumination: behind headboards, built into counters, wall sconces and side lamps. Compared with overhead lighting, these fixtures won’t stress the eyes, says Toronto-based interior designer Omo Iserhienrhien of Ori Eight Studio.

The quickest fix? Choose a WiFi-enabled light bulb such as Wiz to control brightness and colour.

Add eye-catching accents

Increasingly, hotels are home to memorable visual features such as attention-grabbing artwork, dramatic staircases or fireplaces, lush plants and gardens and carefully framed views. The Fairmont Waterfront has sweeping views of the Vancouver harbourfront and includes a rooftop garden. And while Allen says this is typically intended to create a memorable guest experience, which leads to good reviews, repeat business and sharing on social media, there are relaxation benefits, too.

A 2021 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found links between spending time in nature and improved cognitive function, brain activity, blood pressure, mental health and sleep. “Research has shown that exposure to nature, or even views of natural landscapes or indoor plants, can promote psychological restoration and reduce stress,” says Dr. McCunn.

Plus, artwork and architectural features can act as visual anchors. Instead of the eye constantly scanning a cluttered environment, in a well-designed hotel it will land on intentional focal points like a statement staircase or large painting. Some research says that spaces with clearer visual hierarchy are easier to process, which can reduce mental fatigue. Translation for your home: add plants and statement artwork and reduce clutter.

Create comfortable spaces

It should come as no surprise that comfortable surfaces such as beds, couches, chairs, pillows and area rugs help one feel more relaxed. And while that certainly matters in the bedroom to ensure a good night’s sleep, Allen says to remember all the other areas of the hotel – or your home – too. “Some of the most successful hotel spaces aren’t bedrooms at all,” he says. “Lobbies, libraries, terraces and lounges are designed to feel like extensions of your living room.”

Trying to recreate that comfort at home? Iserhienrhien advises choosing sofas with enough depth, plus upholstered chairs, tufted well. “The sweet spot is a classic silhouette arm rest, at least a 30-per-cent incline in the backrest – soft enough to relax into but structured enough to support posture,” she says. “Low chairs are popular right now but aren’t great for everyone’s mobility.”

So instead of a frameless side chair, for example, Iserhienrhien suggests a mid-century Bartholomew cocktail chair or Seal lounger.

Pay attention to the layout

The research is divided on whether open layouts or smaller, more private spaces are better for relaxation, which is why well-designed hotels do both: openness in the lobby and cozier, more compact design in rooms and suites. “Preferences with respect to room layout can vary considerably,” says Dr. McCunn. “Some people value openness and expansive window views while others prefer smaller, more enclosed spaces that provide privacy and a sense of refuge.”

In other words, pay attention to the hotel and home spaces you’re in and choose what’s best for you. If your home feels too open, break up rooms with furniture like bookcases or privacy screens. If it feels too closed in, cut down on clutter and add mirrors and lighting to create an illusion of depth.

Remember the details

Smaller design details in hotels like sound, scent and temperature go a long way. “Unwanted noise is consistently associated with stress and reduced well-being,” says Dr. McCunn.

Want complete silence at home? Upgrade doors and windows – consider solid wood doors and triple-pane windows with weatherstripping intact – and use soft furnishings like area rugs or curtains to muffle sound. Prefer some noise? “The background music in a hotel bar isn’t chosen because the manager likes it,” says Allen. Rather, it allows the hotel to create a relaxing atmosphere. In sum: curate a slow playlist or add a fan for some white noise.

Scent also matters. There’s a reason so many luxury hotels develop their own signature fragrance, Allen says. For your home, think candles, essential oils and soaps in scents like lavender, sandalwood and ylang ylang, plus fresh botanicals. The Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, for example, leaves a lavender balm for guests on bedside tables. Dr. McCunn says temperature, humidity and good air quality are also key. “Feeling in control of one’s surroundings is a recurring theme in environmental psychology,” she adds.

Make everything easy to find

Whether you’re ordering room service, looking for your suite’s complimentary toiletries or finding the restaurant or spa, a hotel’s goal is to make everything as easy as possible. “Reducing friction is often more important than adding luxury,” Allen says. He adds that ease of use helps reduce guests’ mental effort. In your home, this means thoughtful organization that can range from a labelled spice rack in the kitchen to a designated tray or basket for everyday items like such as keys, mail or chargers.

Opt for a design that makes sense for you

Ultimately, Dr. McCunn reminds Canadians that there is no single design hack. “Thoughtful design matters, but there is no one-size-fits-all formula.” In other words, pick elements that work for you and don’t focus on a singular trick, but rather the overall experience in your home. Pay attention to hotel designs you like: Iserhienrhien is fond of the Ace Hotel Toronto, whereas Allen points to 1 Hotel Toronto and the Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland.

“Hotels won’t hand you their vendor lists, but you can take photos,” says Iserhienrhien. “Get familiar with local trades to recreate the look. A good upholsterer can restore a vintage seat. Electrical shops can retrofit lighting to suit your space. A skilled millworker can make any space feel custom with built-in cabinetry, fireplace surrounds and shelving.” (For homeowners based in Toronto, she suggests Standard Shop for lighting and Daej Designs for millwork.)

Of course, the goal isn’t to recreate the hotel exactly, but to borrow the design choices that help you feel calmer and more comfortable in your space.