IF I COULD STAY ONE NIGHT, IN ANY HOTEL ROOM IN THE WORLD….

Sometimes I like to settle down into a nice little daydream, and if the daydream is going particularly well, then we’ve moved to California (I don’t like being cold in my daydream) and I own a boutique hotel with my husband. My husband is integral to the daydream as I would require him to do all the clever manage-ey managerial stuff, I can’t be bothered with all that, I just want to be able to decorate umpteen rooms exactly how I want! You see, you can get away with so much more drama in a hotel, as guests aren’t going to be living with the decor day in day out, they’re just there fleetingly and actually might enjoy having their senses stimulated by something completely different from what they have at home. Sadly, I’ve never had the budget to stay at an amazingly decorated hotel, but if I did, there is one hotel, and one hotel room in particular, that I would love to call home for a night.

It’s the Mikado Suite, at the Grand Hotel in Oslo. And I’d stay there, not because of some overwhelming desire to visit Norway’s capital city, although I’m sure it’s very lovely; but because the Mikado Suite has the most amazingly decorated rooms that I’ve ever seen. It’s rare that you see purple used as the primary colour of a scheme in the first place, and then even rarer still to see it used in such a bold, confident and skilful way. Every time I see these images, I get a jolt of excitement and although I’d probably be too giddy to sleep, I’d love nothing more than to spend an evening here. Come join me on the tour.

The main bedroom is a masterclass in layering colour. They have used vibrant shades of burgundy-purple, mixed with bright red and oranges, with splashes of green, pink and yellow. It’s amazeballs. I love the beading on the walls that gives texture, the hints of gilt on the light, starburst mirror and picture frames, the orange lacquer on the bedside tables, and even the attention to detail of covering the chandelier wire with a ruched bit of red fabric. Not forgetting a nice bit of juxtaposition in fabric styles, which is always a sure way to an exciting scheme. Once locked on, I find it incredibly hard to tear my eyes away from this image as I find it so perfect in every way.

Now, who in their right minds would pick that particular shade of purple-blue to lacquer the desk with, when they already have burgundy purple walls and bright tomato red curtains next to it? Some crazy colour genius, that’s who, because despite how it sounds on paper, it just works. In fact, it more than ‘just works’ for me, I find it sublimely uplifting to my soul and completely joyous. I want to give the designer a kiss.

A lovely little storage cubby. No sign of an old grimy kettle, a sticky tray of UHT milk, and some plastic wrapped Custard Creams. Oooh, I’d feel right posh in here pet!

A nice bit of scheme continuation in the reading area with a green and purple throw and a modern print in the same colours, with a splash of bright red on the lampshade.

The bedroom leads on to an office, which in a mo you’ll see leads onto a lilac living & dining room, and so the wallpaper they’ve chosen for this middle room makes for a perfect transition from the deep purple bedroom to the paler lilac living rooms, as it includes both colours and allows your senses to adjust. It’s also nice to have a room of wallpaper in between two painted and panelled rooms, just to mix things up a bit. And don’t even get me started on the surprising and yet brilliantly devised pale blue ceiling and cornice! Just more evidence that the designer is a whizz with colour.

And then finally we’re into the pale and elegant living & dining room, where white, gold and hints of black are used to punctuate the large expanse of lilac, which all lend the room a glamour filled serenity. I could certainly relax in here after a long day of sight-seeing round Oslo. I’d sit there with my cocktail and wonder at the delicate colour of purple, the lovely detail on the doors and how fantastic the mirrors, pictures and plates are for rebelliously ignoring the lines of the panelling and doing their own thing. And I know it wouldn’t take me long before looking up from my Mojito and embarking on a manically animated discussion with my poor husband as to which room we’ll be painting purple when we get home!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the little tour of my favouritest ever hotel room that I’ve never been to! Have you stayed somewhere gorgeous that took your breath away? Where was it? I’d love to know….

Rx