A few weeks ago, I moved into my boyfriend’s studio apartment, but the setup was always going to be temporary. The grinding of the espresso machine in the kitchen currently doubles as my alarm clock—need I say more? We’ve recently begun our search for a one-bedroom, and while we’re finding plenty of places that feature the thing we desperately need most (a bedroom door!), our days of living in tight quarters aren’t behind us. In search of fresh ideas to make the most of our slightly-less-small future space, I am looking to the source that has never failed me: hotel rooms. 

Whenever I ask a designer what inspired their latest project, there’s a fifty-fifty chance they’ll name a hotel. The old-world charm of Inness influenced a cottage in nearby Rhinecliff, New York. The Ignacia Guest House in Mexico City lent some serious color to a Takoma Park, Maryland, house. Why? Because hotel rooms are where the pros turn their wildest dreams into a reality. And for an urbanite like me, their clever kitchenettes, chic closet solutions, and ultra-functional furniture also happen to be small-space gold. 

Courtesy of Lark Hotels; Photography by Brian Ferry

Here are 10 little doses of luxury I’m bringing to my next place:

01. Hang a pendant lamp in an unexpected corner and suddenly that spot has real purpose (most likely: reading nook). 

02. There are two ways I often see a sofa laid out in a space-savvy hotel room: at the foot of the bed or snuggled next to a nightstand à la this long and narrow suite at Cape Cod’s Bluebird Dennisport.

03. A divider is a no-reno way to split a room into two functions. Much like the one at The Fifth Avenue Hotel, I’d choose a screen you can partially see through. 

04. A single-wall kitchen might sound like an eyesore, but one look at the red stone countertop and gray-blue walls at work in this Hotel Julie suite convinced me otherwise. 

05. In a twin room at Muji’s hotel in Ginza, its designers squished two single-arm sofas up against a corner post to create the illusion of a sectional. 

06. Let’s not forget about rental homes! Robert McKinley made the kitchen cabinets at his latest Montauk, New York, bungalow appear taller by topping them with wicker-wrapped bottles. This Etsy bunch is similar. 

07. In lieu of a medicine cabinet, I’d take a page from the Yowie Hotel and create bathroom storage with Shelfology’s punchy picture ledges.  

08. NYC apartments are full of quirky niches, and La Relève in Marseille taught me that each one is an opportunity for a closet if I’ve got fun fabric and a tension pole handy.

09. An idea for my far-off future home reno: an under-the-stairs area that contains drawer storage and a desk. Thanks, Lodge at Marconi.

10. Bed frames that double as nightstands are a hotel staple because they give you just enough room for a water glass and a book without soaking up floor space. 

When you only have about 700 square feet to work with, every furnishing counts. Still, my budget isn’t limitless, so I plan to invest in the areas people will see the most of (walls! floors!) and taper off from there. 

Splurge on...Finishes

Forest green carpeting, shimmery silver walls, checkered bathroom floors—Hôtel de la Boétie, designed by Beata Heuman, makes everyday surfaces a sensory experience. 

• Marbleized Wallpaper, Beata Heuman, $92 per linear meter

• Grange 8”x8” Tile, Fireclay, $30 per piece

• White Marble Lever, Myknobs.com, $186

Go Either Way on...Love Seats

They’re not just for studio apartments. I’d squeeze one into my next bedroom to achieve an extra-luxe wind-down space. 

• Applaryd Love Seat, IKEA, $1,249

• Ameriya 50” Love Seat, Wayfair, from $456

• Spruce Street Love Seat, Serena & Lily, $3,598

Save on...Lighting

When a space has dual (or triple!) functions, splurging on hardwired fixtures doesn’t make sense. Portable lamps and plug-in sconces offer much-needed flexibility, and they cost a whole lot less than calling in an electrician.  

• Space S Mini Portable Lamp, MoMA Design Store, $55

• Studio McGee Wall Sconce With Horizontal Arm, Target, $60

• Wee Scoon Cordless Table Lamp, Pooky, $95

Designer Arden Wray once told me that she measured every inch of a bathroom at the Marlton Hotel so she could replicate the dimensions in her 900-square-foot cottage. That’s dedication. Here are five hotel bathrooms I would copy and paste.

• At the Downtown L.A. Proper, Kelly Wearstler continued the Moroccan shower tile behind the vanity mirror, making the space look extra vast.

• Esmé Miami Beach squeezed a toilet, sink, and shelving in what I can only guess is 3 feet of wall space, max. 

• Marble vessel sinks, brass-lined shower niches, and bobbin mirrors bring big charm to the tiny huts at Aller Dorset. 

• When I watched Noz Nozawa lay out a bathroom in this video game tutorial, I realized we all need face-level lighting (forget overhead!). 

• A console sink like the one at Sanders in Copenhagen would offer enough countertop space to spread out my skin-care products without adding visual clutter. 

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