THE ROYAL CRESCENT – DECOR INSPIRATION

You know when you stay at a hotel and just love everything about the interiors; the neutral colours, design, textiles, pop of colour, luxurious finishes, how they combine rustic with glam. I could go on forever but I think you get the point. Every now and then I just have to share some pictures from my recent travels. Especially when the hotel décor is as pretty as this!

We have developed a family tradition that we visit Bath every summer for a few days. Bath is only few hours away by car and it’s so nice to get out of London for a mini break. We stayed at The Royal Crescent last month for the first time and the Georgian architecture and the interior design details really impressed me. The hotel is situated in Bath’s Royal Crescent,  one of Bath’s most iconic landmarks, and from the moment I walked in, I just loved everything about it.

I think most people like to feel spoilt when they are staying at a hotel and the Royal Crescent certainly makes you feel special. It almost feels like you have gone back in time! The whole building just oozes tranquillity and opulence but it doesn’t feel cold or impersonal like some hotels do. I think it’s all thanks to their amazing attention to detail and exquisite interior choices which made me feel like a kid in a candy shop during most of my stay.

I love minimalistic contemporary design but whenever I’m staying at a hotel I tend to prefer luxury over simplicity. I think it’s because it couldn’t be further from what my own home looks like, which let’s face it, is refreshing and gives you chance to escape the reality. The Royal Crescent didn’t let me down and I got so many wonderful ideas that I cannot wait to use when decorating our own home.

The hotel has been newly refurbished and you can really tell. I love the way they mix more contemporary looking pieces with antiques; mixing old and new elements in a room seem to work every time. Art deco style mirrors, contemporary style lamps and pop of blue in different rooms give it a more current touch as well. I especially enjoyed the blue themed bar/lounge, the pale blue detailing in the stairway and the navy outdoor lanterns that make me wish I had chosen a different colour for our own lanterns a few years ago.

Drawings room are quite old fashioned but I don’t mind them in a hotel. There’s something very relaxing about them. I think it’s to do with having a separate closed space where you can relax and read a book, or have a quite drink or two! Although, I think most people who live in an old house would prefer to adapt it to their modern needs rather than keep the rooms closed. I loved the decorative elements in the drawing rooms which can be easily translated into modern living rooms as well. Like I said, it’s all about skilfully mixing old and new pieces together which is particularly easy to do in neutral rooms.

The mood lighting and the table lamps also caught my eye. Lighting is such an important part of decorating that you really don’t want to skimp on it. The warm shades made the space feel intimate and relaxing while the wall lighting was highlighting the paintings on the walls. Fresh flowers and coffee table books were the icing on the cake without a doubt. I can only imagine how cosy this place must look around Christmas time when it’s cold outside and you’re drinking a hot chocolate next to the crackling fireplace.

I’m still trying to find ‘the’ perfect side/console table for our hall and I couldn’t take my eyes off this one (below). It wouldn’t be practical in our hall but it definitely looks unique and impressive on its own. The table top is leather and the design is absolutely striking. I just love everything about it. It’s a shame that sometimes the most beautiful things can be also the most impractical.

Luckily our room was as beautiful as the rest of the hotel. The neutral colour palette was elegant but the clever way of using colour as an accent really paid off. I loved the golds, different shades of beige, luxurious finishes and the bold red furniture pieces. It’s all about getting the balance right and it certainly did it for me. I mentioned lamps before but I actually love the bedside lamps in our room the most. We have very contemporary, minimalistic lamps in our bedroom at the moment but I’m thinking about replacing them. I find that our current lamps don’t really produce enough light to highlight the wall art above our bed, which we got more recently, so it might be a good time to find new bedside lamps, with a larger shade and base.

Our recent garden make-over has proven how important it is that the exterior of the house complements the interior as well. I like that the garden flows with the house décor and I thought the gardens at the Royal Crescent were perfectly designed for that purpose. This is the ideal spot for some alfresco dining or afternoon tea on a sunny day. Everything was so well thought out from the garden furniture to the navy blue lanterns on the exterior walls that perfectly match the interiors as well. I’m also a big fan of structural plants and you cannot go wrong with buxus in my opinion.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my interior highlights at the Royal Crescent and if you are ever planning to visit Bath, I can absolutely recommend this hotel. I got plenty of interior inspiration during my stay in Bath and it’s great to see how bold colours can work so well in a such a luxurious and elegant setting. People are often afraid to use strong colours but touches of colour can come from ornaments, books, flowers and art and it’s probably better to start small in case you happen to change your mind.

I’d love to know if anyone else gets inspired by hotels? Do you prefer contemporary or more ‘old school’ interiors?

Happy Summer Holidays!

For more information visit www.royalcrescent.co.uk