5 Master Bedroom Essentials To Create Your Ultimate Retreat

Your master bedroom is the most private room in your home and creating that intimate retreat requires you to identify the essentials.  The master bedroom is your refuge and should be limited to the number of activities that take place here.  It’s a space dedicated to peace and romance – a refuge where we need to relax, restore and rejuvenate our body, mind and soul from the daily stresses of everyday life. Yet it seems that more and more of us are bringing our work and laptops into our bedrooms to catch up on those unanswered emails of the day or finish that report that’s due tomorrow.  So if you truly want to create that luxurious environment of rest, relaxation and de-compression then leave those piles of files, and computes out of the bedroom! Here are 5 bedroom essentials to help you create your utopia with comfort style and function. 1.  The Bed.
  • If space allows buy a high quality king-sized bed.  It provides plenty of space for intimacy and a restful night of sleep.
  • Create a focal point within the space and incorporate a custom upholstered or wooden headboard to add elegance and sophistication to your room.
  • Invest in luxurious bed linens.  There’s nothing better than sinking into your sumptuous bed – dressed in finest Belgian linens or Egyptian cottons (from 300-1000 thread count) and cozying into your delectable duvet and perfectly plump pillows. AHHH!
2.    Seating.
  • The master bedroom doubling as a luxurious hotel suite is becoming increasingly popular these days.
  • A comfortable seating area could include anything from a designated sitting room complete with a fireplace, sofas, chairs and tables – a charming window seat or a cozy nook simply adorned with a classic chair, ottoman and side table.
  • Delineate a space for watching television or reading.
3.  Storage.
  • Maintain a calm and serene bedroom by eliminating clutter of any kind.
  • If at all possible conceal your plasma television behind a remote controlled motorized piece of art – it slides horizontally or vertically over the television itself when not in use.
  • Nightstands should provide you with ample surface area for fresh flowers, magazines and the book you’re currently reading.  Use side tables with drawers to organize and store any loose paperwork – keeping clutter out of site.
  • If you have built-in bookshelves in your bedroom keep the books uniformed and consider including doors on the lower portion of the unit keeping the visual clutter free.
  • If access to your closet is within the bedroom room itself, invest in a professional closet company to maximize and organize your storage.
4.  Lighting.
  • Create a warm and relaxing atmosphere in your bedroom by overlapping several sources of light.
  • For overall ambient lighting include some recessed halogen fixtures overhead, suspended reading lamps over each bedside table (to free up surface area), or table lamps and wall sconces for a reading light.
  • Install individual light switches on each person’s bedside.
  • Ensure that all lighting sources are on dimmers, which will provide you with a romantic ambiance – and the greatest flexibility.
  • Don’t forget candlelight!
5.  Color.
  • Sets the tone of your bedroom space.
  • To achieve that calm and peaceful environment avoid using highly stimulating or overpowering colors.
  • Colors like violets and lavenders bring a sense of calm to a space.  Blues, whites, greys creams and taupes can also contribute to the overall serenity of the bedroom, and work beautifully with rich wood furniture.
Remember, the right combination of all these bedroom essentials contribute to the overall success of your space. I encourage you leave questions or comments below this post, and fill out the form on the right hand side of this page to receive your free copy of my special report: “15 Money Saving Strategies When Planning Your Home Renovation” Article by Lori Gilder, Architectural Interior Designer, Los Angeles, Ca. © 2010 Lori Gilder. Interior Makeovers Inc.