Livinghouse

Are you looking for design inspiration for your en suite? Whether you’re installing from scratch or just updating, Virgin’s new hotel – formerly the Old Dearborn Bank Building – in Chicago could offer some smart ideas for your makeover.

From maximising space and clever storage to complementing the adjoining bedroom, this unlikely source could offer just the design solutions you need for your own bedroom and en suite.

Think like Virgin

Virgin says it focuses on ‘how a room works, not just how it looks.’ A design tip we could all benefit from following when overhauling our interiors. Also that, ‘…ours works twice as hard – creating 2 lifestyle-focused rooms in 1: the Dressing Room and a Sleeping Lounge – separated by a sliding set of privacy doors, complete with a second peep hole.’

Remember, this is no ordinary hotel, this is a Virgin Hotel.

Obviously Virgin’s hotel rooms, or rather Chambers and Suites, are designed with the traveller in mind, but their design rules translate well into our own homes too.

Rooms designed to meet our lifestyle expectations

As the growing demands of our lifestyles impact on our space, we expect our rooms to facilitate more and more tasks.

Our bedrooms are not only for sleeping in, but for relaxing, watching TV and working in. They’re also expected to accommodate adequate storage for our clothes, shoes and the ‘stuff’ we can’t bear to part with.

Our bathrooms and en suites no longer just feature baths for the long soak, but also showers to accommodate our need for a quick wash-and-go in the morning. Plus, storage solutions to house our vast collections of essential beauty and grooming products.

Virgin also recognises this need in its temporary residents and has optimised its room design and layout to provide just that, ‘Our groundbreaking Chamber design combines the hallway, closet, and bathroom into one luxurious Dressing Room area, while Privacy Doors close to create a Sleeping Lounge, ideal for working, recharging, and playing.’

Design tips to steal from Virgin’s hotel

Ensure your master bedroom and en suite meet your lifestyle expectations by fully utilising the space available. If you love to watch TV in bed, opt for a wall mounted version to save space. If you’re in the habit of working from the comfort of your bedroom, ensure there are ample plug sockets in all the right places.

The inclusion of a dedicated area for a dressing room and dressing table may seem extravagant, but if you can remove these from the bedroom you will create a calmer sleeping environment. Don’t forget, alcoves can be utilised for storage and a separate vanity area.

Space allowing, include His and Hers sinks in the en suite design to speed up morning ablutions and add a sense of boutique hotel chic.

Depending on your space and layout, include sliding doors to separate the en suite and dressing area from the bedroom to reduce noise and enable privacy when required. Failing that, a single door will do.

You’ll find more tips and design inspiration on our blog.