When Thoreau wrote, “I never found the companion that was as companionable as solitude” in his famous book, Walden, he chose to seclude himself from the everyday world. While most of us live too far from a meditative spot in the woods, all of us, at some point in our daily routine, yearn for a place of tranquility, where peaceful reflections can transport us from the stresses of our daily lives. Your bedroom is, or should be, that haven!
If your bedroom doesn’t offer you a respite from the hustle and bustle of the day, then now’s the time to transform it! It’s a new year, filled with wonderfully exciting and new possibilities. The time and money you consider investing now will definitely pay off in big dividends in your future. Especially, because your bedroom redecorating project might just mean that you’ll find yourself being just a little happier, a bit more joyful, and most importantly at peace with yourself and your surroundings.
Decorating your master bedroom is probably more fun than decorating any other room in your home! Why? Because it’s the one room in your home that you can truly allow your personality to shine! Remember, this is your space, and you deserve the best!
And, as with every decorating project, first things first. It’s important to develop a decorating plan that fits your needs, your lifestyle and most importantly your pocketbook. Consider taking these three simple and easy steps!
Visualize your project - Step #1: Begin your project by visualizing, and then listing, all the types of activities you’ll want to conduct in your “get-away” haven. Perhaps it’s writing thought-provoking entries in your daily journal; reading your favorite books; knitting; needlework; watching old romantic movies on your TV/DVD player; daily meditation; contemplating your plans for the next day — whatever the activity, think through what types of things will make you the happiest in your new master bedroom retreat.
Assess your space - Step #2: Look at your bedroom space with a “critical” eye. Ask yourself, can your bedroom, with your given amount of space, accommodate all of the activities you listed. While the answer is usually yes, you may still need to take advantage of some clever pre-planning.
Color your world - Step #3: Think about “coloring your world” – especially your soon to be redesigned master bedroom. As with most all decorating projects, one of your first priorities is locking in a color scheme. Color sets the stage and provides harmony to everything else that will eventually find its way into your new bedroom. It’s the backdrop that surrounds all of your furnishings, fabrics and accessories, lighting – EVERYTHING!
Confused about working with Color? Consider these quick tips:
Use color unequally for better color proportion and balance. While this sounds like a complete contradiction — it truly works. You might want to consider a deeper, more dramatic shade to create an accent wall behind your bed. Then, by coloring your adjoining walls in a lighter hue of the same color, you’ve created a more visually interesting space!
Use lighter colors to create a feeling of spaciousness. Paler shades naturally reflect light rays instead of absorbing them. A lighter color palette would be particularly important if your bedroom isn’t quite as large as you’d like. By coloring the walls in lighter, paler hues, you’ll actually be giving your bedroom a more expansive “feel.”
Use bright, strong colors to create a warm, cozy feeling. This color tip is especially important if you have a large, spacious bedroom, with very high ceilings. Warmer colors tend to “humanize” large spaces, making them more livable and welcoming.
Pay close attention to the room’s architectural features and details. If you wish to emphasize interesting and desirable architectural features in your bedroom, consider enhancing them with stronger and contrasting colors. And, conversely, if your desire is to camouflage architectural defects, then a more neutral paint color of the same tonal value, will help to blend your walls, ceiling and floors and “hide” those unhappy features.
It’s important to select your colors for the largest areas in your room first — the walls, ceiling and floor covering. Then, select colors for upholstery and drapery fabrics. And by all means, don’t forget to take wood tones into consideration. Remember they are a very important part of your color scheme. When all is said and done, it’s always best to base your color choices on the atmosphere you ultimately wish to create.
Lighting your new room
Now that you’ve got some great color ideas for your new bedroom retreat, let’s talk a bit about lighting. Why? Because, the amount of artificial and natural light in your room is definitely going to affect your ultimate color choice. It’s important to take stock of how much natural light is entering your room, and for how long a period during the day. If you find your room bathed in sunny natural light, you might end up preferring to work with a cooler color scheme. And, conversely, if your room doesn’t enjoy a lot of sunny natural light, you might find yourself enjoying warmer color tones to help eliminate the colder feeling of your room.
