Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Ideas to Decorate your Master's Bedroom
Your master bedroom is your private retreat. Unlike a family room or a den, it is wholly about you. A master bedroom is not just a place to sleep, but a place to unwind, relax and rest. It is places that can what you call a private place in your home that no one can disturb you. For these reasons, you should decorate your master bedroom to include all of the elements possible to make it a haven of leisure. Make it like your own universe, decorate it with your interest and what do you want it to be.
Color is always an important aspect in the bedroom. Not only used for sleep, the master bedroom is also used for intimacy. Choosing your bedroom colors should reflect these elements on your life. Depending on your personality, however, these colors may differ.
If you envision your master bedroom as a cool, calming room then you should decorate in blues and greens. If you see this space as warm, sensuous and inviting, work with deep browns, dark reds and blues, and earth tones. You can always combine these colors as well. For example, for an elegant look, choose deep brown and an ice blue in satins and silks. Or for a more sensuous earthy design, paint your walls a warm taupe or sand and use a cool denim blue and deep red and dark blue for accent colors.
If you want to have cool and calm effects of your room, try light colors to lighten up your mood. Avoid using too much dark colors like black or dim blue.
Sound, or the lack thereof, is always good in the bedroom. You do not have to sound proof your walls to achieve quiet, though. You can get plush carpeting or rugs, thick luxurious comforters and pillows to help keep sound out. But audio is very helpful if you want to attain calmness in the room. Try listening to nature audio files. It well help you to be easily fall asleep.
Light is essential in any room but especially the master bedroom. If you cannot sleep unless you are in total darkness, invest in some room darkening curtains. Not only will you sleep better, but it will also improve your energy bill. Small lamps should be on both sides of the bed, but choose a lamp with a 3 way bulb or with an attachable dimmer. You can use this to set mood lighting or, if your significant other is ready to sleep and you are not, provide you with a little reading light.
If you prefer to use light colors as a theme in your room. It is recommended to use minimal light since the color can reflect the light. Scented candles are advisable to put in the side tables to catch the calmness in the room.
A ceiling fan with lights is also a good idea for three reasons; it provides overhead light, it provides cool air in the warmer months, and the white noise it gives off can also produce a very sound sleep. Ceiling fans adds the modern accent to your room. Harmonize the appliances in your room in terms of color and designs. To help with oxygen levels while you sleep, put house plants in your bedroom. The oxygen given off will help keep you healthy and breathing well as you sleep. House plants can add a green and nature effect to the room and on the other hand it will give off extra oxygen. It is advisable to build a place for the plants near the windows, for the plants to breath and the dirt not to be scattered. An Aquarium next to your bed is advisable to reduce stress while in your room after a day of tiring work. Having a pet indoors are proven to reduce the stress of the residents in a home.
Having a seating or reading area in your master bedroom is always an important element. Your master bedroom should be your place to go and unwind, even if it’s not to sleep. Having a separate seating area will reduce the temptation to crawl into bed. Put a couch in the window area to reduce the aura of sleepiness because of the noise in the streets. A seating area should also have a table with a lamp and is best if put next to a window
Just because your master bedroom is square, that doesn’t mean you have to be. Never put either side of your bed up against the wall. Even if you are the only one using the bed, allow plenty of space on either side of the bed. If your room is small, try putting the bed on an angle to see if that improves your space, like putting your bed in the one angle of the room and your other stuffs like, cabinet and etcetera on the other side to improve the space in the middle. Large space in the middle part of the room reduces your being bulgy and you can move freely to your room. Try something different in your master bedroom. If you like to have your coffee in bed, put a coffee maker in the bathroom. If you want to feel a little more private, hang mosquito netting or bed curtains. Make your room whatever you want. Depend it on your interest, it is your room. Design it accordingly on what you want and what you think suits you; remember it is your space, your place to unwind. Make it comfortably yours.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Japanese Room Style Details
Simplicity and naturalness characterize this style. Reflecting Japanese culture, a bedroom styled accordingly should exude calmness, incorporate clean open space, and have a place for each furnishing and accent in the space.
The main colors in a Japanese-styled bedroom should be soft and subdued, as opposed to bold and bright. Greens, grays, and browns that are natural and calming are ideal. Translucent red often makes an elegant impression. Wood tones for furniture can range from lighter bamboo shades to darker lacquered pieces. Try to maintain the color tone of furniture throughout the room. Bold colors can be used sparingly, perhaps in a bright Japanese fabric used as wall art. As you watch some of the Japanese movies like “The Grudge” which almost the setting was shot on a house, you will notice that the rooms are static and simple.
In terms of furniture, the appearance of stability and balance is important when styling a Japanese bedroom. To this effect, furniture including the bed, tables, and dresser drawers should be low in height. Simplicity and sharpness of the edges of the wall is advisable .Keeping the furniture low and selecting only pieces that are essential also makes the space look larger and more open. Too much furniture which serves as designs or accessories are not widely recommended. Japanese style rooms are usually wide in space to attain the calmness attribute.
A futon is a traditional Japanese bed that consists of a thick mattress lined with fabric, and paired with a comforter or blanket. Platform beds are the modern equivalent, with a bed frame designed with extra slats for support, such that a box spring is not required, only a mattress.
Natural light usually plays a major role in lighting a Japanese-styled bedroom. Artificial lighting can be concealed to blend in with the natural, minimal look. Standing floor lamps and hanging lanterns are also used, hanging lamps are good to produce wide range of light in your room and having the effect of natural light because of the translucent light produced by the paper shade. . Choose lamps with wood bases and paper shades, and paper lanterns in a natural parchment color, in sphere or box shapes.
Walls that divides the outer part of the house and your room is recommended to be a window like one. Imagine that your wall can be converted into a big window; it will allow sunlight to pass in your room in the morning. It can be serves as an electricity saving technique.
Natural textiles such as cotton and silk are often used for bedding and wall hangings. They may be left in their natural, unbleached state or dyed a dark blue. Usage of colorful print pattern mattress in out of place because of the simplicity attribute of a Japanese Style Room. A tatami mat is a typical floor covering in Japanese homes. Made of compressed rice straw, the mat edges are bordered in black linen or more colorful fabric. A tatami is usually placed on the top of the table, preferably on the side of the bed for the bed and the table to be harmonized by the organic and wood effects.
On the floor, you can also add oriental rugs to signify the oriental style of your Japanese inspired room. the kind of rugs especially the round ones can be placed on the side tables. On the floor, if you can afford, dont forget to use rug pads to longer the life of your rugs.
The side table has a big role in designing the room. It is recommended to put accessories on the top of the table like square saucer like stuffs and tea cups over it to enhance the Japanese essence of the room. Putting lamps are also recommended as long as it harmonize with the other lamps in the room.
A Japanese-styled bedroom is not the place to display your abundance of figurines or large collection of artwork, even if they happen to be Japanese. The minimal look requires that the bedroom be accessorized sparingly. Accent pieces should be carefully chosen and arranged – if you have a large collection, keep a portion stored away and rotate your displays. Select items for their quality and craftsmanship.
You can also provide another room for your collection of work. This will minimize the over accessorizing of the room and to maintain a large space.
Shoji screens are quintessential Japanese accents. They are made of a simple bamboo or wood frame and translucent rice paper screen. Shoji screens can be used to divide a room or hide away unsightly clutter. They can create an entryway into the bedroom or serve as a window treatment. You may also wish to enhance the natural quality of the room by adding a tray of bonsai or simple ikebana arrangement. Ikebana and bonsais are enhancing the organic attribute of the room.