Romantic Bedroom Decor

by Giorgina Devereaux

A romantic bedroom should have the perfect combination of color, along with certain furniture pieces, a luxurious bed ensemble, lovely window treatments, subtle lighting, art, a rug, plants, along with other accessories. 

Eliminate Clutter:  I believe that most of us will agree that a messy bedroom, well, is very unromantic. 

How can anyone possibly be in the mood for romance when there are papers and clothing piled throughout the bedroom? 

One of the most important tasks that should be tackled to help you on your way to making your bedroom into a romantic getaway is to remove visible clutter. 

Consider investing in appropriate storage compartments for papers, magazines, and any other loose items that are lying around. 

This will not only help you stay organized, but it will make you feel better seeing a well kept room and might put you in the mood for a little romance.

Color:  A very important factor in helping you create the mood for your romantic bedroom decor is color.  Not only does color transform a room, but it has an affect on mood and the color you choose can set the tone for your romantic bedroom. 

If a dark red color feels too rich, you can choose a softer shade of red.  Since each color consists of a broad spectrum of hues, saturation, and brightness, this gives you the opportunity to explore the color spectrum for darker or lighter shades.

For a more romantic tone in your bedroom, consider a purple color.  Purple colors have a powerful relationship with our romantic, sensual, and reflective sides. 

However, use a bluer purple color to maintain a balance in helping give the room a restful feel. 

If you prefer calm and soothing colors, then you may want to explore blue and green colors. 

Blue is associated with harmony, peace, and symbolizes inspiration, genuineness, and spirituality.  It is said to aid in sleeping.  Green is associated with relaxation and is refreshing since it brings a garden feel to the indoors.  

A neutral color to consider is brown.  Brown is a warm color that characterizes wholesomeness, earthiness, simplicity, and friendliness.  It is linked to taste and sophistication while at the same time is confident and calming. 

Colors such as, taupe, beige, or tan make a fabulous background and aid accompanying colors in appearing richer and brighter. 

Furniture:  Some excellent furniture pieces for your romantic bedroom decor consist of a comfortable bed, a couple of nightstands, an armoire, and a soft upholstered bed bench.

Bed:  The bed is the most important piece of furniture in the bedroom, and, therefore, should be the focal point. 

A bed that looks and feels comfy contributes to the overall romantic ambiance since a couple will not resist laying on it. 

You want to ensure that your mattress does not squeak and is comfortable.  A noisy and uncomfortable bed is definitely a turnoff! 

For a more luxurious and romantic feel in your bedroom, consider a beautiful four poster bed with a canopy top. 

If you do not like the look of a four poster bed, then a spacious bed with a nice headboard is a good option.

To spice up your four poster bed or another style of bed, you may want to consider a bed canopy.  A bed canopy creates a very romantic look and it is easy to install. 

You can hang it from a ceiling and allow it to drape over your bed or you can place it over your four poster bed frame.  Most bed canopies include braided cords that function as tie backs. 

Tie backs are also a great way to add elegance to the bed.

For a regal look, you can place a bed crown above the headboard.  Some bed crowns feature antique gold, spiraling scrolls, romantic hearts, gold leafing, flowery scrolls, and mirrored insets.  The bed crown also has a removable bar where you can hold panels, scarves, or other sheers as well as pull backs for the fabric. 

Nightstand:  A couple of nightstands with ample drawer space provides additional storage, a place to display treasured photographs, and looks quite exquisite when one is arranged on each side of the bed.  T

here are many styles to choose from and you can purchase them as part of a bedroom set, which allows you to match all of your bedroom furniture pieces.

Armoire:  If your television seems out of place in your bedroom and is getting in the way of romance, then consider investing in a television armoire. 

Not only will a television armoire make a lovely addition to your romantic bedroom, but it will give you a place to conceal your television.

Bed Bench:  A lovely accent for a romantic bedroom is a soft upholstered bed bench.  You can find it in different styles, fabrics, and colors.  Some feature a storage compartment as well.  It looks fabulous when placed at the foot of the bed and offers additional seating perfect for toasting with champagne. 

