The New Nation - Internet Edition

Romance isn't all about action these days. From subtle to outrageous, romance is creeping and barreling its way into home décor. In many homes, the master bedroom is the first place to fully absorb the decorative passion. If you're pining for a sensuous chamber to call your own, you needn't look far or go to great lengths. A romantic, sexy bedroom can be yours in a weekend's time or less!

The first consideration you must make when contemplating a revamp of your bedroom's ambiance is budget. Just how much are you willing to spend for passionate perfection? Also consider if you will be replacing the furniture, or merely adding accent pieces and romantic accessories to indulge your decorative desires. Do you already have items you would like to keep, or are you starting over from scratch? Come up with a game plan and a budget to help you get started on your quest for a newly decorated, romantic bedroom!

Consider these tips to help you choose the colors, furniture, bedding, window treatments, and accessories you'll love as you revamp and create your perfect romantic bedroom.

Bring Color into the Bedroom

Once you've discovered your budget and the renovation scope, you can begin to plot and plan your lovely and romantic ideas for change. Truth be told, romance isn't all about frills and lace. Women and men alike can enjoy a romantic hideaway that is theirs and theirs alone - without the worry of turning everything pink and lacy. On the contrary, bold reds and blues and purples - royal hues - create a wonderfully seductive palette for your bedroom.

More interested in the neutrals and earth tones? No problem - look into billowy white or pearl bedspreads and some celery-colored throw pillows to bring in some color. Then add long, flowing white curtains to your windows, or a set of sheer canopy linens to fit your poster bed. Or, consider some lovely taupe bedding piled high with chocolate-colored throw pillows. Any of these shades offer a delightful unisex combination that looks like you pulled your bedroom right out of a magazine.

Color adds so much to a room, and you have so many options for where to place the color. Don't forget your floors (Carpet? Hardwood?), your walls (paint? textured paint? wallpaper?), and of course, your linens, furniture stain, and the curtains or draperies that you choose. You may wish to come up with a plan for choosing your colors - start with all the colors you like in mind, and then determine what you will do with the floors, walls, bedding, furniture, and windows.

TIP: Mix and match colors to create exciting combinations. Try light blue and brown or orange and hot pink or plum. Or make up your own wild shade!

Romancing the Bed - Satin, Velvet, Throw Pillows, and More

Your bed should be the focal point of your bedroom. After all, it is the fixture where you get your beauty sleep and the place where you spend many blissful hours with the love of your life. Adding romance to your bed goes far beyond the sheets you choose, although a set or two of shiny, slippery satin sheets will do nicely for adding romance to any bedroom.

If you want to select nice satin sheets for your room, consider colors that complement the rest of your décor - your bedspread, the paint on your walls. Some favorites are red satin sheets, white satin sheets, and black satin sheets. But, if you can't resist those hot pink satin sheets, go for it anyway. They can be your sexy little secret!

What are satin sheets without a beautiful, warm comforter or bedspread? Consider the fabrics and materials available to you - satin of course, suede or faux suede, velvet, goose down. Plush, velvet bedspreads look especially sexy in the royal family of colors. Just imagine a deep red velvet bedspread, or deep purple, or even royal blue. Velvet bedspreads add much romance to the look of your room, giving it a rich and regal tone. Velvet is ultra soft and often very durable as a bedspread.

Another option for bedding - chenille - is similar in softness to velvet, but a little more down-to-earth. The soft, cushy chenille is a good surface for lounging around or dropping down unexpectedly to a super soft bed.

For the charming Bed and Breakfast look, consider a quilt. Patchwork quilts lend the old-fashioned country look and feel, as well as the charm of a cozy Bed and Breakfast establishment. You can't go wrong with your color scheme, because countless color combinations account for quilts of all patterns.

Choosing a set of throw pillows can be fun - just try to keep in mind the color and pattern of your bedspread as well as the colors of your paint and furniture. A mountain of throw pillows adds so much romance to a room - just think of all the fun you'll have flopping down onto them or tossing them off the bed to make more room for yourselves!

And while you're dressing up the bed, don't forget shams for your pillows and a bed skirt!

If budget is an issue and some of these more luxurious fabrics are out of the question - don't fret! Romance is what you make of it, and for what it's worth, your bedspread could be made of cotton or polyester, but who would know the difference once you've finished dressing up your bed with piles of pillows!

TIP: Match shiny with soft for the ultimate hip and romantic juxtaposition.

The main point is to find a color and a pattern or style that suit your personal preferences. Make sure it is available in the size bed that you have, and let your creative mind do the rest.

