Japanese Style Bedrooms - Popular and Relaxing

Japanese design and culture has now entered bedroom decor. This is for good reason: Many people find its simple lines soothing. Since your bedroom is your innermost retreat, your sanctuary, it should offer you comfort as you enter the room. By utilizing sparing, but luxurious, Japanese decor and design, you can create a relaxing, meditative, bedroom. How do you go about creating a Japanese styled bedroom? Let's find out.

Start from the bottom up, and consider your flooring. Would you like traditional tatami (tightly woven straw) mat flooring? It is very comfortable to bare feet. Traditional Japanese design requires a certain mat layout that dictates certain room dimensions. Modern Japanese-inspired decor may use a traditional tatami mat layout as a floor insert surrounded by other flooring or one tatami mat on top of hard flooring to use as a yoga mat.

Next is the central feature of a Japanese-style bedroom - a futon or platform bed. In Japanese design, this bed does not have a footboard or, sometimes, a headboard. It has an extended platform on which the mattress sits in the middle. It usually does not have box springs. It sits low to the ground and sometimes well away from all walls. Use all silk bedding in a single rich color to continue the Japanese theme (and to pamper yourself). Add several silk pillows to your platform bed to complete the effect.

Add shoji-style lamps for lighting. Their translucent panels are especially good for creating warm, diffused lighting. Put one on a dimmer switch on either side of the bed and have bright enough light for reading or soft, romantic lighting from the same lamps. Shoji doors could replace French doors leading into your bathroom or out onto your deck. Skylights also look classy framed to appear shoji-style.

Remember to keep bedside tables and other tables in the bedroom area low. Keep them in proportion to the height of your bed. If your bedroom also has a sitting area, consider keeping the Japanese theme and use a low table and zabuton (the seating cushions).

You should also consider adding a tokonoma, which is a small, raised alcove in which you might display a wall scroll, and other decorative features. A sliding-door wall closet can be opened up and trimmed to make a deep tokonoma. A shallow alcove can be framed out and set in the wall. If you are displaying a tall, narrow object, you can even put a tokonoma between studs. Traditionally, the decorations are changed every month or so. Small geisha dolls, a bonsai tree, or a Buddha statue are other ideas for your tokonoma decorations.

So there you go.

When you are ready for a soothing bedroom makeover, consider Japanese design ideas. Whether you go completely traditional with a tamaki room, and all the proper accents or whether you choose a lighter impact, only incorporating a few Japanese-inspired items in with your traditional bed and flooring, a bedroom with Japanese style elements is a mentally soothing retreat that you will look forward to visiting at the end of a stressful day.

Tom Matherson is a writer for Worldwide Tapestries where you'll see a wide range of wall tapestry discounts to decorate any home, including a fine range of French style tapestries and Oriental wall hangings as wall art to decorate your room or home.

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3 Dream Bedrooms Ideas

A bedroom can be so much more than a place to sleep. It can also be a retreat, filled with serenity, peace and romance. By its very nature, a bedroom should be a place of relaxation. After all, that's what it's designed to do.

Creating a dream bedroom isn't as hard as it seems. All it takes is a little imagination, some basic design sense and a little know-how during your trips to the do-it-yourself and bed and bath stores.

Here are three great looks that you can create in your own dream bedroom:

1. A French Elegance Dream Bedroom

When it comes to a romantic retreat, few would argue that the French are masters at creating one. Their exquisite sense of luxury and comfort fills the room with divine fabrics, a breathtaking palette of colors and superior craftsmanship.

To create the perfect French Elegance bedroom, you want to invest in the best linens your budget can afford. You want to be able to sink into a world of comfortable luxury and linens with highest thread counts possible can really do the trick.

The use of luxurious fabrics extends to the windows as well. Try some sheers if you don't want the room to be too dark. Finally, a tapestry or two will look grand on the walls and create the French Elegance you're after. Nothing's more French than tapestries.

2. A Japanese Zen Bedroom

For many of us, the thought of a tranquil dream bedroom begins in the Far East. To create your own Zen-like environment, you want to choose neutral colors, such as green or tan with touches of gray for the walls and bedding. You can't really go wrong if you choose colors found in nature.

Building upon a natural theme, you also want to add plants, water features and candles to the room. The goal again is to create a place of peace and serenity. If you enjoy meditations, you may want to add a mat to the room so you can meditate in the morning before the sun rises and you start your day.

Since a Zen inspired bedroom can look a bit drab, you'll want to add some decor to the walls to enhance the visual interest. Because they are made of natural fibers and organic in design, you may want to consider Oriental influenced tapestries for the walls.

