Is your bedroom a haven — a sanctuary where you can rest and rejuvenate? If not, here are some suggestions for making your bedroom into the room that provides peace of mind along with bodily comfort.

Your bedroom reflects who you are. So the first question is, how do you see yourself? Imagine yourself in different settings. Does traditional furniture — classic Queen Anne, Chippendale, 18th and 19th century European antique styles — give you a feeling of stability and continuity? A canopy or sleigh bed in rich cherry or mahogany, with Pachabel playing on the stereo hidden in your carved armoire, may be the perfect romantic touch you’ve been seeking.

Perhaps the setting that makes you feel warm and cozy comes from country furniture — the rough-hewn rustic look or the distressed finishes of cottage styles. Homey fabrics, like chintz, linen or denim, and accessories like handmade quilts, needlework pillows, rag rugs, and framed watercolors with outdoor themes may support your vision of the perfect place to relax and get a good night’s sleep.

The casual contemporary look leans towards light glowing woods like maple or dramatic pieces in dark stains like espresso. Clean lines on popular styles, such as Mission furniture, make for a sophisticated yet warm space. Japanese prints on the wall and flower arrangements in colored glass vases may make this your favorite room in the house.

One step beyond contemporary is the look of modern furniture for those who love the linear design of retro, Art Deco, or an eclectic mix of styles. Fabrics are simple, and leather pieces work well. A lacquered platform bed and low sleek pieces can mix well with bold colors and richly patterned rugs or bedding, or show off a collection of black-and-white photographs on the wall.

Whatever style calls your name, ambient lighting in a bedroom enhances the mood. Put a dimmer switch on the main light in the room, or think about lamps that goes on and off to a clap of your hands. Have at least one bright light if you have a “work” corner in the bedroom that hosts a computer or project table, and a good reading light near your armchair or by the bed if you like to read in bed.

To keep the peaceful atmosphere of the bedroom, hide TVs or computers in an armoire so they’re not in view except when being used. Scented candles, fresh flowers, and a beautiful decanter to hold your drinking water are wonderful touches for any bedroom.

The most important part of the bedroom is often ignored for too long. Is your mattress the right one for your back and for deep healthy sleep? Upgrade to a new pillowtop or possibly a larger size mattress for the ultimate in bedroom comfort.

And if your bedroom haven is just too wonderful to leave in the morning, how about installing a “morning bar” with a coffee maker and small refrigerator? Breakfast in bed, anyone?

Please find the original article and more information about this subject at homeandliving.com/DesignAdvice.aspx?Category=BedroomRefuge homeandliving.com/DesignAdvice.aspx?Category=BedroomRefuge

PARVATI MARKUS is a writer/editor with a Masters in Creative Writing from Antioch. She works with The Kabbalah Centre and freelances on non-fiction books and articles. As a recent arrival in L.A. Parvati is completing her “residency requirement” by writing a screenplay.

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Expectant parents-to-be often hustle to prepare the new family member’s room.

They agonize over proper nursery decor and furniture: everything must make the new one feel loved and stimulate baby’s development. They would never dream of bottle-feeding their new bundle of joy.

But the new kid’s room is splashed with fresh paint, and new carpets are installed. A fresh varnished or plastic crib is lined with the newest synthetic flame retardant treated mattress and blankets. Diapers, pajamas, pacifiers, and stuffed toys are thoughtfully staged.

Please do your new arrival a favor: spare the toxic chemicals. Love your baby by providing a safe, non-toxic nursery.

The problem of toxic chemicals in baby products came to the fore a few years back when Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) surfaced.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) outgassing from fresh paint, carpeting, furniture, and new bedding pose serious risk.

Airborne particles are most hazardous to developing lungs, and are associated with SIDS.

Since the nursery is empty, now is a good time for environmental evaluation. If the home is older than 1978, it could have lead based paint. If this is the case, absolutely do not sandpaper the room. Lead abatement is a job for professionals.

Are central air ducts clean? Air filters on the furnace upgraded from standard (cheap) fiberlass?

Carpet should be evaluated for toxic emissions, and replaced with non toxic varieties or beautiful hardwood. The term “rug ratz” wasn’t invented for nothing. Babies and pets cohabit the dirtiest part of every home, the floor. Most carpets are toxic and impossible to get clean.

When you are sure the room is safe, a nursery air purifier should be installed. The brand most prominently marketed as being suitable for “bebe” is just the opposite. Your infant’s room should have the best air purifier in the house. One without ozone or other questionable technologies.

A baby nursery is no place for oxidant technology based air purifiers, even photocatalytics or plasma ionizers should be excluded.

Time honored HEPA air filters with significant weights of added activated carbon (for chemical vapor control) are the ticket here, and will not come cheaply. Any ultraviolet (UV) germicidal add-ons should be premium quality: inexpensive UV is ozone prone.

