Victorian style furnishings and décor are a touch on the feminine side, and oh-so romantic.  Are you ready to trade your modern bedroom, or perhaps one that just needs a little something to make it come alive, for one that offers a romantic, antique look?  You can easily make the changes yourself, and transform your bedroom into one that is relaxing, beautiful and perfect for those nights when you just want to cuddle up with that special someone.

The Perfect Bed

In Victorian style décor, you want a bed that is constructed of wood but one that includes intricate details.  Wrought iron or brass also work well and add a romantic ambiance.  Instead of blending into the background, a Victorian bed should be a bit on the showy side.  Period type quilts that look as though they were crafted in the 1800′s are a perfect topping, but you can use any materials that are frilly or flouncy.  Canopies, drapes and fluffy pillows outlined in ribbon and flourishes finish off the look.

Include the Perfect Furnishings

Tables are a must in the Victorian style of decorating, but not just any old table.  Nightstands are often square and to put it bluntly, lacking in style.  In this type of décor, you want round nightstands topped with marble or made of wicker or bamboo.  A delicate skirting that flows to the floor adds further to the feminine appeal.  You can often find tables like these in a local junk store or at flea markets.

Dressers and chests of drawers are typically made from dark woods such as mahogany, and are adorned with intricate carvings.  Embellishments may include fancy brass drawer pulls or intricately carved wooden pulls.  If you can find an antique looking dresser topped with a round tilting mirror, all the better!

Accessories Make the Room

Some decorating styles require a minimum of accessories; with Victorian décor, the beautiful accessories that you add complete the room and add dimension.  Consider including period style art for the walls.  Baroque and brushed brass frames are perfect, and add to the elegant appeal.  Place old-style vases around the room and fill them with fresh flowers.  Old or antique figurines, china and other Victorian style collectibles fill the room with character.

For the floors, oriental rugs and wicker mats are perfect.  Place a large oval rug at the foot of the bed, or two smaller rugs, one at each side.  Wood floors work well with Victorian decorating, but if you have carpeting the accent rugs will pull the look together.  Window treatments should be elaborate as well; velvet or brocade can be used to dress the windows, while a lace sheer can line the underside.  Delicate florals, braids, and lace all work to make the windows an intricate part of the room.

You can definitely see that the Victorian style of decorating is not for those who prefer simple, basic lines!  If you love rooms that offer the atmosphere of years gone by, touched with a little romance, Victorian décor will make the bedroom your favorite room in the house.

This is it, you have finally found your dream home; it seems perfect, everything is in place, at least until you get to the master bedroom. This is something that occurs all too often. The rest of the home is exactly what you have been searching for, even though the master bedroom is a bit small. The living room and kitchen are perfect. What can you do to make the master bedroom look and feel larger? This article offers many tips and ideas that will assist in visually opening space in your room. Most of these tips may be used in any small room.

The appearance of space can be a simply accomplished feat. You don’t need to sacrifice personality and style when making your room look open, all that is necessary are a few small changes. These ideas will help you create a larger looking master bedroom. However, they aren’t exclusive to that area of the house, they can be used anywhere!

Use Mirrors!
You have probably heard of this trick millions of times before, but it works. A mirror should be hung on your bedroom wall, opposite a window. A perfect place to hang a mirror is on your bedroom wall, just opposite a of a window. The window’s reflection, especially with light colored curtains, makes the room appear spacious and sun filled. You can use this trick in a bathroom or living room as well.

Paint – The Solution for Many Problems
You can do many things in your home with the help of paint. The walls of a small room should be painted with light colors. Cream, off-white and soft pastel shades of peach and yellow are great colors to use in a small room. White paint for the ceiling will add a lighter look to the room. Light shades make an area feel more open, darker shades will diminish it.

Floors Should Be Light as Well
Small rooms should have lightly colored floors to visually add space to the room. If you are more inclined towards using carpet, using carpet with light hues such as sand and cream also works. In the case you use wood flooring good choices are light colors and natural woods. If you do not have the means for replacing a dark colored carpet, light colored rugs can always be added to each side, and the foot, of the bed.

