Do you dream of your bedroom being a romantic getaway within your home? Decorating your bedroom with a romantic flair takes some time and consideration. You definitely need to entice all five of your senses. It’s not as simple as investing in silk sheets and lighting some candles. A truly romantic bedroom needs to be well thought out so that it appeals to both you and your partner.

Creating a Romantic Bed
Essential for a romantic bedroom is for the bed to be as inviting as possible. Not only do you want to invest in a comfortable mattress, but also plush pillows and luxurious sheets and blankets. For the color scheme, choose calming colors like light blue, pink, and ivory, or jewel-toned colors like purple and emerald green. Avoid uncomfortable accents such as frilly lace, as they really do nothing to set the mood.

Finding the Perfect Romantic Lighting
For a romantic feel in the bedroom, you want to be sure to avoid harsh bright lights. A soft and filtered light will always be a better choice. You’ll get a softer light if you use a light bulb that has a lower wattage. Another great tip is to use lamps instead of an overhead light fixture. A very basic light fixture is all you really need, although you might consider a chandelier in the bedroom if you have the proper room. Another great idea is to use decorative lamp shades, which will filter the light to another color such as light pink or a soft red.

Adding Romantic Accessories
One of the most important accessories to give a romantic bedroom ambience is candles. There are many different varieties to choose from. You might add floating candles that you can place in a glass vase or large pillar candles that sit on decorative plates or boxes. The type and color of the candles you choose should fit the specific style you’ve chosen for the room.

Other accessories that will help you bedroom feel more romantic include flowers, canopy drapes, decorative mirrors, and framed artwork. One thing you should definitely not include is the television. After all, there is no need for distractions in the bedroom.

Making a Romantic Bedroom Practical
Remember, you still have to live and sleep in your bedroom. It’s easy to go overboard and then find that you are uncomfortable in your own bedroom. “Romantic” doesn’t mean you have to clutter your bedroom with dozens of things. For starters, choose a few key piece to include in the room. Then you can work from there.

Keeping your romantic bedroom very simple doesn’t mean you can’t create the romance and atmosphere that you want. Don’t be afraid to also include practical items in your room, such as a wood nightstand or oak chest. You can dress these items up with accessories or fabrics to make them flow with the romantic style.

Not surprisingly, a romantic look is often a popular choice for the bedroom. By providing you with a comfortable and inviting place to lay your head at night, your bedroom can become a great getaway from the rest of the home.

Telecommuting, or working from home, is becoming increasingly popular with professionals. You’ll need some sort of home office space if you either work from home or end up taking a lot of your work home with you. Fortunately, setting up a home office doesn’t have to be expensive. Maybe you work from home, or perhaps you just want to add a home office for the family. Either way, there a plenty of ways to build a budget-friendly office space that will fit your needs and the needs of your family.

Sectioning a Portion of a Room for Office Space
People often have the misconception that a home office needs to be a completely separate room. Although having your own room can be very nice, it isn’t necessary at all. Unless your business needs a lot of storage space, a home office can be set up in a closet or in a corner of another room, such as the dining room or kitchen. As a matter of fact, a corner of a room or a closet can sometimes work better for work-at-home parents, particularly if they need to keep an eye on younger children or monitor their teens’ computer time.

Converting a Closet into a Home Office
If you want to make a closet into a home office, start by taking the doors off and removing the closet bar. Then place a simple oak desk in the closet with a comfortable chair. The back walls of the closet can provide a place for shelving or any other organizational or storage options you might need. To keep your office private, simply hang a long curtain over the front of the closet. All in all, this is a very inexpensive option for a home office that doesn’t require a lot of space.

Adding Shelving and a Desk to Any Room
A home office can be as simple as a built-in wood bookshelf or storage area, or perhaps a computer armoire. In this way, you can create a very inexpensive home office that can be added to just about any room, from the dining room to the kitchen to the bedroom.

For those of you who are lucky enough to have a separate room for your home office, you can still create a budget-friendly space. There are many simple things you can do that will make a big difference, such as painting the room your favorite color or a mellow color like light green or blue.

To decorate the walls, try adding some framed photographs. See if you can find some nature photos, or add pictures of your family, if you wish. Another option is to add some shelves or shadow boxes to the walls for storage, as they can double as decorative items as well.

Those books that you use for your business might also serve as decorative items, particularly if they are nice-looking. You might be able to find decorative boxes and trinkets that can be filled with office supplies, so that they are functional as well as stylish.

