For many of us who live a hectic fast paced lifestyle, coming home to a soothing and relaxing bedroom retreat is a luxury that we can only dream of. These tips will help you create a calming zen bedroom design that will look like you hired a pro.

If you want a relaxing environment, then neutral colors and rich textures are the key. Pick sage green, or tan as a base and go with that. If you like grays you can even use a palette of gray, although this color can be kind of cold. Pick a color that you can use on both the walls and floors as it is desirable to make them the same color. Take your cue from nature and use colors that you might find in a soothing setting outdoors.

You’ll want to accent the room with plants, soothing waterfall bowls and candles to complete the look and feel. Perhaps a meditation mat in front of a candle fireplace?

Choose plain furniture for your Zen bedroom – if your current furniture is old and distracting and you don‘t want to buy new, paint it a neutral color that goes with your color scheme. Think about adding some Japanese paper panels in front of any pieces that detract. If your old furniture just won’t suit the room but you are on a limited budget, shop around at your local consignment store for pieces that match. You may have to go every day but sooner or later that perfect set is bound to show up!

You want your Zen bedroom design to have a monochromatic look with different shades of the same color, but you an add some punch with a complimentary accent color which you can spread around in pillows, wall art and vases in a few places around the room (not too much).
The window treatments should be light and flowing – simple sheers in white that flow down to the floor would work. Lighting should be calming and not distracting – something with clean square lines and very simple.

Now if you are thinking your Zen bedroom is going to be looking pretty plain, you can use your bedding to add some interest. You want to keep with a monochromatic look to the bedding, but you can make it stick out by using layers of color that are a subtle shade off and rich quality fabrics. Try some sheets or a comforter that has a design embroidered or embossed in the same color as the fabric. Add interest by using materials with a nice texture – crisp cotton, soft velvet or dupioni silk can add interest and be soothing to the touch and comfy to relax in!

Accents are what make a room unique so your Zen bedroom deserves some relaxing accessories. Not too many though as you want to avoid clutter. How about a soothing tabletop waterfall or some aromatherapy candles? You can buy structures that hold candles in sort of a pyramid and create a faux fireplace with candles as the feature. Or maybe you want a mini Zen garden? Use a small coffee table and put a sand garden with mini rake on top. A shoji screen can work to divide the room or add a nice accent to a corner – you can make them yourself using rice paper and wood.

Textiles have a huge impact on the mood of a room. You should always invest in the highest quality fabrics you can afford.  Whether this is your first home or your dream home you can create lush, luxurious spaces by selecting beautiful fabrics to adorn your abode.

The colors and textures you choose will influence the atmosphere, mood and style of your home. 

Choosing fabrics can be both fun and stressful. There are so many options to consider such as:

Bouclé

Broadcloth

Brocade

Cashmere

Chenille

Crewel

Damask

Faille

Gros Point

Imberline

Jacquard

Lampas

Linen

Matelassé

Merino Wool

Mohair

Moleskin

Peau De Soie

Pongee

Ramie

Sateen

Satin

Shantung

Silk

Suzani

Taffeta

Tapestries

Toile

Velour

Velvets

Viscose

Voile

Plan on choosing fabric for furniture, wall treatments, accessories, draperies and bedding. Be sure to select fabrics that are the appropriate weight for their intended use.  For example, if your dining room chairs are used frequently an upholstery weight fabric that is more durable would be a much better investment than an unlined silk.

Don’t be afraid to combine patterns and textures. It is sometimes difficult to see the big picture when looking at small fabric swatches so the help of an interior designer can be extremely useful and cost-effective in making the right decisions.

Match your color choices to the function of the room.  For example, you may want a romantic and restful bedroom, a living room that stimulates conversation or a bathroom that calms and relaxes.

Basic colors such as yellow creates a feeling of happiness and sunshine, blue is calm and restful, red increases energy and excitement while crimson can increase anger, deep dark purple brings a feeling of luxury and increases creativity and other lighter shades create a soothing tone, pink evokes a feeling of romance and sweetness, green relieves stress and orange will stimulate energy and excitement.  Neutral colors do not affect mood so you can use them as accent pieces or to tone down a too colorful room.

It is important to consider floor coverings, furniture and wall treatments that are included in your design plan before you select fabrics so that the room will have a unified theme.  Begin by choosing a beautiful fabric in a print or pattern that you adore for each room of the house.  This fabric will provide the overall focus for each room. 

Your next step is to choose two or three other fabrics that will include a color from your original fabric choice.  Mix and match colors, weight, scale, textures, sheen and patterns to create a unique look for each room.  In some rooms you will select a traditional understated fabric scheme and other rooms will be more bold and playful mixing and matching various fabric elements and colors. Limit your pattern choices to no more than three per room to preserve overall design scheme.

To make the process less stressful and more fun consider reading the books “Color Harmony: Fabric Harmony: A Decorating Guide to Creative Fabric and Color Combinations for the Home” and “Decorating With Fabric and Pattern” both available in bookstores and online.

