Luxury living: designing the ultimate luxury bedroom

So, you want to design your very own luxury bedroom!? Great news! It’s so exciting to be able to do these types of things.

There are many things that one can do with a basic bedroom to make it the most luxurious bedroom you’ve ever seen. Some things that you can add are simple and inexpensive, while other things you can do are not so simple and expensive.

For example, just a mere coat of paint can do wonders for a bedroom. Before deciding on a color of paint, determine how the color will look within the confines of your home. If your house is all earthly tones, how will a bright red look in your bedroom?

Adding a few brand new pieces of furniture can also work wonders for the bedroom. A new, maybe stained, wooden, huge dresser would make the whole room look newer and nicer. A brand new king size bed with a canopy over the top (maybe white lace??) or “curtains” for the bed could give the bedroom a very romantic, private feel. It really depends on what kind of atmosphere you are looking for for your bedroom. Most people recommend leaving the bedroom a room of rest and relaxation. Add a beautiful headboard, a lacy trivet for the bed, a mattress pad with a topnotch mattress, 1200 thread count sheets with a matching comforter, and you’ve got yourself a bed that will for sure be very inviting every night. No doubt you will have no problem falling asleep every night.

Perhaps a fancy chair with a nice bookshelf full of new, interesting books can really add a note of relaxation to the whole bedroom. You want the bedroom to be a place where you can relax and forget about the cares of this world.

A picture can be worth a thousand words. Adding a picture either of a very relaxing beach scene, a cozy house in the middle of a snowstorm, a fancy, dressed up lady with a glass of wine, or maybe just a very fancy portrait of you and your husband can give the bedroom that one personal and soothing touch that every bedroom needs to have.

Organization and cleanliness will add a lot to the bedroom. There are many companies out there that can widen your closet, give you more closet space, and just overall, make your closet a better, more organized place to put your personal belongings. Looking into one of these places may be a good idea, especially if you have a lot of things that want in your closet. Keeping the bedroom immaculately clean and organized will also add to the luxury of the room.

If finances allow, consider having a fireplace built in for those snowy, romantic nights. Perhaps add a mini-refrigerator with a beautiful crystal ice bucket and a bottle of Dom Perignon, and maybe some strawberries and whipped cream, or peeled grapes. Candles in the room can also make the room smell fancy and romantic, and can add the perfect dim lighting for a romantic night in front of the fireplace with some special romantic foods.

Don’t forget the bathroom. Adding in a luxurious jacuzzi would be a great idea of luxury! Sometimes you can even get a fireplace right on the side of the wall where the jacuzzi is. No doubt this would be a hot combination at times, but it would also be the epitome of luxury!

Windows, windows, windows. A beautiful bay window with french style doors and gorgeous lace or satin curtains would be beautiful. Also, consider having the master bedroom be on the lower floor. Having a deck right outside the master bedroom suite would be magical.

Hardwood flooring or special carpeting would probably finish off the room. There are so many ideas for luxury bedrooms, and it really depends on your finances, your commitment, and your idea of what a luxurious bedroom means. Good luck!

Chic Furniture from Noir

Being in the decorating business for a long time, we watch many manufacturers come and go. Sometimes it's heartbreaking, especially when a company has been in business for years and years. On the other hand, we also see some companies started out really small, and with sweat and tears and ingenuity, they grow it into something special.

Noir Trading is kinda like that. We first know them as a custom furniture maker. George, who came from Germany, makes the most amazing custom cabinets and furniture around. Then he started Noir Trading a few years ago. At first it wasn't that interesting, to be honest. Just the typical dark wood furniture and Budha--boring Asian import crap, basically. However, in the recent years their quality and style has gone up several quotients. If you like Oly Studio and think it's too expensive (which it is), this might be great alternative.

Here are some great pieces that we just love:

To see more of Noir products, visit the web site here. If you need help with pricing, drop us a line.

Is a deal really a deal?

We were looking through our closet the other day, contemplating an end-of-summer clean up. Now mind you, this is a task we perform say, once every five years. It's not that much fun, really, as it usually conjures up all kind of guilt and regret.

Let us give you a partial list of items here:

1. One Yoshi Yamamoto raincoat with THREE sleeves, bought for $800, never worn.
2. One 5" Gucci Platform shoes bought for $500, never worn.
3. One Narcisco Rodriguez black dress that was too tight to start with, but we were hoping we get into it one day. Bought for $800, worn for a minute and a half.
4. One Prada dress that really needs some alteration, for it is a bit too long and dowdy, but bought because it was Prada. Bought for $600, worn once.
5. One pair of Bruno Frisoni shoes bought for $500 at the Neiman Marcus pre Christmas sale that were way uncomfortable to wear except when sitting down.

What do these items have in common?

First, they were all bought on sale, and at the time, seem too good of a deal to pass up.

Second, they were bought because they were "designer" labels! A Prada dress marked down from $2000 to $600?

The point of all this is, if you buy something on sale, and you never wear it, is it really a deal?

Not really, because basically you are just throwing cash away. On the other hand, if you buy something you really like, and use it ALL the time, it is a better buy, isn't it?

Now excuse us while we try to unload this stuff on Ebay.

PS If anyone who is interested in a three-sleeved coat in a size 38, drop us a line!