Written by Jessica Chang
When designed right, accommodations can be the most enjoyable part of one’s travels. A well curated resort helps a guest escape and relax. We strive to create equally refined spaces in our projects. This blog discusses a few ways architects can design your home to feel like a resort.
Site Orientation and Views
Resorts and spas are often located in desirable natural settings, be it coastal, mountainside, or in the desert. As such, resort architecture often highlights the surrounding environment. This can mean bringing certain plants or rock formations into the resort or having windows that perfectly frame a specific view. The same principals can be applied when designing a private home. Many of our clients choose their sites because they have fallen in love with the views, so we make sure the important spaces like the living room and primary bedroom have the best vistas.
The areas of the site with quieter views can also be highlighted. The windows of our Ridge Mountain residence in Palm Springs open to the adjacent desert rock formations. The framed view serves almost as a piece of art or focal point in the sitting room. The site can also be referenced by using materials from the landscape in the form of walls or floors. Strategically connecting back to nature is prevalent in both resort design as well as in our residential designs.
Bedroom Design
Bedroom design plays a crucial role in making your home feel like a resort. Resort and hotel rooms are characterized by their luxurious textiles and fine details. Modern suites often feature minimalist furniture with rich materials drawing more attention to the surrounding and views.
One way to keep a bedroom clean and minimal is to use a custom bed. EYRC often designs custom bedframes for our clients. The bed shown above was designed for our Ridge Mountain residence, in Palm Springs. The bedside table was built to be a continuation of the bed frame – made of the same oak and sitting at the same height. This bespoke setup creates a cohesive design across the bedroom.
Bathroom Design
Spas and bathrooms are both areas of interest, relaxation, and decompression in a resort. The calm spaces make the act of cleansing a relaxing way to unwind. A bathroom at home should inspire the same level of meditative relaxation. When designing a bathroom, we take note of the items used by our clients, so that each bottle and brush has a place to sit out of sight. Hiding everyday clutter in a home can make a residential bathroom feel more like a spa.
Many of our bathroom designs have stone feature walls and sculptural bathtubs Deep soaking tubs are not only a comfortable amenity but also a beautiful visual focal point in a bathroom.
Curated Décor
It is difficult to pare down one’s belongings to be as curated as a resort but having a few carefully considered art pieces can elevate your home. Some of our clients already have collections of art or travel tchotchkes - these artifacts are taken into consideration when we design. We like to create niches or display areas for these key pieces.
Other clients may not have art or collections they are tied to and in that case we can help. We often help select art pieces with our clients that are cohesive with the concept of the house as well as our client’s personality. As a very collaborative firm, we also enjoy working with talented interior designers for some of our projects.
In the past year we have been spending less time traveling and more time at home. If you find yourself inspired by resort architecture, reach out to an architect and they can help bring the feeling of vacation to your everyday life at home.