Your interior designer should can help you with your final color and fabric choices.  You will discover that some of your favorite designer or luxury fabrics are only available through your interior designer so it is important to choose someone who understands your vision and your lifestyle.

You will live with your choices for years to come, so take your time making selections that make you happy.

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6 New Tips to Create the Perfect Musical Theme Bedroom

Do you eat, drink, and sleep music? Whether you prefer Rock or Bach, you may want to create a musical environment within your home. One way is to design a bedroom with a musical theme. That will allow you to wake up with music before hearing your first note! Here are some tips to help design the best musical theme bedroom:

1. Create a plan and think about the furniture

To create a musical theme, follow a plan. First, determine the bedroom’s dimensions. Then you must make an important decision: are you going to add extra furniture to the room? If purchasing new furniture is unnecessary, then do not purchase it. You can use various means to embellish the furniture so it matches the floor and walls of the room.

2. Add paint, wallpaper, and borders to the walls

You can use a variety of approaches regarding the color of the walls. Paint all of them the same color, or use two different colors for different walls. Neutral colors are best, as they can create some balance with flashy musical accents that you will add later. You could also add wallpaper to help create a musical theme. An excellent option is wallpaper that gives the appearance of an auditorium’s wooden flooring. You could place music notes wall hangings atop it.

Another technique is to add borders with musical themes, such as musical notes, guitars, pianos, treble or bass clefs, etc. You could add borders at the center of the walls, or at the top of them. Placing borders at the top of the walls will create more space for various types of wall decor.

3. Remember the floors and windows

The color of the carpeting and drapes should be neutral (i.e. grey or white), to offset the various accents in the room. However, one of those accents could be the actual prints on the drapes! Use a maroon carpet runner at the door, to give the appearance of a musical awards ceremony.

4. Match up the furniture with the accents

Use a variety of musical theme accents, to add color to your furniture. Some examples include bedspreads, pillows, and throw rugs.

5. Add decor to the walls

After adding the initial paint, wallpaper, and borders to the wall, you can begin adding various musical wall decor to them. Some effective objects to consider are:

- music notes wall hangings.

- musical pictures (dancers, musical films)

- photographs from live performances (i.e. musicals, plays)

- musical instruments (but keep the baby grand grounded)

When adding wall art to the walls, you can use various methods, including a symmetrical and an asymmetrical scheme. Experiment with different arrangements.

6. Work on the lighting

You could give the appearance of an auditorium by placing light fixtures at the corners of the room, and then tilting them at different angles.

By following some simple steps, which could include wooden wall decor, you can transform your bedroom into an auditorium. Create your bedroom’s theme into a symphony of sights and sounds!

Once reserved for royalty or the very rich, luxury bedding is one of those delightful pleasures in life that is progressively becoming a must-have. We’ve all seen the rise of popularity with Egyptian cotton sheets over the years and now it seems that luxury bedding is one of those items that people just can’t imagine being without. Each year manufacturers are showing up at the home textile shows to display new collections. Although some trends in color or design appear, it’s the classics or soon to be classics that survive. Today’s consumer wants bedding that is comfortable, classic, durable, and will withstand the changes in trends. Neutral colors and delicate embroidery in high thread count sheeting is in high demand. Silk, linen, and Egyptian cotton fabrics are top choices for bedding fabrics that are extremely soft and beautiful.

Adding to or changing your luxury bedding is a great way to change the look of your room without changing everything. It’s much easier to change your look if you start with neutrals. Use neutral colors such as white, ivory, taupe, or green and soft details when selecting sheets and bed skirts. We are no longer limited by choices. Most manufacturers offer the same color palette for coordinating collections that can be mixed and matched. If you don’t find exactly what you want, most manufacturers will customize your bedding so you can get the best fit and colors of your choosing. Just remember that anything that is special ordered or custom made requires on average a 6-week wait, but it is worth it.

Not everything has to match. Select different pieces for your duvet cover and shams to instantly create a new look. Layering with coverlets and throws is great way to add texture to the room. Many manufacturers are starting to include these pieces in their bedding collections. You also have the option of coordinating coverlets and throws in the same colors, but different designs, textures, or weaves for added appeal.

If you find a fabric or bedding design that appeals to you, you don’t have to purchase an entire ensemble. Keep your main bedding neutral and purchase decorative pillows in your favorite fabrics to add a touch of color or pattern for a different look or to change with the seasons. This is a creative and easy way to showcase those fabrics you love. Pillows can be purchased or custom made to your specifications and style. Purchase several so they can be easily changed at whim.

If you have many pieces of furniture in the room, consider an Upholstered headboard in coordinating fabrics to freshen your decor and soften the room. Adding pillows in the same fabric will complete the look. Most luxury bedding manufacturers offer fabric by the yard so that you can customize your window treatments and accessories.

Your bedroom is your retreat, so spice it up or add soothing elements to please your senses. Don’t necessarily follow trends. Instead, follow your instincts and do what makes you happy and content.