When decorating a bedroom for a married couple, you should factor in both practicality and romance. The room should be a place where both are completely comfortable and feel at home. It should serve as a retreat from the world outside and remind each partner of the other’s love and respect. It is important not to let either a feminine or a masculine style overtake the decor, or one partner can end up feeling alienated in his own bedroom.
Instructions
1
Avoid excessive frills. In an effort to make their bedrooms more romantic, women and some men tend to lean toward canopied beds, lots of draperies and enough candles to burn the house down. While these things can be pleasant at first, they are seldom practical. The canopies end up tied in a knot so that you do not get tangled up in them while sleeping, and the candles collect large amounts of dust over time. Instead of dressing your bedroom up, make it a place that you can enjoy regardless of how amorous you are feeling. You will find that your bedroom activity levels will actually benefit when they do not require quite so much fuss.
2
Use warm, romantic colors. Avoid pinks and decidedly feminine colors that few men would voluntarily put in their bedrooms. In the same manner, unless you both really like black, dark blue or white, you should avoid these colors, as they can make a room look bare and “bachelor paddish.” Use reds, browns, golds and cream colors to create a cozy environment that you both will enjoy.
3
Have some alternative seating. So that you do not always end up right on the bed when you want to enjoy your bedroom, put in a loveseat, sofa or papasan for reading and television viewing. Particularly if you have children, this will keep them off the bed, which will protect bed linens and prevent serious stains from food and feet. Alternative seating will keep your bed as a haven for the two of you at the end of the day, rather than a stand-in for a couch that is used 24-7.
4
Place the television in an armoire if possible. While watching television in bed is a comfortable evening ritual, there will be times when you both wish the game was not on but find it hard to look away once you have started watching. Having the option of shutting the television not only off but away will help improve the frequency and focus involved in bedroom recreation.
5
Keep the decorations artistic. While you may want to keep some family pictures around on the walls or a picture of the two of you on a romantic vacation by the bed, limit wall decorations to art whenever possible to avoid feeling as if you are being watched in bed or being distracted from your partner by thoughts of tomorrow’s soccer practice. Limit knickknacks such as porcelain angels, fuzzy bears, other stuffed animals and little glass objects so that your room does not become a cluttered treasure trove but remains a pleasant retreat for both of you.
6
Make sure each partner has enough pillows. While you may want to sleep on only one pillow, each person will need two for sitting up in bed to read or watch television. This is a practical issue and makes everyone more comfortable.
