Choose Bedroom Furniture

Style and fit are key to choosing new bedroom furniture, and neither means you have to spend a lot of money. The size of your room will necessarily dictate the size of your bed and other furniture items, but you'll want to get something that you love to wake up to. Take the time to comparison shop before you commit to new bedroom furniture. Good furniture will last many years.

Consider what you'll be using your bedroom for. If you typically watch television before bed, you'll want an entertainment stand. If you read, you may want a bookshelf. If your room is small, you might want as little furniture as possible, leaving only a bed, night stand and optional clothing dresser.

List the colors of your room, wood paneling (if any) and existing furniture. Unless you're replacing all your bedroom furniture, you won't want to pair a white dresser with cherry wood headboard. Then list all of the items you're considering.

Think about your personal style. Bedroom furniture can be sleek and modern or garden cottage style. While you can accessorize your bed with sheets, you'll also want to get furniture that matches your personal style.

Set aside a maximum amount of money you can spend on new bedroom furniture before you start shopping to avoid overspending.

Measure your bedroom's length and width with a measuring tape. You'll want to make sure your furniture can fit.

Browse online retailers to get an idea of the styles and prices to expect in bedroom furniture. Note the names of designers and styles you enjoy, plus the prices.

Visit local furniture stores to see bedroom furniture in person. If you're interested in a particular style but not sure it's right for you, getting a look for yourself can help you decide. Ask about the prices, delivery and installation of any piece you like so you're not surprised if you later have to set up a piece of furniture yourself. Most furniture stores deliver for a fee.

Shop comparatively by visiting several retail stores and checking many online retailers. Also determine whether pieces you like come in other finishes than the one displayed (many do).

Purchase furniture when you've found pieces you like in a budget you can afford. Buy either online or from a local store, making sure you arrange delivery or setup, if necessary.

Choose Bedroom Curtains

Choosing the type of curtains for your bedroom depends on a number of factors. Color, texture, insulating ability and style are just a few to consider. Light that comes into the bedroom is another important consideration, particularly for a bedroom where morning light can disturb sleep. Whether you like ultra-modern styling or soft traditional settings, there are a number of fabrics and methods of operation to help make your bedroom the comfortable retreat you envision.

Look at the wall paint in relationship to the size of the room. Consider whether the color of your walls overwhelm the room. For large expanses of wall space, you might break up the color with a patterned fabric on the windows. For a small room, you might wish to make the curtains the same color to create a sense of more space.

Notice the shape of the windows. Simple rectangular windows scattered around the room can look good with any kind of window treatment. Large stretches of window may need to be broken up into individual units. Arched windows may need special rods or shades for curved areas.

Feel the temperature of the room. Does the bedroom face the north, or is it subject to drafts in winter? You may need lined curtains that you can close at night to help keep heat in the room. Heavy fabrics will also help to insulate the room.

Take note of early morning light. Think about how often you will open and close the drapes. If your bedroom windows face east, morning light may disturb sleepers. Draperies on sliding tracks will be easier to shut light out in the early morning and let light in later in the day. If light isn't a problem, you can consider lighter-weight fabrics and stationary rods.

Consider the styling of your décor. If you prefer modern styling, frilly ruffles or voluminous drapes won't go well with the feel of the room. Consider a modern print or contrasting color to add an edge to the room. If you like country styling, soft prints and ruffles will work well.

Measure your windows. Take measurements from the top of the windows to the bottom and to the floor.

Go to your local window treatment store and pick out fabrics and styles.

Place your order and arrange for installation.

Shelving Ideas for Bedrooms

Shelves are an attractive way to display your favorite items and provide extra storage in your bedroom. Because you can find shelves in practically every color and material, you can match them with your bedroom design. Shelves are also very affordable, easy to install and can be a creative way to jazz up your bedroom. Visit a home improvement store for shelving ideas; make it a fun weekend project.

The Basics
A wall shelf is an affordable way to hang up your favorite things without taking up a lot of space. Hang them in pairs to showcase your decorations and create a interesting design, or in your closet for extra storage. A bookcase can also make a great shelf as well as create height in your room. Shelves are simple to install with the right tools.

Shelving Ideas
If you need a lot of shelving storage in your bedroom, consider one or more bookcases. Depending upon their size, bookcases can provide a lot of storage and create height in your bedroom. Most bookcases come in the basic colors so you may want to paint them a bold color to create a focal point in your bedroom.

