How to Make Your Bedroom More Romantic

Add a touch of romantic decor to your bedroom with certain colors and textures.

If your four bedroom walls are white and you’re feeling the room is a little stale, breathe new life into it by making it over with romance in mind. In honor of August being Romance Awareness Month, turn your bedroom into a soft, inviting place to be by following the eight tips below.

Turn off the TV – or remove it from the room altogether. On that note, remove cell phones and computers from your bedroom so the room becomes a place just for sleep and intimacy.

Go minimalist. Now that you’ve gotten rid of the technological distractions in the bedroom, lose the visual distractions, too. You don’t have to take all of the art off the walls or the pictures off the dresser, but see if you can pair down the décor some to avoid distractions.

Add candles in a romance-inducing scent. Essential oils containing the sensual, earthy fragrances of jasmine, Neroli, rose, Ylang-ylang, sandalwood, cedarwood, clary sage, clove, patchouli, pine and Vetiver are thought to be aphrodisiacs. Try to find reed diffusers or candles containing these scents.

Change your bedding. Purchase luxury silk or sateen (typically cotton) sheets in at least 400-thread count that invite you to go to bed early, and top them with a quilt, which makes you want to curl up and get cozy. Quilts also evenly distribute heat, which may make you and your partner want to snuggle under the covers. Don’t forget a throw in cashmere or soft Supima cotton.

Think sheer. Make your bed a canopy bed by attaching sheer fabric over your bed to a hook on the wall above your headboard. Hang sheer curtains in gauzy fabrics such as linen or silk over the windows, which will give your bedroom the feeling of an Arabian palace.

Put a little color in your life. Restaurants have long figured out certain colors of the walls invokes the appetites of their patrons. The same is true for stoking a fire in the bedroom – only don’t use the same colors as fast-food restaurants. Instead, paint your walls lavender, sage green or light to cornflower blue to invoke feelings of relaxation and balance in your bedroom.

Reconsider the lighting. Light your room with lamps that have two to three options for brightness, or install a dimmer switch on your overhead light. Or, replace your bright white lamp shades with patterned ones or some with warmer neutral colors, such as beige, tan or off-white. You want the room to feel soft and comfortable, not harsh and bright.

Photo Credit: iStockphoto/edoneil