Bedding Ensemble:  The perfect bedding ensemble breathes romance.  You can choose from many different bedding ensembles in luxurious and sumptuous fabrics, trims, and details.  Romantic bedroom decor definitely calls for satin.  This gives the bedroom an elegant flair and the silk fabric feels nice on skin. 

Most bedding ensembles include a fitted sheet, a sheet, two pillow cases, a comforter, and a bed skirt. 

To further dress up your romantic bedroom decor, the use of pillows is highly recommended.  You can prop an assortment of decorative pillows in front of your sleeping pillows.  Decorative pillows include square, fashion, boudoir, neckroll, and backside pillows.  The variety in sizes adds visual interest, texture, dimension, and warmth.  Some of the more expensive pillows are stuffed with down fill. 

Window Treatments:  The choice of window treatments is important to the look and feel of your romantic bedroom decor. 

For a romantic theme, good options include satin drapes blended with sheer panels, silk curtains, taffeta curtains, and velvet drapes. 

It’s important that the color of the window treatments complement the bedding ensemble and the wall color. 

For added elegance, you may want to consider adding a valance that features beads or fringes. 

In this case, a double rod will be necessary since you will be hanging a valance and curtains together.

Lighting:  The type of lighting you select for your romantic bedroom plays a significant role in setting a romantic mood. 

You may want to consider a floor lamp that has different lighting options where you can turn the lights on using independent switches or all together. 

A floor lamp like this includes features, such as, a top light, surround lights, or you can switch all the lights on. 

This gives you lighting flexibility because you can opt for subdued lighting while having additional lighting, which comes in handy when you want to curl up with a good book.

Keep in mind that the lighting you opt for should be soft and filtered.  You can also use three-way bulbs in your floor lamp and table lamps, which will give you different lighting settings. 

Another alternative is to use colored ceramic light bulbs, such as, a pink color for a soft pink romantic glow.  With ceramic coated light bulbs, the bulbs are translucent and you cannot see the filament inside. 

Candles:  Candles have long been associated with romantic settings.  Nothing adds more romance than a set of lit candles because they evoke feelings of warmth and sensuality. 

You can select from scented or unscented candles and they come in different sizes, shapes, and colors.   

Some of the choices you have for scented candles include:   

• Lavender/tangerine
• Peppermint/eucalyptus
• Lavender
• Sweet orange/lemongrass
• Apple
• Pomegranate
• Ocean breeze
• Vanilla
• Cranberry orange
• Spiced orange
• Vanilla poundcake
• Twilight jasmine

There are also candles that float.  A floating candle looks especially romantic because you can add rose petals to the water and the combination of the flickering light against the crystal bowl, along with the shadows it creates is very romantic. 

If you have safety concerns with having lighted candles in your romantic bedroom decor, you may want to consider LED battery operated candles.  They almost look like real candles.  You can choose from tapered, pillar, votive, and tealight candles. 

The LED bulb has an amber color that softly flickers to mimic the flame of a real candle and remains lit for many hours.  It looks quite spectacular.

You can also find LED candles that float.  These candles feature real wax that makes it float, along with an amber LED tealight. 

Aromatherapy for the Bedroom:  Romantic bedroom decor would not be complete without a sweet smelling aroma.  Since scent affects mood, it’s one more fabulous idea to consider.  You can sprinkle some scented powder on your sheets to give them that special fragrance. 

Other ways include placing scented sachets of lavender under your pillow or using linen sprays made from natural essential oils in vanilla, chamomile, mint, rosemary/lavender, eucalyptus/spearmint, and strawberries and cream scents.

Fireplace:  Another incredible way to invite more romance into the bedroom is by incorporating a fireplace. 

If a fireplace is a must have, you may want to consider a portable fireplace mantle that includes the fireplace, along with a cement log, firebox, and screen kit. 

The beauty about this type of fireplace is that it is portable, ventless, and you do not have to hassle with installation. 

It is also environmentally friendly since it uses clean burning, non-toxic gel fuel.  Even though these gel fireplaces give off a minimal amount of heat, it will definitely add to the romantic ambiance.

