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Escape Act Follow these 6 tips to create a bedroom that truly is a cozy getaway from the rest of the house. Start fluffing those pillows  Sweet Dreams: Make your bedroom work as hard for you at night as you do during the day. Avoid cornering off the bed so there's only one way to climb in, only keep a manageable number of throw pillows on display and spend at least some time with the TV off Image courtesy Benjamin Moore & Co. High style can sometimes mean high and dry when it comes to comfort. Bright lights, frameless beds and smooth floors might look great in a magazine spread, but to kick back and relax in the bedroom a different set of rules apply. "A bedroom should be a couple's sanctuary, and even the single man or the single woman needs to have a place where they truly can go to relax, recoup from the day and sleep restfully," says Esther Sadowsky, owner of the interior decorating company Charm & Whimsy in New York. Here are Sadowsky's tips for turning a sleeping space into a blissful boudoir. Pillow Talk A bed that's half-covered with throw pillows might be a comfortable lounging space, but it could easily be an annoyance as well. "Men hate them," Sadowsky says. "They end up throwing them on the floor and whether the homeowner or a housekeeper makes the bed in the morning, it seems to be a chore." Sadowsky's advice is to gather just a few pillows for the bed, or make sure that the task of pillow arranging doesn't bother the person responsible for making the bed every morning. Reader's Block A bedroom needs seating for reading or watching TV, and Sadowsky recommends deep comfy chaise lounges with arms so you can support a book or magazine. "On a sofa or a loveseat, you are more or less upright and if two people are sitting next to each other it's like waiting for a bus. It isn't the same feeling as putting your feet up." Bedding Down Nobody wants a monkey in a bedroom, so don't make your spouse climb over you by putting the bed against a wall or in a corner. Sadowsky says that placing the bed directly opposite the door creates a real photo op, but real comfort comes from taking temperature into account. You might not want freezing winter air from a window or a hot vent blowing on you as you sleep. Dim View Dimmers in the bedroom are a must-have accessory, according to Sadowsky. "I love lamplight with dimmers or three way switches so there could be lower light for just relaxing or romance, and a higher wattage or full use of the bulb for reading," she says. Recessed ceiling lighting, or "high-hat" lighting, is better suited to a kitchen or public space because the lights only illuminate parts of the room and their location can't be changed. Barefoot Bliss "I love cushy carpeting. It makes you feel like you are floating on the floor," Sadowsky says. "Remember that people are going to be barefoot a lot in this room." Turn off the TV A TV is in an armoire or a lift-up console keeps the boob tube out of your face when you don't want to watch it, Sadowsky says. And they also make flat screens where a piece of artwork can slide across the TV. |
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