The Hallmarks Of Hospitality: Designing A Welcoming Space

No matter if you’re hoping to let out a room in your household to a private tenant, you’re thinking about opening an Airbnb property, or you’re considering opening a bed and breakfast business, hospitality is the name of the game.

To get hospitality right, design has to be considered from the top down. This is often much different from the quirks we’d use to design our households, as the features, practical elements, design flow, and furnishings can differ depending on the style of the room, where it’s located, what the purpose is, and more.

No matter why you hope to design a welcoming space, considering the hallmarks can help you benefit. Let’s consider what those might be, and what principles even the best, most experienced hotel interior design services use. This can help us figure out our approach to style, and potentially attract either the kind of clientele, or the sort of future opportunities we’re looking for:

Navigability Matters

We tend to view the spaces we inhabit as actional areas to be utilized, and that can differ from room to room. But one function is unchanged - the need to navigate well and correctly. From an inviting entrance that leads to a seating area, to open areas that allow more than one person to stand, it’s important to orient furniture so the natural flow of the room can be identified and worked with. This way, you avoid annoyances such as doors not opening all the way, or utility (like bedtables being too far away from the bedspread), being compromised.

Lighting Offers Function & Ambience

Not all rooms have perfect exposure to natural lighting, and that’s okay. That being said, it’s important to maximize the perceived space of a room by careful light placement, ensuring no harsh shadows denigrate the ambiance you’re building. Harsher lights mediated by soft lighting, warm glow, and complimentary shades can allow for a room to feel welcoming, but not clinical. Also consider the fixtures and how they decorate the walls, because they are also the most noticeable decorations within a room.

Choose Thoughtful Textures & Materials

It’s not just the design of a space that counts, but the texture and materials that comprise such design. Just as you wouldn’t clash too many colors, ensuring that your textures and patterns mix well is important. For example, ensuring that the chair materials align well with the textures used for other comforts in the room will add a unifying style. This is why rooms that use varnished wooden furniture are often better when outlined with that same material, instead of clashing with more modernist materials like stainless steel, chrome, and brushed aluminum.

That foundation can then also define how you decorate the space, such as the stands you use for a television, cabinets, rugs and more. If you can compliment the shades, patterns and textures, a room feels more cohesive and welcoming.

With this advice, you’re sure to make the best of your hospitality space and ensure anyone who visits will be incentivized to stay.