Hotel to Home by Sophie Bush, Founder of Warehouse Home
I have had a long-term love affair with industrial interiors. I’ve always been a fan of these utilitarian spaces with their pared-back architecture, weathered-looking surfaces, raw finishes and vintage-style furnishings. There is just something about industrial interiors and the way that they have such a rich and interesting history that just captures my heart. From old sugar mills to car factories to water towers and everything in between, these former industrial spaces weave the stories of their past lives seamlessly into their new existence.
Industrial style bedroom as featured in Warehouse Home issue 7
Back in 2019, I spent just under a year working as Content Editor on the website of Warehouse Home where I was able to really indulge my passion for industrial interiors. So it gives me great pleasure to be able to review the latest book by Warehouse Home founder Sophie Bush.
Hotel to Home (affiliate link) is jam-packed full of industrial interiors inspired by the world’s most original hotels. And whilst these hotels offer a collection of aspirational holiday destinations that instantly make it to the top of my travel bucket list, this book is not a travel guide. Instead, it is a “design manual filled with ideas for achieving hotel chic industrial style at home”.
Bedroom of The Gorgeous George Hotel in Capetown as featured in Hotel to Home
The book features over 40 hotels from across the globe in destinations such as New York, Philadephia, London, Sydney, Berlin, Capetown and Singapore. The hotel case studies are interspersed throughout five chapters that break down the elements of these designs into their component parts: Structural features, Materials, Colour, Feature Furnishings and Lighting.
Loft style dining room. Image from Warehouse Home issue 7
Each case study is followed by a Real Home example or a Get The Look section to show readers just how the design concepts taken from these hotels can be applied by the readers in their own homes. Everyday interior design challenges are also addressed by the book and solutions for compact spaces, low natural light and tall ceilings are offered.
The Lobby of the Eliza Jane Hotel in New Orleans as featured in Hotel to Home
As an avid reader and a born storyteller, I lapped up any historical information surrounding the past life of each hotel featured and the story of its rescue and transformation. The way that the hotels are dissected and the standout features presented make it easy to see why these hotels deserve a place on your must-visit list.
Hotel to Home provides expert tips on incorporating steel windows, interior glazing, timber beams, exposed brick, raw plaster, polished concrete, plywood, pipework, linen, velvet and leather into our renovations. Whether our homes are authentic industrial buildings or new builds gifted with the industrial aesthetic, the suggestions made in this book will work equally well.
When it comes to colour, the inspiration is much more varied than one would think. Obviously grey is what immediately springs to mind when we think of industrial buildings but Hotel to Home showcases that neutrals, pastels, and more vibrant colours work equally as well in these industrial spaces.
The chapter on feature furnishings presents an impressive round-up of tiles, rugs, wallpaper and beds alongside metal-framed light wood and vintage furniture whilst the lighting chapter offers suggestions on bare bulbs, chandeliers, oversized lighting, pylon lights and upcycled lighting.
Sophie Bush has done an amazing job curating this book, bringing together awe-inspiring travel destinations from around the world to inspire our residential renovations with the industrial aesthetic. Whilst Hotel to Home is full of beautiful lifestyle photography perfectly depicting what it might feel like to live in one of these landmark buildings, this is more than just a coffee table book to browse through and admire. It offers practical, implementable advice and tips to help readers achieve the industrial aesthetic in their own homes.
You can read my other book reviews here.