Any ionizer should be ozone free, which excludes the majority.

Recommended nursery air purifiers: IQAir, Allerair, and Austin Air.

You can save yourself and your new loved one so much heartache by raising a toxfree child. A truly clean nursery, your love, and a quality air purifier give a new life a fair chance.

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Marble flooring is one of the most beautiful flooring materials you may ever choose for your home. The most popular rooms for your installing your marble flooring would most likely be the bathrooms and entry ways. This article will take a look at the many advantages of marble flooring for your next project.

Hard stone materials like granite and marble flooring are definitely becoming more and more popular based on sales numbers that show an increase by more than fifteen hundred percent in the past 10 years. The beauty that marble flooring adds to a home is one of the main reasons for this increase in sales.

Marble may be one of the most durable flooring materials you could install in your home. The earth is actually working on more marble flooring you read this article. You see, the earth reaches extreme temperatures beneath the surface and this process will cause the limestone to crystallize and form marble.

Marble flooring will resist stains much better than many other types of flooring surfaces you may be considering. If you are thinking of spicing up a bathroom you will find that marble flooring is extremely easy to clean and care for because it is an all natural material.

If you plan on doing a bathroom remodel you may want to consider installing a granite flooring material instead of marble flooring – as marble flooring may stain or become damaged from nail polish remover or shampoo that could get on the floor. The hallway is less susceptible to harmful chemicals touching the surface and make for a better environment for marble flooring.

If you decide that flooring-solution.com/marble-flooring.php marble flooring is out of your budget you may be able to find some nice substitutes that work nicely at half the price tag of marble flooring material. You can find some option by searching online for marble flooring alternatives.

For more information on flooring try visiting flooring-solution.com flooring-solution.com , a website that specializes in providing helpful flooring tips, advice and resources to include flooring-solution.com/marble-flooring.php Marble Flooring and more.

Powder room ideas can help you create perfect powder room designs. Another name for a powder room is the ‘half bathroom’ or the ‘guest bath’.

The purpose of a powder room is to provide a place to groom while main bathrooms are being used in busy morning and evening times. And the powder room can function as a bathroom for guests so they do not have to use your main bathrooms. The most basic powder room designs include faucets, a toilet and a sink and mirror. Powder room ideas could include using a pedestal sink, a small corner-mounted sink or small sink/vanity with a mirror over the sink or vanity.

If your powder room will only be used occasionally, you do not have to be quite so concerned about the durability of the fixtures as in the bathrooms that are used frequently. You can pay more attention to the powder room’s appearance, using more elaborate fixtures. You’ll definitely want the powder room to reflect the architectural style of your home. You would not want to have a Victorian home with a contemporary powder room, for example.

Here are five powder room ideas to consider for powder room designs:

1. Powder Room Designs and Square Footage – common dimensions of small powder rooms are 3×6, 4×4 and 4×5 feet, the size of a smaller closet or laundry area. You can easily find small bathroom fixtures designed for these sizes of powder rooms. Powder room sizes should be proportional to the square footage of your house. If your home is large, you may want to build your powder room with one or two sinks, more countertop space, tub/shower and ample storage space. Powder rooms designs with dimensions of 5×7, 5×9 or 6×8 are still modest, but they will provide you more room for storage and grooming supplies.

2. Locate the Powder Room Near an Existing Bathroom – another of the powder room ideas is to locate the new powder room near an existing bathroom. If your home has different floor levels, stack the bathrooms one over the other. This way, you will be using the same plumbing lines for both of the rooms which will save considerably.

3. Budget for Good Lighting – use both artificial and natural lighting if possible to avoid shadowy corners. A small powder room should have wall sconces, task lighting for applying makeup, general lighting and a larger well-lit mirror. If there’s no window, consider adding a wall skylight or a roof skylight to allow natural light into the powder room.

4. Be Careful When Mixing Materials and Textures – small powder rooms should not have a lot of materials and textures as it can become overwhelming. Use light colors and surfaces to make a small powder room appear more open and larger. Avoid frilly curtains. Use light colors, small tiles and simple patterns to help your powder room appear more spacious.

5. Use Mirrors to Enlarge the Room – using mirrors along the walls can be an attractive way to widen the powder room. Mirrors will create a sense of openness in the room, making the space appear larger than it actually is. Mirrors will also enhance the lighting in the room because of the reflecting capability of mirrors.

If you decide to sell your home, adding a powder room can be a good investment as potential buyers will enjoy buying a home with ample bathrooms for their family and guests.

Planning is the most important part of powder room designs before you actually begin the work. Try to get a clear picture of your powder room design and look. Keep all your powder room ideas in a notebook as you accumulate them. Look at bathroom books and magazines, visit showrooms and show homes and search online for powder room ideas that you like. Above all, have fun as you create the powder room design that will provide you with a very special room to enjoy for many years to come.

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