For those of you with new businesses and limited resources, just start by building your home office up slowly. In the beginning, all you really need is a desk and a chair. As your budget grows, you can look to find deals or sales on decorative and storage items to use in the room. After all, there isn’t any reason to go into debt creating a home office space before your business is even making money.

You bedroom is meant to be a place of rest and refuge, and should therefore have furniture that reflects peace and security. Solidly constructed Amish furniture can do just that. Amish craftsman make their furniture by hand and employ the best traditional furniture-making techniques known in our day. Fathers train their sons, and they work side by side to build furniture meant to endure for generations. Woods are carefully selected for their superior quality and beautiful grain. Every genuine piece of Amish furniture is made of solid wood construction, with no particle board or veneers.

You are making a big investment when you purchase Amish furniture, but the returns will far exceed you expectations. When you go to purchase Amish furniture, be sure you are getting the highest quality construction materials and techniques. Each piece should be crafted of solid wood, including solid wood backs on upright pieces such as oak dressers. Different woods are available, including oak, quartersawn oak, cherry, maple, hickory, and pine. These quality hardwoods are kiln-dried to assure proper moisture content. This helps prevent splitting and cracking for the life of the piece.

Be sure to examine the construction carefully, whether you are selecting an entire bedroom set or a single piece. The Amish use generations-old techniques to build solid and enduring works and are renowned for their handcrafted furniture. If you are considering pieces such as dressers, nightstands, chests of drawers, armoires, and chifferobes, their drawers should hold up under rigorous daily use. The thing to look for here is that they have dovetail joints holding the fronts and backs of the drawer boxes together with very tight tolerances. You might want to keep in mind that English dovetail joints provide more storage capacity than French dovetail joints. Be sure to also inspect the drawer slides, which should run smoothly in both directions.

The bed is the centerpiece of any bedroom set and should be made with solid-wood side rails and slats, which eliminates the need for metal mattress frames. Be sure the cross slats are tongue-and-grooved or doweled into the side rails. When constructed this way, the bed will be extremely sturdy and any swaying will be eliminated. Headboards and footboards should be constructed with full mortise and tenon joinery, further providing superior strength. Beds are available in a variety of styles, most commonly Mission, Shaker, Sleigh, or Traditional. Remember, true Amish-made furniture can always be custom ordered to fit your exact needs.

When selecting a quality piece of heirloom Amish bedroom furniture, you also need to pay attention to the finish. The best craftsmen will sand down the wood in several different steps, ensuring a smooth surface inside and out. Some shops will finish each furniture piece employing a five-step process that uses a top-grade catalyzed finish so strong it stands up to acetone nail polish remover. This guarantees that every surface, from top to side to underside, is finished and sealed to protect your investment for many years to come.

Whether you’re getting dining sets for your dining room and kitchen or purchasing wood night stands for bedroom most interior designers and builders agree that the first element to consider when beginning to finish a room is flooring, because it sets the mood.

Many more professionals these days are bypassing tile and carpeting, and going with wood. But what kind of wood should you go with? Solid hardwood? Engineered wood? Reclaimed antique wood? But making the right choice for your tastes and circumstances is not as hard as it appears. Following are some important factors to consider, as well as advice from the experts.

Which Wood-Flooring Type Should You Choose?
Solid Hardwood: This wood expands and contracts and sometimes creaks, but its natural beauty add value to your home. Even better, it can be re-sanded and refinished, so it retains its value.

Engineered Wood Floors: They construct these floors at the factory, gluing together thin sheets of wood and refinishing them. This results in a more stable product than solid wood, because it resists buckling and warping. Engineered wood floors were developed to be glued over concrete, but they can also be nailed or floated, whereas solid wood can only be nailed to a subfloor.

Reclaimed Antique Wood: For customers with a unique vision, this is the best flooring option. Reclaimed antique wood is custom made one plank at a time according to customer specifications. It can cut from the center section of a beam, which makes this flooring option very stable.

Finished vs. Unfinished
One of the benefits of solid hardwood flooring is that it’s available finished or unfinished. This is really helpful if you’re trying to match an adjacent floor. Then you can go with an unfinished option and stain it to blend. By finishing the floor on site, you will insure a more uniform color and finish. Remember, however, that an unfinished wood floor may take several days to install, stain, and finish.

On the other hand, finished wood (both solid and engineered) is factory sanded, stained, and finished. Thus it’s much easier to install and requires less time, not to mention that there will be no on-site sanding and finishing. Finished wood is durable and is therefore a great option for high-traffic areas. And don’t forget that it’s less expensive than unfinished wood.

