Blending designs to create a couples bedroom

When a couple marries, the bedroom design often falls to whoever had the nicest furniture. Sometimes the taste reflects one or the other’s style but not the couples’ style. Sometimes other areas of the house take priority, leaving the master bedroom woefully unadorned. Whatever the reason is, it’s important for a couple to create their own bedroom style and look.

Getting started

A trip to a nearby furniture store is a great way to start the style process. Seeing different types of bedrooms set up is helpful and takes some of the emotions out of determining a style. If getting rid of one person’s furniture is at stake, seeing these sample rooms will help create a neutral setting.

The goal is to create a room that’s balanced and reflects that two people share it. If it’s not easy to come up with a design that suits you both, your local furniture store is a good resource. Many of them have decorators and designers on staff who can help you find a middle ground. If you’re still stumped, then copy a design. With all the great bedroom designs available on the Internet, in magazines and on decorating shows, you’re sure to find a design that will help you pull together a bedroom style that will reflect both of you.

Togetherness first

Because the master bedroom is a symbol of the couple, making the effort to creating an attractive and appealing retreat is worth the effort, and can help you both unwind and relax together at the end of the day. It’s always important from a design standpoint that you make a bedroom into a refuge from the rest of the house. Try to avoid having desks, exercise equipment and work-related items here.

Decide for yourselves if you like the mismatched look or if you prefer uniformity when deciding on nightstands. A trend in recent years has been to put different night tables and lamps on either side of the bed. In feng shui circles, this puts the couple at odds rather than creating parity. Some feel the mismatched look is more appealing, yet others feel it’s too mismatched. Decide for yourselves if this look appeals to you or if you’d prefer matching nightstands and lamps.

Add “wow”

When creating a couples bedroom, try to create some impact. Whether that’s a canopy bed, a luxurious headboard or a pretty chandelier, make sure something in the room creates a little design drama. This extra emphasis is what makes a master bedroom really say “master.” Invite some cozy togetherness too with some seating if there’s room. A cozy bench or loveseat at the foot of the bed or a pair of chairs next to a window speaks to the couple in the room. Even a pair of European squares on the bed invite sitting up together in bed and enjoying time spent talking or reading together.

Some finishing touches include adding textured fabrics, such as a cozy cashmere or faux fur throw and embellished curtains for a more luxurious feel. And as a sweet relationship reminder, tuck in some photos of the two of you from a favorite vacation or add some objects from your travels together that speak to your togetherness.