Headboards usually look bulky. Solving this problem is as easy as taking the headboard out and replacing it with a tapestry or rug hung on the wall behind the bed. This can really open up the area, adding a more spacious feel to the room. To open up space on your night table hang swing arm lamps on the walls instead of using lamps.

Here is a cool tip: Use light colored curtains that are higher and wider than your windows in order to visually open up space in the room! This will make it appear as if you have larger windows, adding to the openness and airiness of the room. If you have the room, opening up the floor area can be as easy are moving a chest or drawer into a closet.

Keeping comforters, curtains and throw pillows light colored is always a good idea. Always keep in mind that darker colors tend to absorb light causing the area to recede and diminish; this is not something you want. Things should be kept as light and as open as possible in your master bedroom; this will keep things looking large and spacious.

Lighting can make a huge difference in the look and atmosphere of a home. Most people have ordinary lighting in their home, such as lamps, overhead lights, and so on. But many people don’t realize that a home’s lighting can completely change the feeling and the mood. You can create a warm ambiance instantly, without changing any of your décor. Certain types of lighting will not only add to the look of your home but can serve differing purposes as well.

Light Up Your Living Area
What type of lighting does your living or family room have? You probably have a few lamps sitting on a wood end table in there, maybe some overhead lights-perhaps even a lighted ceiling fan. Lamps can be gorgeous and should always be included as part of the home decorating scheme. If you can find the right ones, lamps can really enhance the beauty of any room.

Look at your living area. Do you have any particular areas that deserve special attention? With some small spotlights, you can make a trophy, a plant, or a beautiful antique collectible the focal point of the room. Just place the lights on a surface surrounding the area. Another option is dimming overhead lights, which allow you to occasionally set a romantic mood.

Other Areas That Deserve Special Lighting
The kitchen has long been a favorite place for everyone to gather. There are always friends, family, and guest congregating around the table for tea and coffee or to simply visit and enjoy each other’s company. Since a great deal of cooking and cleaning up are done in this room, the kitchen is one place that should be brightly lit.

For the dining room, a great touch is to place small decorative lamps on a side buffet. You also might want to install a dimmer switch that allows you to adjust the lighting. This will help you create the perfect romantic dinner just for the two of you. When you dim the lights and light a few candles, you can generate that intimate atmosphere you desire.

Another area where you want several lighting sources is the bedroom. You’ll definitely need good overhead lighting that lets you see clearly into all the drawers of your wood dresser, closets, and so on. Then for those of you who read before turning in for the night, you’ll also want a lamp on your bedside table. You might also include a very small candle lamp that creates an amber glow-the perfect touch on those cold winter nights when you want to cuddle up with your significant other.

What About the Bathroom?
You definitely want to include a source of bright light in the bathroom. After all, this is the place where men shave and women apply their makeup, so you need to be able to see clearly in here. Set a few candles around and consider a dimmer switch as well. This is an especially great feature if you happen to have a large garden tub in the room. Nothing is more relaxing than soaking in an oversized tub, particularly when you have delicate lighting helping to float away the stresses of the day. The scent from the candles can help ease away that anxiety and stress as well, adding a luscious fragrance to the room.

Lighting is not only an essential feature of a room, but it can completely transform the atmosphere of that space. Light can be used to highlight special areas in your rooms and, when used properly, will create a warm and welcoming ambiance in your home.

The bedroom is one of the most popular rooms in which people like to practice feng shui. With feng shui, you can create a bedroom that’s a peaceful retreat and the ideal place in which to get restful sleep every night. When you practice feng shui, you can design and decorate a balanced room filled with positive energy.

When it comes to decorating with feng shui, there are several guidelines, but some are more important than others. If you’re looking to create a balanced and peaceful bedroom, here are some feng shui tips that can help get you on your way.

1. Your bed should be the main feng shui element in the room.
Above all, wood beds are the primary source of intimate, personal energy in the room. It’s hard to get restful sleep at night if you have an uncomfortable bed.