Important Things to Consider
More and more people are installing radiant heating in their homes, where the heat source is under the floor. If this is your heating system, then engineered wood would be a better choice than solid hardwood because of its durability. The National Wood Flooring Association backs up this claim, recommending quarter-sawn or rift-sawn wood in this circumstance, again because of durability. The NWFA claims that strip flooring is preferable over plank flooring, because when there are changes in temperature and humidity, narrow boards expand and contract less than wide ones.

If you live near the beach, Stoddard recommends an engineered wood. Not only is it scratch-resistant and less likely to be damaged by sand tracked in from the beach, it requires less maintenance. For cottages, summer homes, below-grade installations, and any other interior that’s not environmentally controlled, engineered hardwood flooring is a clear choice.

Some Simple Design Tips
Pay attention to the understated details when personalizing a room. One nice option is to use a lighter wood overall and then add a dark border. Another great idea is to drop in a maple medallion that looks like an area rug.

It’s become more and more popular to mix woods from room to room. Dark woods, like walnut and cherry, work well in cozy rooms such as a den or bedroom, but it’s best to choose a lighter, brighter wood, such as maple or birch, for the kitchen.

Darker wood is a better fit for homes that are formal, traditional, or historic, whereas country, casual, and contemporary homes are better suited to lighter woods. Be sure to choose flooring that will complement all your fabrics, furnishings, and accessories.

Current Trends in Wood Flooring

If you’re looking for the latest trend in flooring, consider hand-scraped wood or an “exotic” wood from a far-off land. For delightful grains and colors, look at options such as Brazilian cherry, Santos mahogany, and Amendoim. Conveniently, all are available in solid hardwood or engineered wood.

The old look and simplicity of woods such as Old Groove Eastern White Pine is becoming increasingly popular among owners of historic homes on the Eastern seaboards. For owners of historic homes on the Eastern seaboard, woods such as Old Groove Eastern White Pine are prized for their old look and simplicity. Walnut has fast grown in popularity as dark woods become more and more “in.”

DIY & Maintaining Your Wood Floor
Installing a wood floor yourself is definitely an option. Almost 30 percent of homeowners do it themselves. If you can operate a nail gun and a saw, then you can do it. There are also many resources to help you available online and at your local bookstore.

Once your floor is installed, you’ll be pleased to discover that wood flooring is extremely low maintenance. If you keep a step-off mat at any doorway to collect incoming dirt, then a regular schedule of sweeping and vacuuming is all you really need. One thing to remember is clean up any standing water immediately. It’s not a bad idea to keep an extra box of wood in case you need to replace a strip.

Natural hardwoods will survive a household accident much better than laminates and synthetics, since their grain and pattern go all the way through. Even those scuffs and burns that would become permanent in a synthetic floor can be repaired with relative ease.

File cabinets are available in a variety of styles, levels of quality, and sizes. File cabinets are the perfect way to organize and access all of your documents. File cabinets are able to be flexible and useful pieces that can be used to furnish nearly any office or room in your home.

You will able to choose between metal  or oak file cabinets. Wood is the most attractive and durable material to search for, specifically solid oak. It will be an attractive addition to your office or home and last for years.

There are many styles of wood file cabinets to choose from. These styles include Traditional, Mission, and Contemporary. They are available in the standard sizes which include:

• Letter – Letter sized filing cabinets will normally hold just 8.5″ x 1″ papers, but they can also be used to store legal files that are 8.5” x 11”.
• Legal – Legal sized fill cabinets are designed to hold both 8.5” x 11” and 8.5” x 14” documents.
• Lateral – Lateral file cabinets are with two or three drawers and usually hold both 8.5” x 11” and 8.5” x 14” papers.
• Personal – personal file cabinets are usually smaller and will hold just 8.5” x 11” letter size files.

Both legal and letter size file cabinets can be used for the alternate size files by moving the metal brackets.

File cabinets are available with 2, 3, 4, and 5 drawers. In order to decide which file cabinet will work best for your needs, you need to think about the amount of file storage that is needed, and if there is anything else that you can use the file cabinet for. It can be used like a piece of furniture and used as a credenza, a video tape or DVD cabinet, storage chest, or an end table. You can use it to hold a coffee machine, copier, fax machine, or a printer.

If you want to use it to store things at the height of metal or oak desks, you will want to go with a 2-drawer file cabinet. The 2-drawer cabinet will provide you with a platform that is 30-inches high. If you were to line up several of them in a row, you will have a nice large surface. A lateral file cabinet will give you the same effect, without the seam down the middle. If you plan to use the file cabinets fro this purpose, search for file cabinets that have flush sides so there are no gaps between the file cabinets.