For a modern design, try glass shelves. Because glass is colorless, it showcases your objects nicely. They are very sturdy and match most bedroom palettes. Try installing brushed metal brackets to hold up your shelf and create a clean design in a modern bedroom.

Wall-mounted shelf organizers with built-in hooks work well in a bedroom when you don't have a lot of space. Use these in your closet or by your door for hanging accessories and keys. Shelf organizers come in many colors and can be painted.

Corner shelves work great in bedrooms. This is often wasted space in a room. Corner shelves are easy to install and are effective spaces to display items. They usually hold up to six pounds so you can't place something extremely heavy on a corner shelf. You can also find corner bookcases that provide a lot of space for keeping your odds and ends.

Tips
If you want to display heavy items on a shelf, you must attach the shelf to wall studs. They are easy to find with a stud finder and will provide adequate support for your shelf. If you don't have a stud, try using wall-mounted brackets to hold up your shelf. You can buy shelving kits that contain all of the essential hardware as well as mounting instructions. If you're installing a large bookcase, be sure to secure the top and bottom to the wall to prevent the bookcase from tipping over.

Tips for Installing a Jacuzzi in a Bedroom

Installing a hot tub or Jacuzzi in the bedroom is the ideal way to have privacy while you enjoy the relaxation of the warm water and stress relieving bubbles. Placing the hot tub inside the home requires some special considerations before you begin the installation. You must ensure that your bedroom is prepared to support the installation first.

Weight
Jacuzzis can weigh up to 3,000 lbs. when filled with water. The floor of the bedroom must be able to support this weight in addition to the weight of you and anyone else in the hot tub. A second floor bedroom may not be able to handle the weight of a filled Jacuzzi. An engineer can help to determine if your home is structurally sound enough to handle the installation. A first floor bedroom may be a better choice, but there still may be some issues with a crawl space beneath the house and the strength of the floor.

Ventilation
The heat and dampness from a hot tub can rot wood and cause mildew in the room where you install it. Install ventilation in the room to control the heat and humidity. Much of the dampness comes from the heat of the Jacuzzi, but climbing in and out of the tub can cause the floors to be wet constantly. Make sure that the floor can handle the water on a regular basis. Hardwood floors and carpet are not the best choices for a room with a Jacuzzi.

Draining and Plumbing
The room that you choose for your Jacuzzi must have the plumbing necessary to maintain the tub. Most homeowners choose a bathroom or an area adjacent to a bathroom for the installation of a hot tub. There must be a place for the hot tub to drain when you change the water in the tub as well. Choosing a bedroom to install a Jacuzzi may require considerable renovations to your home to handle the special requirements of a hot tub. Consult with an expert before installing a Jacuzzi on your own.

Ideas for Romance in the Bedroom

The time you spend with your spouse is essential, especially in the bedroom. A healthy sexual relationship between two partners is pleasurable for both people. Romance in the bedroom is give and take. Both partners need to give of themselves and make an effort to address the desires of their mate.

However, romance in the bedroom is not always easy. Sometimes everything flows, and at other times, the romance seems to be nonexistent. Thankfully, there are various ways to rekindle romance in the bedroom.

Change Things Up
To keep everything interesting, you need to make constant changes. Try new positions, and do something different every time you are with your partner in an intimate way. Try massaging each other or taking a bubble bath together with glow-in-the-dark bubble bath. This product is found at some adult toy shops or online. Ask your partner what he would like to try next, and keep him guessing. Dress up in costumes, and be confident about your body.

Stay Fresh and Prepare the Room
If you have bad oral hygiene or too much sweat on your body from working outdoors or cleaning, this will turn your partner off very fast. Always practice good oral hygiene, and take time to brush your teeth and use mouth wash. Wash your body thoroughly in the shower with an antibacterial body wash. Follow up with a body lotion or coconut oil. Coconut oil is high in essential fatty acids that nourish and hydrate your skin. Dim the lights and play classical music to create a sensual mood in the room. Sprinkle rose petals on the bed and floor. Ask your partner to share a glass of champagne in the bed with you.

Flirting
"Good Housekeeping" magazine says flirting is an essential way to improve your love life. Flirt with your spouse and do the same things you did when you two were courting. Come up from behind, and give your spouse a hug and a kiss on the cheek. You can also joke around or engage in sensual play. Kiss your spouse's neck, and show that you're interested in taking things into the bedroom.