Artificial light is also a major contributor in your ultimate color selection. Generally, standard incandescent bulbs give off a yellowish light. Standard fluorescents tend to create a cold and harsher light. However, many different tints of bulbs are available in both incandescent and fluorescent lighting. By making the right tint selection in the bulbs you purchase, you will have the ability to control the way your colors look in artificial light.
Fabulous furnishings
In arranging your bedroom furniture, first things first. In most cases, that means the placement of your bed. Because this is usually the largest piece of furniture, chances are that available wall space will somewhat limit your placement options. Try not to place your bed so that it’s facing a window. Morning light waking you up every single day might be less than desirable. However, if your bed must face the window, all is not lost. Room darkening window treatments can screen out most of the light.
If a new bed is in your overall design plan, you have a myriad of choices. Platform, canopy, and sleigh beds will all tend to give your bedroom a romantic feel. Even more important than your choice of bed, is the bedding ensemble that will adorn this focal point piece in your new room.
Silks, tapestries, taffetas, and satins, Oh my!
The best possible way to give your newly redecorated bedroom the perfect romantic touch is going to be in your selections of fabrics to adorn both your bed and your windows. Nothing says romance more than the soft feel of willowy textured fabrics. So, pamper yourself with some of today’s hottest fabrics, and consider using them in creative, even whimsical ways.
Bedding ensembles come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and designs. From the uniquely custom-designed, outline-quilted bedspreads, to the simple, yet luxurious duvet covers, your bedding should definitely take center stage in your room. And no bedding ensemble is complete without multiple pillow shams in several fabric coordinates, decorative pillows in unique sizes and shapes, and a coordinating dust ruffle. Remember your bed and bedding ensemble will become the focal point of your new room. It needs to be beautiful and dramatic and take “center stage” in your room.
Incorporating a romantically designed window treatment will also add to the overall feeling of your room. With endless possibilities available, you might consider framing your windows with a soft, billowy, silky sheer displayed on a decorative drapery rod. Or, perhaps an overabundance of fabric in a softly draping swag and jabot treatment would give your windows a finishing touch. As in most bedrooms, multiple layer treatments are a must. Privacy and room darkening considerations must first be determined before you can incorporate a decorative window treatment plan.
Accessories – the Finishing touch
There’s no better room in your home than your bedroom to accentuate your personality. Display your favorite treasurers; show off your family pride. More than any other decorative product you could purchase for your home, your accessories will give each and every room its own distinct personality. They help make your rooms come alive.
Collecting accessories is a never-ending delight. Whenever and wherever you see something that appeals to you strongly, acquire it if possible, because it will give you pleasure every time you look at it and will add a very personal touch to your home.
Your newly designed bedroom might incorporate a bit more of a romantic touch if you consider displaying accessories that will enhance the mood and overall feeling of your room. Softly glowing candles, beautifully framed family photos, a single rosebud in a crystal vase, even a dish of potpourri, will add to your romantic ambiance.
Finally – the Floors
Depending upon what part of the country you’re from, you have a variety of comfortable and decorative flooring options. If you live in a colder climate, then you must consider walking on your bare bedroom floor in the winter. In this case, wall-to-wall carpet is far and away your best choice. Carpeting can be a bit more luxurious and colorful than elsewhere, because it’s not a high-traffic area, and usually not entered from outdoors. Your next best selection would be generously sized area rugs on either side of your bed.
If you live in a warmer climate, then your choices of flooring are a little more varied. Ceramic tile or hardwood floors covered with beautiful, color-coordinated area rugs offer a wonderful touch of texture and warmth. Uncover the Possibilities
And last, but not least, remember that your romantic bedroom redecorating project should be an enjoyable adventure. Remember you’re not only making your new room express your personality, but you’re making it more livable and attractive. Any decorating project that involves the world of color, the fabulous furnishings and accessories that are now available, and the marvelous materials for floors, walls, windows, and beds is an exciting undertaking. And above all, remember that you spend more time in your home than anyone else. Be sure your ultimate decorating choices reflect your personality and your unique sense of style.
Sue Pelle is National Spokesperson for Interiors by Decorating Den (www.decoratingden.com). You can reach Sue at 3321 W. 96th Street, Indianapolis IN 46268; Phone (317) 471-4999
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