It doesn't get more exciting than that, starting from scratch with a new build under the directive of an architect. I'm not sure if I've found my true vocation in life, or I'm just enjoying time on terra firma to dedicate to a new interest, but my last eight weeks have been (obsessively) invested in design, from bricks to blankets, of a new home.
There's no doubt that my love of design and interiors is probably the output of a life of hotel living.
It would be difficult not to be influenced - such frequent stays away from home, I'm not one for budget, or large hotel chains.
I seek out the perfect boutique or hip hotel in whichever city I am sleeping in that night, definitely have a penchant for the Design Hotels portfolio, although a few of my favourites for style and design, in recent months include the uber trendy Ace Hotel and Town Hall Hotel in East London and the hi tech Eccleston Square, Gastwerk in Hamburg and Das Stue in Berlin, the eclectic Fontecruz in Lisbon and the very sleek Vdara in Las Vegas...
It would be difficult not to be influenced - such frequent stays away from home, I'm not one for budget, or large hotel chains.
I seek out the perfect boutique or hip hotel in whichever city I am sleeping in that night, definitely have a penchant for the Design Hotels portfolio, although a few of my favourites for style and design, in recent months include the uber trendy Ace Hotel and Town Hall Hotel in East London and the hi tech Eccleston Square, Gastwerk in Hamburg and Das Stue in Berlin, the eclectic Fontecruz in Lisbon and the very sleek Vdara in Las Vegas...
My lust list of favourites all boast similar traits and trends - loft living, retro furniture, style conscious statements and a luxury that is more about slick design than fussy over-decorated decadence.
But it's not a replica hotel room that I want to create for my home, a ubiquitous life sleeping in different beds and cities is one thing but it also makes you think differently about how you feel about and what you want from home.
But it's not a replica hotel room that I want to create for my home, a ubiquitous life sleeping in different beds and cities is one thing but it also makes you think differently about how you feel about and what you want from home.
Home is my base. My comfort spot. A place for downtime from a busy life, an escape from suitcases and 3fl oz grooming, and time for family and friends.
I'm far from a traditionalist. I want home to surround me in my favourite things and a luxury that is more grown up and has learned from my travels around the world.
I'm far from a traditionalist. I want home to surround me in my favourite things and a luxury that is more grown up and has learned from my travels around the world.
For me, designing my home is about fashion, rather than a trend. I adore the different style of so many wonderful hotels and can take inspiration from my favourite parts, rather than carbon copy.
Polished flooring of the Mediterranean, sharp lines of Italian design, oversized headboards and art, crisp white linens, statement items of furniture and accessories, jaw dropping lighting and a subtle palette of nudes.
...put like this, it might read like an ideal boutique hotel, but turning a trend into something fashionable and more timeless is about the finishing touches of personalisation.
...put like this, it might read like an ideal boutique hotel, but turning a trend into something fashionable and more timeless is about the finishing touches of personalisation.
I pick up furniture and accessories on my travels, capture images of my favourite places - my home is designed to tell story, personal to me, of the many miles I've travelled and gather the best of the stunning surroundings I am so blessed to experience, indoors and outdoors.
Maybe, when it's all complete, I will yearn for home more than I yearn for the skies. Who knows, maybe this will be the one hotel I look forward to checking into and spending most time in...
'Til next time, Pandora
Photos and hotels featured: Eccleston Square Hotel, Town Hall Hotel, The Manor Hotel by Laura Ashley, Morton Hotel.