If you need more storage you should consider buying a 3-drawer file cabinet. These cabinets stand 43″ high and offer more storage per square foot of floor space. You can have plenty of storage and still put light items such as plants on top. A 4-drawer file cabinet is about 55-inches in height and offers a huge amount of storage. Sometimes you can find a taller 5-drawer file cabinet if you need more storage, but these are rare. It is suggested that only things that are very light be placed on top of the 4 and 5 drawer cabinets.

SAFETY FIRST!
Remember how much weight is in the file cabinet. Any piece of furniture that holds a great deal of weight may be dangerous. File cabinets can be dangerous since they can tip over and crush things. Heavy and large file drawers are usually responsible for causing the cabinet to tip forward. Fortunately, there are some things that can be done to minimize the danger.

• Do not fill the file on the top drawer while leaving lower drawers empty.
• As mentioned above, do not open more than one drawer at a time.
• Attach file cabinets to the wall to prevent tipping.
• Where possible, put your heaviest items in bottom drawer (to act as an anchor).
• Do not put attractive items like TV’s or games on top of furniture that is tip prone unless it is properly tethered. Children climbing up to retrieve the remote control or turn on the TV can meet with horrible consequences.

A totally new look for your bedroom doesn’t A little creativity can go a long way, whether it’s an afternoon project or just adding a few accessories.

Here’s what you need to get things going:

Go out and get a few pillows in a totally new color. These can be as inexpensive as $10 each. Take pillows of similar color, mix up the textures – like silk and chenille – and you’ve instantly go yourself a sophisticated monochromatic look. Looking to create a romantic mood? Then simply create a cascading layer of pillows with large ones in the back and the smaller ones front and center.

Want to make a big impact? Then a fresh coat of paint is one the most inexpensive way to go. Remember, you don’t have to repaint your entire room; you can focus on a particular area that needs renovating. Older closet doors, the ones that usually have more detail can easily be improved and given texture by painting the frame in natural color and the inset in a darker color. Painting furniture is also a great way to give the room new life. Try sponge-painting a chest or giving a cabinet a faux antique finish.

A new headboard can be rather expensive. Try something different and wild like using a wrought iron or picket fence bought at a flea market. Bed skirts are a great way to make your bed look soft and sophisticated. They come in a variety of patterns, colors and textures. For versatility and natural beauty try a soft and neutral color. You don’t want it to pull too much focus instead you want it to be the finishing touch on your bed.

Window treatments are not as difficult as most people believe. Using swag curtains at the top of your window can be inexpensive – depending on the fabric you use – yet elegantly and subdued. It’s an easy way to add a touch of femininity. You can do this by simply placing plant or bicycle hooks in the ceiling. You can also go with a simple garland accent and blinds for your window. We also adore the simple look of pre-made drapes and a basic rod with funky finials. Pottery Barn, JCPenny, Target and Bed Bath and Beyond offer a wide selection of all these items.

Do you have a four-poster or canopy bed that needs a little life? Drape fabric over the poles and let a little of the fabric fall to floor to achieve that beautiful “puddle” effect. All you need to do is add an extra 20 – 24 inches to the fabric before cutting.

Candles are a perfect decorative item that many people tend to forget. While most people go with white candles, since they’re the most sophisticated, consider clustering colored candles to create a focal point on a night stand or dresser. Remember the rule of three – group your candles in odd numbers – even amounts tend to be a bit boring. Try using a variety of different candle heights and gather them on a wall shelf.

A quick way to give a room a new look is to hang framed artwork or mirrors, just make sure they work with your existing décor. Stick with neutral-colored frames — gold, silver, white, black or wood tone. Add shelves for another quick decorating spruce-up. Wall shelves are great for your collection, but keep the small stuff away. Loading shelves with a lot of tiny knick-knacks will make your shelf appear too busy. You can place a framed painting or pictures on the shelf or even try something minimalist like fresh flowers in simple glass bottles.

Leon has almost 40 years of experience in the home furnishings and interior decorating industry. He owns and operates a popular furniture store in Los Angeles. They offer American made Arts & Crafts and Mission style bedroom, solid wood mission dining sets and office furniture for your home or office. His store carries the best in handcrafted American made furniture that is made to last the ages. You’ll find everything you need within one roof, from bedroom dressers to mission dining table, they have the best in quality at affordable prices.