3. The Modern Bedroom

A modern bedroom is a timeless choice. The sleek design follows the important mantra of modernism: "Form follows function." As a result, you'll find that all modern furniture emphasizes comfort over style, since comfort is the most important function of furnishings. When creating your modern bedroom, remember that you can mix and match furnishings within the larger modern furniture family. Be sure to pay attention to the lighting as well. It should be modern as well. For wall treatments, you may want to opt for modern art tapestries that bring energy, color and vibrancy to the room.

Of course, these are just three of the many dream bedrooms that you can create. The most important thing is to follow your own dreams and go with something you like. After all, dreams are meant to come true.

Looking for elegant decor for your home or bedroom? You can use a tapestry wall art that will enchant you. Tom Matherson writes for Worldwide Tapestries where you'll find a wide range of wall tapestries including French tapestries wall hangings and large tapestry wall hangings to transform any home.

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Tips For Decorating Bedrooms For Babies Through to Teenagers

When you plan a room for a newborn, bear in mind that decorating a nursery can be as much about creating a comfortable space for you as your child. With babies rarely spending time alone in their room, a peaceful nook for you to nurse your little one is essential. As they grow, energetic toddlers will need a place for supervised play, as well as a secure and cosy bed to encourage them to snuggle down alone at night. The more independent tweenies will hanker after their own den for games and sleepovers with friends, while for self-sufficient teenagers, privacy and somewhere to do their homework is all-important - what was once your domain will very definitely be their own.

But it's also important not to lose sight of your own aesthetic. 'It's easy to abandon your sense of style when it comes to decorating kids' rooms,' says Esther Wise, founder of cool bed-linen and accessories company Renegade Kids. 'Instead of going all out with pink or puppies, adapt the same procedure as you would when decorating the rest of your home. Don't compromise your own taste.'

So, with the ideas on the following pages you'll be inspired to create a room which will adapt to your children's ever-changing needs, without breaking the bank or compromising your personal style.

Babies

Calm and comfort are all-important for newborns, so choose delicate shades and tactile fabrics for cosiness. Rather than furniture specifically designed with babies in mind, choose well-made items that can adapt with your child. For example, a chest of drawers can be topped with a mat to make a changing table, and wardrobes with adjustable rails can be raised as your child grows up. For a really trendy tot, white lacquer furniture has a timeless Scandi look and works well with colourful accessories and textiles.

'New babies need shapes and movement to stimulate them,' says Laura Slack of Places and Spaces. 'Mobiles are great for this but make sure they are hung high enough to be out of reach when your child is old enough to stand.'

A two-in-one cot bed will last until your baby is ready for a grown-up bed. For a beautiful Scandi design check out the designs by Stokke.

Blackout blinds are a good choice for babies' rooms. They make it much easier to settle small children during the day or on light evenings and should help stop them waking up at dawn in the summer months. Roller blinds also allow you to let in as much natural light as possible at other times.

To avoid your baby becoming too hot or cold, don't position their cot right next to a window or by a radiator. It may also be a good idea to invest in a room thermometer. Babies are far more sensitive to temperature than adults and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) has been linked to overheating, so it's important to try to keep the room at around 18°C

Toddlers

Children grow out of the latest fads as quickly as their first pair of shoes, so rather than succumbing to an entire room of Dora the Explorer, choose a neutral backdrop and introduce colour with textiles, graphic wall stickers (which are quick and easy to change) and fun accessories. 'Mount pictures of characters in inexpensive frames,' suggests Anita Kaushal, author of HomeFamilyLifestyle, 'or encourage your kids to draw their own pictures and frame those instead.'

Teach toddlers to be tidy as early as possible by hanging pegs low and keeping storage within easy reach.

'Little children spend a lot of time on the floor, so treat them to a huge rug to keep small bottoms warm,' says Laura Slack. The Speed rug from Habitat has a fun racetrack design.

Boxes and baskets are ideal for storing toys and games, and can be easily transported around the house if need be. Label the fronts for easy identification and keep one basket at the foot of the bed for stray toys that are still kicking around at bedtime.

Dimmer switches are a boon for checking on a sleeping toddler and can be left on low for an infant who's afraid of the dark.

