Design Ideas For Your Home

Many of us don't always get the opportunity to stay in a five star hotel. We may have seen photos or watched programs that give you a sense of what they are like, others may know exactly what we are talking about, beautiful luxurious rooms that say "Oasis, Paradise and Vacation!" What if you could create your own five star hotel right inside your own bedroom? Five star hotels are not your typical hotel. They have a way of capturing a mood using lighting, rich fabrics and high end furniture. Here's how to get you started.

Color on your walls is where the magic begins. Paint color is extremely important. You'll want to stick with warm, cool, relaxing colors. Stay away from bright bold colors like, cherry red, neon greens and canary yellows,
they are too stimulating. You want your bedroom to be a sanctuary. Creating a soothing environment involves lots of earth tone colors, like, light blues, sage greens, pale gold's and so on. These colors are sophisticated and chic when you stick to a more monochromatic look. This means when you pick a primary color you have different variations of that color. Take sea foam green, you'll want another shade like iced blue and soft teal. You don't want equal amounts of each color in the space, this can look very juvenile and frankly, it can look tacky. Your accent color should always be small hints of color that don't dominate or take away from the primary color.

Window treatments are what add warmth to your bedroom. Choose heavy panels that are very similar to the color of your walls if you want a cozier surrounding. Choose lighter sheers that create a billowy effect, almost like clouds. If you have blue-green walls with accents of gold, any one of these colors will work as your window treatment as long as the colors are very close to the same shade. The key is to remember that similar shading throughout the room will bring cohesiveness and sophistication to your bedroom.

Bedding is the show stopper. Having luxurious, full, thick and fluffy bedding is essential. Think high thread count. Think down pillows. Think comfort at its finest! Don't skimp on your bedding. You want your bedroom to feel like an expensive hotel not the Motel 6! Remember that the color has to make sense in the room. Blue haze on the walls with accents of pale gold's means blue haze or gold with a variation of the blue/gold on the bedding. When you walk into your bedroom you want your bed to be the focal point without over powering the room.

Furniture pieces in your room need to have a sense of purpose and presence. Hotels are good about giving you lots of places to sit and relax so your bedroom should allow for immediate seating as well. You don't want overwhelming pieces and you definitely don't want small office like furniture. Find a balance. Having a bench at the end of your bed is functional as well as a great anchor to your bed frame. A decorative wooden head board is nice but a quilted upholstered head board can be even more spectacular. Lounge chairs are great near windows. Wing back chairs with ottomans can create a cozy nook for reading the paper or spending quiet time with your spouse and children. Televisions can be hidden inside armoires so they don't take all the attention away from the beauty of the room. Nightstands and chest of drawers are a necessity but don't always have to match one another perfectly. In fact, it's better to have similar color furniture than exact matching furniture.

Flooring is important to your bedroom because it can create even more comfort. A hard wood floor is beautiful but will definitely benefit from large throw rugs, preferably dense and thick rugs. If you plan to install wall to wall carpeting go for a more neutral earth tone color. You may not want to install new carpet and that's fine too, but don't be afraid to layer rugs on top of your carpet. It can work with the right placement and size rugs.

Lighting creates ambiance in your room. Lots of mood lighting as well as function lighting is important. Layering your lighting gives lots of different dynamics and drama to your room. Lamps on either side of the bed are perfect for reading and give balance to the room. Adding lighting above is optional. You may want a glass chandelier that will reflect light. Wall sconces that can hold pillar candles can be very romantic. If you have another seating area make sure you have a standing lamp or a hanging ceiling lamp for more interest. Reseeding lighting can light up columns or art work. Remember to avoid harsh fluorescent lighting in a bedroom.

Accessories are all those extra items that make your bedroom complete. Throw pillows, candles, flowers and lovely artwork make your room special. Think about the details that make you happy. Maybe a jar of mints or chocolate kisses, travel books, and even a little mood music to sooth your nerves. Exotic plants set in garden urns, stacks of books that you love to read and family albums to help you reminisce can all be a great items that make your bedroom a peaceful and serene place. Avoid the clutter, too much of a good thing can be bad, especially on the eyes. Simple touches of accessories will make a bigger impact.

By investing in your bedroom at home, you can experience Five Star Hotel quality every night!

Article by Anita Winter