Romancing the Windows - Sheers and Shades

While you may not immediately consider your windows as a sexy or romantic part of your bedroom, think again. Where do your eyes wander when you're lying on your bed? What lets the light filter in in the morning when you wake up next to the one you love? Where do you look when you wake up - after checking the alarm clock - to see what kind of day it will be? The windows of your bedroom can really and truly add a romantic element to your room if you give them a chance.

Long, flowing sheers really dress up a window and this effect is easy to achieve and relatively inexpensive. You can usually pick up a set of sheers at a department store for $10 to $20 for each panel, and the look is well worth the modest cost. White or eggshell sheer curtains are a beautiful and softly elegant look for just about any room. Depending on the color combination you are trying to achieve, chocolate or taupe colored sheers may also look fabulous. You can find sheers in just about any color of the rainbow, from spiced orange to blue, yellow, red, and the list goes on.

When selecting curtains for your room, you may have a difficult time finding exactly what you want, and picturing it in your room. Consider your bedspread and wall color when selecting your curtains. Think about the fabric you prefer and also the style and color choices. Consider layers of fabric, soft and sensuous sheers, and even textured looks. Swag is another romantic option if you aren't down with traditional style curtains.

You can also dress up a window with romantic and organic bamboo roman shades. These shades offer a room a lovely and not so common look. The natural element of the bamboo is something you can play off of throughout the rest of your décor, or you can just leave the roman shades as a nice accent piece.

Romancing the Furniture - Hardwoods and Accents

If you haven't yet selected your furniture, consider the types of beds that appeal to you. Canopy beds and four-post beds are highly romantic in and of themselves, but let's not forget about sleigh beds and of course, waterbeds. If you are replacing your furniture, this will need to be done before you can make many of the other decorative changes.

Consider the colors and richness of the wood when selecting your bedroom set. Also look into styles of the pieces included with the set - do you get a dresser and a bureau? How many nightstands? Also consider how you will arrange the furniture once you get it home.

If you are planning to keep your current furniture but would like to add some pieces to bring a little more romance to your room, consider these optionst

Consider these romantic accent pieces:

l Armoire - If you can find one that matches or complements your current décor, an armoire is an excellent addition to a bedroom with enough space for it. Armoires are a great place to hide away your television so you can keep the focus of your room on the romance and ambiance without having to get rid of your television.

o Bench - A bench at the foot of the bed is a nice addition that wouldn't cost all that much. The bench can be all hardwood or cushioned on top, and should be in the same shade or style as your bedroom set. Place a breakfast tray on the bench to hint to your sweetheart that it's high time you enjoyed some coffee and breakfast in bed! How's that for romance?

o Hope chest - Hope chests are a classy and beautiful place to store some of your family's memories. My mom keeps our Christmas stockings and her first and favorite teddy bear in her hope chest. Some people keep linens in their hope chests. It is a special place for memories or special items, or even just general storage, but a hope chest can really add a romantic element to a bedroom. Hope chests are available as elegant furniture pieces with shiny, polished hardwood, or with a cushioned seat on top for extra utility in the bedroom.

o Victorian Chaise Lounge - To bring over-the-top romance to your room, you absolutely must add a dainty and charming Victorian chaise lounge to your bedroom. The single chair is often slender and narrow, taking up only a small bit of room. It is a nice addition to a formal setting as well, such as a living room or sitting room, but adding such a chair to the bedroom can really present a nice accent to the pre-existing décor.

Some additional favorite furniture accents are an oval freestanding mirror with hardwood trim to match your bedroom set, or even a small gas fireplace that you can position where you please. You might also enjoy a dressing table / vanity for all your primping and prepping needs!

And Finally, Romantic Accessories for Your Bedroom

When it comes to the finishing touches, you will probably have more ideas than you need at this point. Here are a few suggestions for romantic bedroom accessories to add a special ambiance and to make your nighttime chamber your favorite room of the house.

l Art - paintings or murals

l Art - sculpture

l Candles

l Dimmer on your lighting

l Fountain or Zen garden

l Live bamboo plant

l Musical instrument

l Oil lamps

l Pottery vases or bowls

l Tapestries

l Throw blankets

l Throw pillows

l Vase with fresh flowers

TIP: In the world of accessories as accents, less really is more. Choose only one or a few of these to really make a statement in your bedroom.

Choose a throwback style and bring it back to life. Choose a tried and true favorite and warm up your room to change. Choose something contemporary and make it work for you. You are an artist and your bedroom is your easel - now get to work!