Cover electrical sockets and keep trailing cords out of reach

Tweenies

Older children will relish having some input in the way their bedroom looks. 'Ask kids what they like about their favourite toys,' suggests Laura Slack. 'Use these colours, textures and motifs and base the scheme around them.' If bubblegum pink and electric blue go against all your interior style principles, compromise with powder pink or dove grey. 'Instead of dousing whole walls in vivid colours, buy cheap or second-hand furniture and paint that instead,' suggests Anita Kaushal.'Then your kids can have what they want, but it's completely disposable.'

Bunk beds make the most of every inch, and they're great for sleepovers and as dens. Alternatively, choose a single bed with a pull-out truckle that houses another mattress for when friends come to stay. The White Company has stylish designs.

Adjustable shelves can accommodate big picture books for small kids, then be adapted for paperbacks as well as CDs and DVDs.

Fairy lights are an easy way to add a magical touch - string twinkling lights round a mirror for a little girl, or pin up a net of lights to create a personal cosmos for a budding spaceman.

Murals can create a focal point in a kid's room. 'A modern, minimalist room that appeals to grown-ups can be completely updated with a stylish, graphic mural', says Mandy Colliss of Funky Little Darlings, who can create a bespoke mural with all your child's favourite things. 'Pick contemporary furniture and soft furnishings in the colours of the mural to create a coherent look.'

Don't position furniture near a window, and fit catches on windows as an additional safety measure.

Teenagers

When kids hit the teenage years, a whole new challenge in designing their rooms awaits,' says Judith Wilson, author of Teen Zone. 'The layout may require radical readjustments as fresh issues arise, from controlling noise to allowing privacy.' Let teenagers personalise the space so they can create a place where they will enjoy spending time.

'A montage of pictures, photos and memorabilia is a great way for teens to express themselves,' says Anita Kaushal. Cover one wall in cork tiles to save the wall from Blu Tack marks and insulate the rest of the house from the sound of the latest Sugababes CD.

Some sort of study area is essential in every teenager's room. A work station with closing doors or a desk hidden in a cupboard is a good idea, or sectioned off with shelving, a curtain or a panel.

As with all students, teenagers need good task lighting for reading and homework. Anglepoise lamps are design classics.

Conquer mountains of clothes, shoes and CDs with ample storage. Try toy baskets for shoe storage, underbed drawers for private items and a second-hand filing cabinet for homework.

You can find more information on interior design and interior design ideas at house to home, helping you create a look you'll love.

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Decorating Ideas For Apartment Bedrooms - Part 2

In part two of our two part series, we look at some specific decorating tips and ideas for apartment bedrooms...

Style Pointers

WALLS AND CEILING

Fresh white walls and ceiling reflect the light and create a spacious atmosphere as well as a neutral backdrop for colorful furnishings and accessories.

ACCESSORIES

Framed posters reinforce the blue and white color theme and break up the wall space. A few well-chosen accessories - vases of flowers, bedside candlelamps, and simple knickknacks - add a personal stamp.

SOFT FURNISHINGS

Blue and white bedlinen in a strong, naive design adds a bold splash of pattern. A blue and white ticking roller blind, softened with voile drapes, provides night-time privacy.

STORAGE

Bedside tables provide storage space for books and other items. Clothes may be hung in freestanding or built-in wardrobes or from a screened-off hanging rail.

LIGHTING

Slender candlelamps are an elegant choice and provide ample light for bedtime reading. Wall-mounted torcheres, in white to match the walls, give restful overall lighting.

FURNITURE

A wrought-iron bedstead and wicker bedside tables and chair have a straightforward, contemporary feel and clean outlines which are perfect for the look.

Furnishings

Furniture: Apartment-style decorating revolves around maximizing space and minimizing cost, so try to choose furniture that offers plenty of storage space and serves more than one function. A well-lit, clutter-free dressing table, for example, doubles as a desk to make a quiet work place away from the main living area; a low, painted chest makes a perfect bedside table with room inside for bed linen; a platform bed with pull-out drawers or even a second, spare bed underneath is a real bonus; and in an older home, a built-in window seat creates a snug corner for relaxation and provides valuable storage space. If your bedroom is really small, consider installing a sofa bed to free up maximum floor space during the day. Futons have a suitably modern feel and are generally reasonably priced.

In terms of style, keep to functional furniture. Pale, stripped, or stained wood, in white or primary colors, laminate furniture, and polished or painted metal are just right. Avoid cluttering up the bedroom with too much furniture. In addition to the bed and built-in storage (see below), all you need are bedside tables and, if there's room, a comfortable chair and perhaps a basic dressing table or desk. Wicker furniture is inexpensive and adds a friendly touch, especially if other furniture in the room is stark. Glass-topped tables take up little visual space and add emphasis to any ornaments or objects displayed on them - a clock or vase of flowers, for example, seems to float in the air.