"Good Housekeeping" says flirting causes a woman to produce a hormone called oxytocin. This hormone is known as the feel-good hormone because it plays a key role in a woman's arousal, which can help move things along for a couple.

Design Tips for Beds in a Small Room

Many people live in small apartments or homes that feature even tinier bedrooms. When trying to decorate a small bedroom, get creative to prevent your bed from taking over the entire space. Choosing the right type of bed, nightstand and decorating colors will help make your small room appear larger.

Bed Frame
If you are purchasing a new bed for your small bedroom, go with the smallest size of bed possible, such as a full-sized bed in lieu of a queen-sized bed. Look for beds without bulky frames. If you feel you must have some type of bed frame, look for a model with a headboard only. A headboard and foot board will only make your room smaller. Also look for bed frames that sit low to the ground. According to Bedroom Designer, this design tip will add needed vertical space to the room, making it appear larger than it is.

Bedroom Storage
Use organizational tools, such as clear boxes or bags, under your bed to make your small room less crowded. Some beds even feature under-the-bed drawers which eliminate the need for bulky dressers in the room. Divide your clothing into categories, such as sweaters, jeans and shoes, and place them in separate drawers, storage boxes or bags. If you are seeking ways to make a child's tiny bedroom appear bigger, consider buying a cabin bed. According to Modern Decors, these types of beds come in several varieties that feature under-the-bed cabinets, drawers, double beds and work desks.

Nightstand
Many people require nightstands to hold personal items and reading lamps next to their beds. If you are looking for bedside table options in your small bedroom, use a wall-mounted shelf instead. This will leave valuable floor space intact, which will help make your room look bigger.

Bedding
Your bedding choices will help to make your room appear larger or smaller, depending on their colors and patterns. Most decorators recommend using light, neutral colors for bedspreads and bedding materials. If you want to use a patterned material, choose a simple design, such as subtle stripes or monotone leaves. According to Decorating Your Small Space, using a white or light beige bedspread will make the room appear less cluttered and larger. If you cannot stand the idea of a colorless room, use a white or beige bedspread and paint the walls a light color, such as spring green, lavender or periwinkle blue, to give it a pop of color.

Tips on Adding on a Bedroom & Bathroom

The addition of a bedroom with a private bathroom to your house calls for a number of important decisions to be made. The further in advance you can finalize these issues, the more likely the process of adding on will be smooth and problem free. The opportunity to expand your home by two different rooms at once gives you the freedom or responsibility, depending on how you look at it, to integrate the two rooms into a cohesive whole using architectural and decorative measures.

Bed and Bath for Kids
The addition of a bedroom with a bathroom that will also serve an existing adjacent bedroom is an effective solution to the issue of a single bathroom in a home with a growing family. When the two bedrooms that connect to the new bathroom are occupied by two or more children of different genders, one of the best decisions you can make during the addition process is to build what is known as a Jack and Jill bathroom, which means installing twin vanities, individualized shower racks for each child and a separate alcove for a shower so that one child can bathe in privacy while another child showers.

Walk-in Closet Entryway
The process of bathing and dressing can be streamlined when you add a bedroom with an attached bathroom. Design the two rooms so that you enter the bathroom through a walk-in closet. One method to accomplish this involves a closet with a pathway through clothes storage on either side. Another is to install a large mirror in the middle of one wall while the opposite wall is equipped for storing clothing.

Second Story Considerations
You can add a bedroom to the second story of a house just about anywhere that will support the weight. A bedroom that contains a private bath considerably narrows your options. The bathroom situated on the second floor must be placed either where it can be attached vertically to existing first floor plumbing lines or where it can share plumbing lines with an existing bathroom on the second story.

Drama and Style
The addition of a bed and bath can be a project that lets you add great stylistic flourish to your home. The design stage is the time to experiment with imaginative ideas and construct a wish list. Style can be supplemented by installing French doors at the entrance from the bedroom to the bath. A good tip during the early stages of this kind of addition is that you may want to cut back on your budgeting for fixtures in both rooms and move that money over toward integrating the connection between bed and bath in a more strikingly artistic manner.

L-shape Design
An L-shape is an effective way to add a bedroom/bathroom combination. The longer end of the L can be utilized for the bedroom while the shorter end of the L is the ideal size for a bathroom of a less expansive type. This design can even do away with the need to install a doorway that acts to separate the bedroom from the bathroom as the alcove-like placement of the bath provides all the necessary privacy.