Interior design tips from a Virgin Hotels stylist

Man sitting down on a sofa with his laptop.
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Asher Harris
by Asher Harris
6 November 2020

Lockdown efforts around the world mean many of us are more spending a lot more time at home. Kitchens have become offices, living rooms are doubling up as gyms, and you might be getting a bit tired of the furniture arrangements.

As we rely on our homes as our place of rest, work, socialising and everything in-between – now is a good time to breathe new life into these spaces. Virgin Hotels spoke to interior designer Hannah Cromwell of Cromwell + Company Interiors, who was the stylist for the Funny Library Coffee Shop at Virgin Hotels Nashville, to learn some simple ways to freshen up our homes.

1. Switch up your art: Artwork is always a good place to start, even if it’s just taking down everything you already own and moving it around to different rooms and walls. I have done this twice in quarantine. You don’t have to spend a ton of money – sites like Artfully Walls and 20×200 have some great pieces and offer framing at reasonable prices.

2. Add fresh flowers: If you have access to a wholesale flower market or even a grocery store with a good floral section, buy an armful of flowers to put throughout the house. Most greenery will last a long time. Pampas grass is gorgeous, and when it dries it’s just as beautiful and lasts forever.”

3. Perfect your mood lighting: As far as lighting goes, if you don’t have your lights on dimmers, change them. Everything looks better in soft, moody lighting.

4. Take advantage of low-interest rates for that big project: If you’ve been putting off a kitchen or bathroom renovation, now might be the time to finance it. The one silver lining of this pandemic is low-interest rates.

Oscar Wong/Getty
Oscar Wong/Getty

5. The wallpaper hack: A more cost-effective project would be to use wallpaper to change a room – even wallpapering one wall, like behind your headboard or a small space, like a powder room, can transform it. I don’t think you can have too much wallpaper in your life!

6. The throw pillow hack: Changing out throw pillows is a great and affordable way to freshen up a space. You can find pillows in designer fabrics on Etsy that are really affordable.”

7. Create a cosy nest for fall: In the cooler months, I like to use throws, soft blankets, and candles to make a space cosy. I love Furbish for blankets, and Tom Dixon’s London candle is one of my favourites. It’s woodsy and musky, and my absolute favourite scent for autumn,

8. Home office inspiration: It’s important to be surrounded by things that inspire you, regardless of your profession. My office is filled with my children’s art, family photographs, lots of books, and weird little things I have picked up while traveling that make me happy.

9. Just add plants: Plants bring life and happiness into a space. I know we all responded to the pandemic in our own peculiar ways, mine was buying 4,000 plants. I have several – a lemon tree, a giant bougainvillea plant, and a fig tree – that cannot live outside in the winter, so pretty soon my home is going to look like an insane greenhouse.

Virgin Hotels has also revealed the first sneak peek at its new hotel in Las Vegas, which is set to open on 15 January, 2021. Visit Virgin Hotels to find out more.