2. By placing the bed in a feng shui position, you can create optimal positive energy and love.
For instance, you should be able to see the doorway from the bed, but you shouldn’t be directly in line with the door. Choose a strong supporting wall against which to place the bed.

3. You should have balanced energy on both sides of your bed in feng shui.
This means you have the choice of placing side tables on both sides of the bed or on neither side. You also don’t want to have any sharp angles from the tables or other furniture in the room facing the bed.

4. When you remove the television, you maintain balance in the room.
The less electricity flowing through your bedroom the better, as removing as many electrical appliances as possible is a key part of feng shui. By removing electrical flow from the room, your body won’t take in those harmful EMFs that can cause an internal imbalance. The distraction of a television or computer can also keep you from getting good sleep at night.

5. When designing your bedroom, don’t get obsessed with the rules of feng shui.
For instance, your bedroom may be too small for you to follow all the correct guidelines of feng shui. This attitude can cause you to feel stressed out, creating disappointment. It’s important to remember that feng shui is all about creating positive energy. Concentrate in making the room comfortable for you by doing what you can with the space that you have.

Some people may not believe in feng shui or find it too difficult, but its goal is to create the most comfortable, healthiest room you can. Feng shui has been born from a long philosophical tradition that demonstrates how these decorating principles can improve your sense of being and life. Start with these tips to improve your bedroom and fine-tune your feng shui.

When it comes to decorating, it’s not uncommon for people to leave the bedroom for last since no one else really sees it. It’s hard to know what to do with that dull and boring bedroom when you don’t have a lot of time or money left for decorating. Here are some simple and inexpensive ways to spruce up that dull bedroom.

Paint the Walls
The easiest way by far to spruce up a boring bedroom is to paint the walls. Nothing adds style and color to a room more quickly than adding a coat of paint or two to the walls. Although it’s important to choose a color you like, it’s also important that it adds some interest to the room. Be sure the paint color accents or matches the accessories you have in the room, as that will make the décor look more cohesive.

Add an Interesting or Colorful Bed Set
Since the bed tends to be the largest item in the bedroom, it usually serves as a focal point for the space. Therefore, by adding color to the mission bed, you can instantly add interest to the room. You want a bed set that’s interestingly patterned or colorful but also coordinates with the other items in the room. Add a few decorative pillows to the new comforter or bedspread. If you’d prefer to stay away from a patterned bed set, then get a set that’s a single color and add accent pillows in a contrasting color to add interest to the area.

Hang Photographs on the Walls
If part of what is keeping your bedroom dull is empty walls, then you need to hang up some items to add some style and pizzazz to the décor. An easy way to cover your walls is to hang up framed photographs of you and your family. You might also consider hanging photographs of nature scenes such as ocean shots or pictures of flowers. Or if you like, go with some old black-and-white photographs.

Perhaps photographs just aren’t your thing or you’re looking for something a little different. Then consider hanging a large piece of artwork that’s caught your eye. You might even make the artwork yourself, if you’re feeling creative. If you like, you can base your entire bedroom scheme off that one piece of art. This approach to decorating can be very inspiring when it comes to design.

Add a New Piece of Furniture
If you have the space, consider adding a new piece of furniture to your bedroom to make things more interesting. Replace your old or out-of-style furniture with new pieces, as this will lend more style to the room as well. You might get a new oak dresser, a chest or bench for the end of the bed, or a new bed if you can afford it.

You want your bedroom to be a place where you can relax and enjoy hanging out. If your bedroom is dull and boring, that can certainly be a drag. So follow these simple ideas to create a stylish and interesting retreat in no time at all.

Most people want their bedroom to be a relaxing retreat from the craziness of the world, but many time it doesn’t end up that way. Sometimes trouble relaxing and sleeping at night can be traced to the way the bedroom is decorated and organized. If you want to create a peaceful and relaxing environment in your bedroom, here are some things to keep in mind.