Art/Pictures:  For romantic bedroom decor, you may want to keep art and pictures to a minimum.  Hanging too many things on the walls makes the room appear cluttered and detract from the romance. 

Instead, try to keep it simple by selecting a few treasured art pieces and pictures to display on your walls or nightstands. 

You can also display sculptures or figurines that reflect your style and taste.

Vinyl Lettering:  Make a romantic statement in your bedroom with a vinyl lettering quote. 

These are available in different fonts, colors, and sizes and are easy to apply since they come with an adhesive backing. 

A romantic quote is a fabulous way to celebrate the love you share.  

Here are some ideas for romantic quotes:

• Night and day,

            You are the One

            Only You beneath the Moon and under the Sun

            Whether Near to me or Far

             It’s no matter, Darling, where you are

             I Think of you, Night and Day

            -Cole Porter

• Always kiss me goodnight!
• A dream is a wish your heart makes.
• A simple I love you means more than money.... -Frank Sinatra
• A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.
• All because two people fell in love.
• Choose your love; Love your choice.
• Death cannot stop true love. The worst it can do is delay it for a while.
• Each morning as I awaken you're the reason I smile, You're the reason I love.
• Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be.
• Happiness is being married to your best friend.
• Have I told you lately that I love you?
• I know what love is, it is because of you.
• I love you a bushel and a peck.
• I love you more today than yesterday but not as much as tomorrow.
• I love you, not for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.
• If I know what love is, it is because of you.
• In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities.
• In union there is strength.
• Laughter is the closest distance between two people.
• Life began after I fell in love with you.
• Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.
• Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.
• Love generously, Praise Loudly, Live Fully.
• Love is blind; friendship quietly closes its eyes.
• Love is not only something you feel. It's something you do.
• Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness.
• Loved you yesterday, love you still, always loved you, always will!
• Once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale.
• Success in marriage is much more than finding the right person. It is a matter of being the right person.
• The first duty of love is to listen.
• To love and be loved is the greatest happiness.
• To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.
• To the world you may be someone, but to someone you may be the world.
• True love begins when nothing is looked for in return.
• We've only just begun.
• And Now These Three Remain:  Faith, Hope and Love, But the Greatest of These is Love.

Rugs:  To add extra warmth and richness to your romantic bedroom decor, place an area rug on the floor.  You will be amazed at how much beauty a rug will add.  There are many styles, patterns, colors, and sizes to choose from.  It is a great way to make your room feel cozier.

Add Plants:  Plants, trees, and flowers give a romantic bedroom a more relaxing and inviting feel because of its splendid array of lush and vivid colors, which brings to mind images of the outdoors. 

If you do not want to worry about caring for plant life, you can opt for silk plants, silk trees, or silk flowers. 

Silk plants are available in the following plants:  dracaena, schefflera, cycas palm, ficus, and acanthus.

The silk trees are offered in the following species:  palm, birch tree, dracaena, Japanese maple, topiary, bonsai, ming aralia, heliconia, and wild rucus.

Silk flowers are available in the following beautiful flowers:  orchids, hydrangeas, tulips, roses, peonies, magnolias, snapdragons, poppies, daisies, and zinnias.

The taller plants add dimension to the room and bring life to a bare corner.  You can also choose from a nice selection of planters to complement the rest of your romantic bedroom décor.

Edible Treats:  Since chocolate has a reputation for being an aphrodisiac, it’s a popular choice among delightful treats in a romantic setting. 

An interesting tidbit is that after chocolate is consumed, it releases substances, known as, Phenylethylamine and Seratonin. 

These two substances are mood lifting agents that are naturally found in the brain. 

Our brain releases these substances when we are happy or experiencing feelings of love, passion, or arousal.  Since consuming chocolate provides an instant boost of energy, increasing stamina, there’s no question why its effects have been associated with it being considered an aphrodisiac.

Turn on the Music: Another great way to set a romantic tone in the bedroom is through music.  If possible, try to keep a collection of romantic songs on hand for easy access. 

Soft music is very relaxing because of its mellow tones and further enhances the romantic atmosphere.