WV Design Team: Make bedroom a romantic oasis

If an interior designer were to ring your doorbell at this very moment and ask to see your bedroom, would you: (a) Take them straight back with no hesitation, or (b) slam the door and run like crazy to make your bed and stash the pile of laundry in your closet?

If you are like many of my clients (myself included), you live a busy life. By the time the end of the day rolls around and you have done all of your parental and spousal duties, you are lucky to hold your eyes open for Jimmy Fallon, much less take time to improve your bedroom space.

Over the past few years, I have noticed that my clients will spend what it takes to make their kitchens, baths and family rooms look great and meet their need of function, while the master bedroom often takes a low spot on the list of design priorities.

This is a mistake!

This is your and your partner’s haven, your sanctuary, your escape from the rest of the house!

This is the place that you should feel like you are escaping to at the end of the day, where, when you shut the door to your room, you say “ahhh.”

This also should be the most romantic spot in your home because, as they say, “This is where the magic happens.”

using spa-blue tones against a neutral gray background can be a fun way to add color to your space

Yeager Design & Interiors would like to give you some tips to make that feeling a reality for you:

The bed

When it comes to walking into your room, it is my firm belief that if you enter into a side view of your bed, the room will never look finished.

Try to place your bed on a wall that is directly in the line of sight of the entrance. You may think this is not an option for you because of windows on the desired wall.

Not to worry!

This is a design myth that was created in the dark ages and is just as dated as the “Don’t wear white after Labor Day” myth.

By setting your bed out a little farther from the windows/wall and dressing your windows (which we will cover a little farther down), you can successfully place your bed on any wall.

Under the covers

I urge you, if you take nothing else away from this article, to heed this one piece of advice: Spend a little extra money on your mattress, pillows and a really great set of sheets.

Go to a mattress store and try them out. See what feels good to you — firm or soft, Tempur-Pedic or feathers. Figure it out!

We spend a third of our life in bed, and a good mattress can really affect our bodies, our sleep habits, and the way you feel when you get up the next day.

Make sure your pillows have been purchased on this side of the turn of the century and that you love the way you feel when your head hits the surface.

A great set of sheets is not hard to find. My clients often ask me, “What is the desired thread count for sheets?”

Thread count is the number of threads woven into a square inch of fabric. Most people say the higher the thread count, the better the sheets. While that’s true, a great set of sheets can be anywhere in the 500-600 range, but what I would most often recommend is buying either Pima or Egyptian cotton to get that soft feeling.

The look

OK. So now you have a bed from heaven with pillows made of clouds and sheets spun from silk, so to speak. What will you cover it with? There really is no wrong way to dress your bed, but I do have a few suggestions on making it really look great.

If you’ve done a heavy comforter and used dark or bright covers in the past, try using a stark white or ivory duvet this time. Doing this will create a peaceful canvas for your bed and leave you endless options throughout the year when changing up throw pillows.

As for the pillows, there are many ways to set them up, but I have found that a great look is to start with laying your own pillows down first, setting the Euro shams next, then standard shams, then follow with as many accent pillows as you like.

Something I have found to be successful is to order (or have made) at least three Euro shams for the back of the bed because two always seem to leave a gap near the middle.

I have done many custom bedrooms, but perhaps my favorite was when we decided to do crisp white Euro shams, custom standard shams that matched the custom drapery fabric in a gorgeous blue print, and then layered in accent pillows of varying sizes and shapes and colors.

Some gave a glamorous dimension of sparkle, and others tied in accents from around the room like the wall color, draperies and throws.

Or, if you feel like you’ve done the white bedding look long enough, splurge on a beautiful coverlet and matching shams that put a little glam in your bed. Try embracing the hottest trend at market and using metallic accents.

YDI Tip: Gold is back, baby!

If you can’t seem to find the right gold for your bedding, you can still do a neutral cover and throw in some gorgeous gold accent pillows.

Romantic surroundings

Wall color:

Try using a spalike color. Hues of blue were especially popular at the last couple of market shows and can really make a space feel peaceful and serene. Likewise, gray can be a fantastic color to switch up the scene of your little oasis. YDI Tip: Gray is the new neutral.

Lighting:

A common design mistake people make is buying teeny, tiny lamps. This makes not only your source of light low and dreary, but it also gives a short and stumpy look to your room.

Frame out the sides of your bed with a tall lamp and shade that create height and give off a glamorous glow to your surroundings. If you really want to add some drama to your room, get rid of the obligatory ceiling fan and replace it with a small chandelier or pendant.

Setting it on a dimmer switch will give you the freedom you need to set the right mood for you and your partner.

Furniture:

Whether you are in the market for new bedroom furniture or are trying to make do with the set you currently have, embrace this one thought: Not everything has to match!

Don’t feel as if every single piece — from the bed to the nightstands to the dresser and so on — has to be the same. Try getting away from the typical heavy wood furnishing and branch out with painted nightstands, a mirrored dresser or even an iron bed.

These different materials will give your room more personality and that eclectic look that seems hard to achieve but really is just about stepping outside of the “matchy matchy” box.

YDI Tip: You don’t have to use a traditional nightstand!

If you have room, you can use small chests that will bring in a little more height, or you can use an end table from your favorite occasional furniture set.

If you have the room for it, it is also nice to create a seating area for your room that will serve as another option to sit and relax if you’re not quite ready to hit the sheets. This is just another area that can tie your room together in a cozy and peaceful way.

Accents:

If you really want to change up the space, make sure to bring in touches of candle light, mirrored accents, flowers, pictures of you and your family, and great pieces of art that you both love.

Draping your favorite soft throw over the end of the bed and using an accent rug halfway under your bed can be a wonderful place to throw in a pop of color, layers that pull the whole look together.

Window treatments

Give yourself a little room in the budget for some great window treatments.

This is a fabulous opportunity to pull in your accent pillows and color with a glam material. Remember to use a blackout liner that will not only give you the privacy you need in a bedroom, but also the freedom to keep the sun from being a nuisance when you want to keep it out.

There are many ways to update a bedroom and if it feels like a task that is too large to tackle on your own, grab an interior designer with great experience and together you can accomplish any look you are going for.

The trick to the bedroom is to make it romantic but not too frilly. You never want to emasculate your partner or likewise have a bedroom that is too dark and like a “man cave.” A nice balance can be achieved and still attain your oasis.

Remember, make your bedroom a reflection of how you want your marriage to be — not drab and chaotic, but blissful and romantic!