Get Rid of the Television
The number-one distraction in the bedroom that keeps people from relaxing and even falling asleep at night is the television. One room in the home that a television definitely doesn’t belong in is the bedroom. Although some people swear by falling asleep to the television at night, many experts believe that having a television on before you go to sleep does more harm than good. So when planning out your bedroom, skip the television, because you absolutely don’t need it.

Choose Relaxing Colors for the Walls
If the colors in your bedroom are either too bold or too dark, that can also be a distraction. Be sure the colors on the walls are relaxing and peaceful, which will result in a more serene environment. Stick with neutral or pastel colors in your décor. Colors such as tan, cream, light pink, and light yellow work great in a bedroom. Harsh colors such as red, black, and dark green can actually affect your mood in a negative way and thus you want to avoid them in the bedroom.

Get a Comfortable Bed and Mattress
While it’s nice to have a wood bed that matches your bedroom’s décor, it’s much more important to be sure that it’s comfortable. It’s not easy to fall asleep at night if your bed and mattress are uncomfortable. If you absolutely must have a certain type of design for your bed, than be sure to buy a really comfortable mattress in order to compensate for any awkwardness.

Include a Water Feature in the Bedroom
When creating a relaxing bedroom atmosphere, consider adding a water feature such as a small fountain. Many people really enjoy falling asleep at night to the soft trickle of water. For many, the sound helps clear and calm the mind, allowing them to fall asleep much faster. If you’re considering putting a water feature in your bedroom, just be sure that the sound is soothing to you, and not annoying.

Buy the Proper Window Treatments to Block Out the Light
In the bedroom, window treatments have double duty. They need to be functional, as well as adding some character and style to the décor of the room. Your bedroom’s window treatments should be able to block out the light. That way, you’re not having to wake up at 5:00 a.m. with the sun. A great option is to choose a great curtain or valance with which to dress the window and then add a pair of functional blinds as well.

Before you start to decorate your bedroom, consider what items most help you to relax. These are the things you’re going to want to incorporate into the room’s design. No matter how perfectly a décor item fits with the theme of the bedroom, that doesn’t necessarily mean it belongs there.

If you’re fortunate enough to have an extra room in your home, turning it into a guest bedroom is a great way to help your house guests feel right at home. Guest bedrooms are usually kept simple, but you can still choose to add some of your personal style to the room. By balancing simplicity with style, you’ll be able to make the room appealing to any guest who may stay in your home. If you are unsure on how to go about decorating your guest bedroom, then here are some simple tips you can follow.

Keep the Colors Neutral
In a guest bedroom, you should mostly stick to neutral colors, although it’s okay to add a pop of color here and there. By sticking to neutral colors, you can make the room more appealing to guests and also more comfortable for them. With a neutral base, then you can add style and a little bit of color with different décor items such as paintings, flowers, and pillows. You can have a stylish guest bedroom, but keep it on the neutral side so that your guests aren’t waking in the middle of the night frightened and stimulated by the bright red walls.

Provide a Comfortable Sleeping Area
Some people choose to furnish the guest bedroom with their old furniture and an oak bed. Do be sure that the bed is still safe and stable, though. However, you might want to buy a new mattress. It is courteous to provide a comfortable sleeping area instead of your 20-year-old mattress. You can also easily stain or paint your old bed another color to match the décor of the room. Another option is to find an inexpensive and simple bed that will not break your budget.

When you look for bedding for the guest bedroom, you don’t want to buy the cheapest sheets you can find. Rather, try to find something in the middle, so that it will be comfortable but will still fit into your budget. You should be fine going with a basic cotton sheet set, along with a comforter or blanket. You might even inject some style and color into the room through the sheet set, although you want to be sure that it’s not too obnoxious.

Provide Storage Space
You want to provide any guests who stay in your guest bedroom with some storage and closet space. If you use that closet space to store your own items, you might want to think about moving them elsewhere for the time being in order to give your guests that space. Of course, this all depends on who the guest is and how long he or she might be staying. For example, if you’re hosting a family member for a day or two, then storage space may not matter. On the other hand, if you have an out-of-town guest who’s staying for a week or longer, you’ll want to provide them with ample storage space.

