Have you ever walked into a designer hotel lobby or suite and said, “Um, how can I get my house to look like this?” From the fluffy beds to the chic details, there’s style inspiration each time you check in at a new hip spot. You’re not the only one who wants to make their own space feel as welcoming as a hotel, and the founder of Hotelement, Paula Oblen, has made it her mission to make sleek hotel style available to everyone. She’s revealing the design pros’ secrets, and we’re ready to snatch up every piece or furniture and advice. Read on to see a few of our faves.
1. The Viceroy Hotel, Anguilla: This Caribbean hotel takes full advantage of its seaside location by incorporating the colors of a sandy beach and textures of driftwood. Hotelements tells you exactly how to get your hands on a lamp like the one in the suite and how to imitate the color palette by adding touches of charcoal gray.
2. The Iron Horse Hotel, Milwaukee: Housed in a 100-year-old warehouse, The Iron Horse Hotel has a lobby full of industrial details that recall its rich history. Experiment with different finishes in your home, from distressed leather and knotty wood to polished concrete and steel.
3. Avalon Hotel, Miami: Miami is known for its art deco architecture, and The Avalon brings that mid-century style into its suites with a cool color palette that’ll make it hard to forget you’re at the beach. (Not that you’d want to.) Channel that Mad Men vibe at home with low-slung, curvy furniture.
4. B2 Hotel, Zurich: Located inside a former brewery, the historic B2 Hotel combines clean lines with modern touches like glass and concrete. Bring the look home with hammered iron pendant lamps and plush leather.
5. Athol Place Boutique Hotel, Johannesburg: Offering contemporary style in South Africa, Athol Place has nine suites full of details you’d want to take home with you. Mix materials like wood, leather, metal and mirrors to replicate the sophisticated look.
6. The Betsy Hotel, Miami: When you walk into The Betsy, you instantly feel like you’re stepping into a historic Miami landmark, with palm trees and colonial chic design setting the stage for an ideal vacay. Go for the same look with shutters and rich dark woods.
7. Chapman House, Nantucket: The lobby of this hotel, located in the charming island town of Nantucket, is unexpectedly retro. We love its bold use of color. To imitate this groovy style in your own home, Hotelements suggests keeping the overall tone of the room neutral, so your accents really pop.
8. Mondrian Hotel, Los Angeles: This glamorous hotel in West Hollywood uses bright white as the backdrop for its stunning accent pieces and surprising splashes of color. Want to imitate this elegant look in your home? Hang white curtains, accent with black pieces and don’t be afraid to mix patterns.
9. The Parker Hotel, Palm Springs: There’s nothing boring about a trip to Palm Springs, so your hotel shouldn’t be boring either. The Jonathan Adler-designed lobby is eclectic and retro, with artful pieces that are perfect conversation starters.
10. Thompson Hotel, Beverly Hills: You would expect nothing less than modern luxury in the heart of Beverly Hills, and the Thompson’s bedroom suites don’t disappoint. Imitate the minimal style with plenty of storage to hide all your clutter.
Have a favorite hotel whose style you want to steal? Let us know in the comments!
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.