Use bedroom accessories to create a peaceful haven

Your bedroom decorating should reflect your inner self through creative use of accessories

Bedroom accessories set the tone for the most intimate room in your home. This is your inner sactum, your private haven, a place where only your closest friends and family are invited in.

This space is where you should feel most relaxed and safe from the world. It is a room where you should pamper and put yourself first and foremost.

Frilly and Feminine or Sleek and Modern, the Bedroom Should Reflect the Inner You

Before I begin, let me make this statement. I realize bedrooms are often shared. When I speak of "you" I am speaking to the occupants of the room, whether it is a single person or couple. It makes for less confusion when writing and reading these pages.

Whatever your design ideas, the bedroom is a place where you can totally please yourself. Because it is such a private space, it is the ideal room to use bedroom accessories that are sentimental and have meaning to you only. These bedroom accessories could be old family photos, some antique jewelry left to you by your grandmother, a bookcase of high school memorabilia, some trophys you won at summer camp that bring back great memories, or some erotic art that you are not comfortable displaying in the living room.

A collection of "touristy items" that remind you of a memorable trip can be a fun display on a bedroom shelf

As you can see, there are no limits to what you choose for your bedroom accessories. The only guideline should be to use what is pleasing to you. You don't have to display Aunt Mary's collection of perfume bottles if you absolutely hate them. She'll probably never see your bedroom anyway. Pack them away for your daughter or niece, or give them away as a wedding present. (Be sure to tell the recipient they are antiques and not just yard sale junk!)

Lighting plays a major role in the bedroom

Bedroom lighting should be soft, calm, soothing, romantic. As this is not a working room, but rather a space for rest and relaxation, bright, harsh lights have no place in the bedroom.

As bedroom accessories, lamps play a major role in setting the style of the room. Look for lampshades that will cast soft, romantic lighting in your room. Use low wattage bulbs or tinted bulbs to keep the soft look in your bedroom.

A lamp with a glass lampshade placed in front of a mirror will mimic the look of a chandelier and cast soft pools of reflected light. Lamps placed by shiny reflective objects will also create that same effect.

Of course your reading lights will need to have proper bulbs to read by, and the same goes for any lighting in your makeup area if it is in your bedroom. But even if your bedroom is sleek and modern, the key to lighting is still soft, calm, soothing. You need a place to relax and unwind. Don't undo your efforts to achieve this effect with harsh, irritating lighting.

Soft, comfortable bedding adds much to your comfort

As the major piece of furniture in the room, the bed steals the spotlight and sets the tone for your entire bedroom decorating scheme. Bedding, as bedroom accessories, can change the entire look and feel of your room within minutes. By paying careful attention to how you dress your bed, you can add coolness in summer and warmth in winter. You can add a romantic feeling through frills and lace, or a more somber look through tailored bedding.

The trend today is to the studied, casual look. A puffy feather mattress on top of the mattress, some beautiful patterned sheets, a duvet thrown casually over the top, finished off with a large amount of pillows and throw cushions, and you have a great design statement.

Throws are also great bedroom accessories. A throw casually draped over your favorite chair is an invitation to take some time for yourself to read a favorite book, take a nap, or just mediate and reflect on aspects of your life.



Consider adding a headboard

Headboards are great as bedroom accessories. If you have a bed without a headboard, there are many simple and easy ways to create one in a day. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Wallpaper an area behind your bed and outline it with an interesting wallpaper border
• Hang a decorative drapery rod behind the bed and drape some suitable fabric behind the bed.
• Pick up a beautiful wrought iron fence at an auction and install it as a headboard

  Check out this page for information on For information on how to shop and bid at auctions, click here

• If you are handy, buy some molding, create a frame behind the bed, and use faux painting to fill in the center
• Fireplace mantles are available fully made. Buy one of these to fit the measurements of your bed to use as a headboard

Use a decorative screen for privacy and decoration

If you want some privacy in a dressing area, or would just like to separate a reading area from the sleeping space, a decorative screens are great as bedroom accessories. These come in all styles and sizes. Many have panels that can be customized with fabric or paper to match your room decor.

Interesting bedroom decorating accessories can be added to your room by hanging some padded satin hangers from the screen. Use these to display antique bedclothes or your favorite nightwear that is too pretty to hide in your bedroom closet.

Candles are a natural as bedroom decorating accessories

When we consider bedroom lighting, candles come to mind as a natural extension. Even though candles are no longer a necessity with the advent of electricity, they are still one of the more popular bedroom accessories. Nothing can compare to the flattering light and the romantic ambiance created by candlelight. Place candles in front of a mirror for a wonderful reflected light.

With the variety of shapes, sizes, and scents available today, you should have no trouble finding candles to match your moods and bedroom decor.

Scents can also set the mood

With interest growing in aromatherapy, essential oils are now easily obtainable everywhere. There are all shapes and sizes of aromatherapy burners, incense sticks, and scent can even be put into the wonderful foggers available everywhere. Look here for more tips and ideas on how to scent your home

There are scents available to reduce stress, induce sleep, and encourage passion. Look here for more information on the benefits of aromatherapy.

A natural way to bring fragrance into your bedroom and add bedroom accessories is through the use of flowers. Many highly scented flowers are probably easily available if cut from your garden, or purchased in their season. Some highly scented flowers are:

• lily of the valley
• narcissus
• lilacs
• apple blossoms
• cherry blossoms
• nicotiana

Don't overlook Perfume, Creams, and Lotions

Many of the beauty products you use come highly scented and beautifully packaged. Don't hide everything in a closet, or store it away in drawers. Show of that grouping of perfume bottles and those wonderful small jars of creams and lotions. Group these products to make a display that has impact and decorative value.

Place beautiful bottles on windowsills to catch and reflect the light. Place small perfume or lotion bottles on wide chair rails or make them into a tiny grouping to add interest in a small unnoticed niche.

Experiment with some of these ideas

Go ahead, have fun, move things around. See what new interest this will give you to make your room truly a reflection of the inner you. You may even discover new things about yourself, your interests, and your personality.Isn't life great when we make even small changes?

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