Decorating a guest bedroom can be fun. But when planning your décor, you need to keep in mind that even though the room is in your home, it’s other people who will be using it. Thus, it’s always best to keep it on the simple side, adding your stylish touches here and there.

Believe it or not, when it comes to choosing bedding, there are literally hundreds of different options available. It’s important to put some time and effort into buying the best bedding set you can, as it will play a significant role in your décor. There are certain things you need to remember before you buy your next bedding set.

Determine the Color and Style
Unless you’ve already found a random bedding set that just jumped out at you and you are decorating your bedroom around that, then you’ll need to determine what color and style of bedding sets you are looking for. This usually depends on what colors and style you’ve chosen to decorate your bedroom with. For instance, if you have settled on a beach-themed bedroom, a zebra-print bedding set will not go with décor, no matter how much you love it.

Some people do the opposite and shop for the bedding set first. Then they base their style and colors for the bedroom off that. Even then, you still want to have some sort of an idea what you want to do in the bedroom. This way you are not aimlessly shopping.

Set a Budget
Having a wide variety of bedding sets to choose from means that you’ll be faced with a wide variety of price points as well. While you might be able to purchase a very inexpensive bedding set for $50, a luxury bedding set may cost up to $2,000. Thus, you might want to decide early on how much of your budget you’re going to want to put forth for the bedding set.

If your project includes decorating the whole bedroom, you need to be sure to set money aside for other items you might need. Also keep in mind that not all bedding sets contain the same pieces for the bed. So you might also end up having to buy extra sheets and pillows for the set as well.

Know the Size of the Bed
You should know what size bed you have and even take the measurements of the mattress before you even start looking at bedding. You want to know the correct size the first time around, so you don’t end up going back to the store and returning items. When you go to measure the mattress, just be sure to measure its length, depth, and width, especially if your mattress is a pillow top.

Research Bedding Materials
Different bedding sets are made of one of several different materials. The price is usually determined by the type of material that’s used, so you’ll need to choose something that’s in your budget. For sheets, you also need to consider the thread count. When the thread count is higher, the sheets will be more luxurious and also more expensive.

The most popular bedding material is cotton, but there are several different types of cotton you can choose from. At the more expensive end is Egyptian cotton, which is also very luxurious. The most common and least expensive material that is sold for bedding is standard cotton. Other available materials include silk, flannel, and chenille.

The bedding set you choose can easily add to or take away from the décor of your bedroom. Be sure to plan accordingly when purchasing a bedding set for your bedroom so you don’t end up with bedding that’s a mistake.

As those of you with teenagers very well know, decorating a teen bedroom isn’t the easiest thing in the world. With some teens, it’s not a matter of figuring out what exactly they want; it’s whether you can afford it or not. Other teenagers just don’t care what their room looks like. For those of you who keep coming up short on theme ideas for your teenager’s bedroom, here are some great ideas to consider.

Theme Ideas for a Teen Girl’s Bedroom
Some teenage girls consider the color scheme the most important part of their bedroom décor. For a girl’s bedroom, popular color schemes include: turquoise and brown, pink and brown, and purple and white. You will be able to find plenty of fabrics and accessories in all of these color schemes for your daughter’s room.

One popular theme for a teen girl bedroom is the glamorous style. This décor might sound rather expensive, but you can actually find accessories, furniture, and other glamorous décor items that won’t break your budget. Look for anything with jeweled or glittery accents. For an instant glamorous effect, try a fake glass chandelier or a leopard-print lamp on the nightstand.

Another popu;ar theme to consider for your teen girl’s bedroom is the modern or funky style. If you go with this style, you will definitely need some input from your teenager. A modern style usually consists of unusual or contemporary artwork, designs, and patterns on the walls, and bright colors. Do be sure to not get too trendy or out there with the décor, though, as you don’t want your teen tiring of it within a few months.

