Creating a Masterbedroom Suite Space for Valentine’s --
or Anytime
by Kathryn Weber
Hotels and bed and breakfast inns know that beautiful, restful rooms create wonderful romantic memories for their guests long after checkout. Guests are also looking to stay in hotels where the rooms are beautiful, comfortable, and plush. But, these kinds of rooms don’t just have to be for a weekend or vacation. You can create your own suite space at home by using hotels’ attention to detail and comfort so you can have a romantic getaway every day.
The bones of the room
Tasteful and coordinated furnishings are one of the hallmarks of a beautiful hotel suite. The bed is the focal point of any suite or bedroom, so make yours noteworthy. A large upholstered headboard commands attention in the room and just begs you to sleep in and read the paper in bed until noon. The Connor bed at clubfurniture.com is a perfect example of a comfortable headboard that’s not too expensive. Or, make one yourself. Upholstered headboards aren’t hard at all to make and directions can be found easily on the Internet.
Focus on ease and comfort
There are a number of things that make hotel rooms comfortable that can be done at home. One of those is seating. Most hotel suites have a sitting area, but few master bedrooms do. A seating area in a bedroom allows you to watch TV, read the paper, or drink a glass of wine in the privacy of your own room without having to do it on the bed.
Set the mood with lighting
Lighting is another way hotels make us more comfortable. Blackout lining is used in most hotel room curtains to block out all light. The ability to make a room completely dark is one of those design features that distinguish a hotel room from a home bedroom – and what makes us enjoy hotels so much.
Recreate this by having blackout lining added to your drapes, installing shutters, or using inexpensive light blocking pull-down shades. Best of all, by blocking out all light, you’ll be able to really rest for an afternoon nap or block annoying street lights or your neighbor’s security lights from making your room too bright when it should be dark and restful.
A variety of lighting also helps create a more romantic atmosphere. Make sure you have two bedside lamps, overhead lighting, and recessed cans for a layered lighting effect. For a huge romantic boost, add lighted wall sconces, tuck rope lighting into crown moulding, or replace a ceiling fan with an elegant chandelier.
Emphasize the bed
Of course, you can’t forget the bed. Make sure yours suits you, from the type of pillows you prefer to the kinds of covering you use. Create your own hotel-suite bedding experience so that you’ll never want to stay overnight anywhere else. Luxury sheets, feather beds, and memory foam bed toppers, are just some of the many items out there that can help you create the bed of yours – and your sweetheart’s -- dreams.
Eye on design
Next, focus on the design of the room. Decide on whether dark colors appeal to you or if a Zen-like neutral environment is what you’re looking for. Make the room neat and get rid of piles of magazines and any item you wouldn’t find in a hotel room. One of the reasons hotels are so restful is because the rooms are uncluttered. So work at streamlining the knick knacks and artwork that seems out of place in a hotel room. This would include pictures of family members, your favorite football team cap collection, or cluttered dresser tops.
Focus on convenience
Small touches can make the biggest difference. A small leather box next to a man’s side of the bed can hold a watch, wallet, and keys, preserve the finish of the furniture and keep clutter under control. A small box on the woman’s side can hold earrings, rings, or glasses. Install a wide key-style lamp switch in place of those tiny, hard-to-turn switches on your bed side lamps. It makes turning on lights easier, especially if you put lotion on your hands before going to bed. Lastly, add glass tops to the bedside tables so water glasses don’t damage the finish if there’s no coaster available.
A hotel-inspired bedroom is the perfect couple’s gift for an anniversary or for Valentine’s Day. It says that the space the two of you share together is important and that it’s your get-away-from-it-all room.
© 2007 Kathryn Weber, all rights reserved
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Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Everydayclean.com Cleaning Calender, that calender that puts you in control of your home by ending the power struggle. For more information log on to http://tinyurl.com/d9rh5.
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