The bed: Like the other furniture, the bed should be simple and functional in style. Choose a basic wooden bedstead, natural, painted, or stained, or a wrought-iron one for contemporary chic; or opt for a simple daybed and dress it up with boldly patterned and colored bed linen. Set against the walls with a bolster at each end and some scatter cushions along the back, such a bed provides sofa-style seating during the day.

Storage: With space at a premium, built-in floor-to-ceiling cupboards and wardrobes make sense, along one wall, filling an alcove or fitted in an arch over and down the sides of the bed. Mirrored doors on storage units double the sense of space and light and, unlike a freestanding mirror, take up no additional floor space. In a very small bedroom, choose built-in furniture to tone and blend in with the walls.

Check out office supply stores for functional filing cabinets and box storage systems, which come in a bright array of colors as well as traditional gray and black. Industrial suppliers are a potential source of clever storage units, such as galvanized metal high-security boxes.

On a limited budget, you can fit a clothes rail across an alcove and screen it with bright fabric curtains or with white or boldly painted medium-density fiberboard panels. For added storage options, build one or more shelves at various levels behind the screen.

©2007, Kathy Burns-Millyard. Are you ready to make your friends and family envious about how beautiful your home looks? Visit HouseDesignIdeas.com now to find tons of outstanding Home Decorating Ideas

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Great Theme Ideas For Teenager Bedrooms

If you have a teen at home, then you know that decorating a teenager bedroom is not the easiest thing in the world. Some teens will know exactly what they want, but it just may not be possible with the budget you have. Other teens may just not care what their room looks like. If you are coming up short on theme ideas for teenager bedrooms, then here are some great ones to consider.

Theme Ideas for a Teen Girl's Bedroom

Some teen girls may just want to go with a color scheme when it comes to their bedroom. Pink and brown, turquoise and brown, and purple and white are very common color schemes for a girl's bedroom. There are plenty of accessories and fabrics that you can find to match these types of color schemes.

A popular bedroom theme for a teen girl is the glamorous style. Even though this theme may sound quite expensive, you can find accessories, furniture, and other décor items that fit the theme but will not break your budget. Look for things with jeweled or glittery accents. A fake glass chandelier with a leopard print lamp on the nightstand would work great in this type of room.

Another popular theme for a teen girl's bedroom is the modern or funky style. This is definitely a style that you will need some input from your teenager on. A modern style can consist of unusual or contemporary artwork, designs and patterns on the wall, and bright colors. Be sure that if you do go with this theme for the bedroom, that it is not too out there so that your teen doesn't get tired of it within a few months.

Some other great theme ideas for a teen girl's bedroom are:

·        French theme

·        Black and white theme

·        Stripes and shapes theme

·        Floral theme

·        Romantic theme

·        Cheerleading or dance theme

Theme Ideas for a Teen Boy's Bedroom

Most teen boys don't have that much interest in what their bedroom theme is unless they are truly passionate about a hobby or activity. Some teen boys will simply just want a color scheme for their bedroom and will leave it at that. If your teen boy is like that, you can choose a color scheme that is more than just black or blue. Involve other colors like turquoise, green, red, yellow, brown, and orange to add some more color into the room.

One of the most popular bedroom themes for a teen boy is a sports related theme. It could concentrate on just one sport such as baseball or basketball, or it could be a general sports theme. It could also be decorated in their favorite professional or collegiate team as well. A sports theme is pretty easy to decorate as long as you make sure that you don't go too overboard and clutter the room with everything sports.

Another popular theme for a teen boy's bedroom is a car theme. If your son loves cars, whether they are old classic cars or the current hot racing cars, there are plenty of ideas that can go into a car theme. Pictures of cars can be framed and hung on the walls while a mural of a speedway can be painted on the walls.

Some other great ideas for a teen boy's bedroom are:

·        Music theme

·        Skateboarding theme

·        Technology theme

·        Surfing theme

·        Camouflage theme

·        Wilderness theme

Decorating a teen's bedroom should be a fun experience for both parents and kids. By suggesting some of these great theme ideas, you may just score some parent points with your teen.

Leon Tuberman has four decades of experience in the furniture and interior design industry. He owns and operates a popular furniture store in Los Angeles. They have a huge inventory of handcrafted Amish built solid oak furniture for your bedroom, home office and living room. Whether you're looking for an oak bed or a oak dresser for your bedroom then they carry everything you need.

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