Try some of these other ideas for your teenage daughter’s bedroom:

• French theme
• black-and-white theme
• stripes-and-shapes theme
• floral theme
• romantic theme
• cheerleading or dance theme

Theme Ideas for a Teen Boy’s Bedroom
Most teen boys don’t tend to be too interested in the décor of their bedroom, throw in a couple of oak nightstands and wooden bookcases and they’re satisfied, the exception being when they are truly passionate about a hobby or activity. Chances are that your teenage boy will simply want to choose a color scheme for the room and then leave it at that. Fortunately, there are many color options beyond just black or blue. You can add interest and color to the room by involving other colors such as turquoise, green, red, yellow, brown, and orange.

A very popular teen boy bedroom theme is a sports-related décor. One way to go is with a general sports theme, or you might concentrate on just one sport, such as football or hockey. You could also decorate the room with their favorite professional or collegiate team. Sports themes are usually pretty simple to incorporate into a room. Just be sure you don’t go too overboard and clutter the room.

Some teenage boys might go for a car theme in the bedroom. This theme can be implemented in a variety or ways, from an old classic car theme to a focus on current hot racing cars. You might want to hang framed pictures of cars on the walls or, if you’re really creative, paint a mural of a speedway.

Consider these other great teen boy décor ideas:

• music theme
• skateboarding theme
• technology theme
• surfing theme
• camouflage theme
• wilderness theme

Both parents and teens should have fun decorating a teen bedroom. Suggest some of these great theme ideas to your teenage son or daughter; you might just end up scoring some parent points with your teen.

Make your bedroom a relaxing getaway with a beach themed bedroom. There are so many different decorating ideas when it comes to making the perfect beach theme for your bedroom. The key to decorating your bedroom in any kind of theme is to make sure that it fits your personality, and style is some place that you want to spend a lot of time.

The Basics of a Beach Themed Bedroom
Before you start buying anything for your bedroom, you need to decide on what type of style you want for the room. A beach theme is very wide open when it comes to decorating.

For one person, a beach theme may mean seashells, sand and water.  While for another person, a beach theme may involve more of a luau or Hawaiian theme with surfboards, waves, and fish. What type of direction you take in decorating for the beach theme all depends on your own personal style and what you picture your perfect beach theme looking like.

Colors for a Beach Themed Bedroom
No matter what type of style you are going for in your beach theme, the color blue has to be somewhere in the room. You don’t have to necessarily paint your walls blue, but be sure to incorporate blues into your color scheme.
For a nautical beach theme, concentrate on the colors of red, white, and blue while adding other neutrals like tan and brown into the mix. For a tropical bedroom, you can choose more vibrant colors like yellow, pink, bright blue, and purple. If you want the ultimate beach resort getaway bedroom, choose neutral tones like white, tan, light blue, and light pink or coral.

Furniture for a Beach Themed Bedroom
Lighter furniture works better with most beach themes. You want to be sure to keep things light.  When you think of the ocean, you usually think of the light colored sand and blue skies. Incorporate such woods as wicker, driftwood, and bamboo into your furniture if possible. Accessorize your furniture with such things as white or sheer fabric draped over the poles of the bed to add that beach feeling to the room.

Accessories for a Beach Themed Bedroom

The exact accessories that you use for your beach theme bedroom is going to differ depending on the style that you choose for the room. Here are some common accessories that can be used in your bedroom:

• Sea shells
• Paintings or pictures of the ocean or beach
• Boats
• Water features such as a fountain
• Sand
• Sea animals and fish
• Surfboards
• Lighthouses
• Sea grass
• Rocks and pebbles
• Tropical flowers

A beach theme also goes well in other places of the home such as the living room or even your child’s bedroom. Simply take the suggestions and incorporate them into a child-friendly bedroom or into a functional living space.

Your bedroom should be your getaway in the home as well as a place of comfort with style. A beach theme is a great idea for a bedroom, as it radiates an easy and peaceful feeling that a bedroom should have.