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An Oriental Makeover

Turning the Master Bedroom into an Oriental Oasis

Have you ever just stood around your bedroom and wished that your room looked like it was from the orient but never knew where to start? Well, now you can! Creating that Oriental feel and atmosphere takes knowing what you want and how to get it! If you want for your room to be a total retreat from the outside world, then you have to create it to be just that! A heavenly and peaceful retreat. But where do you start?

Walls

The key to creating the perfect Oriental atmosphere is in the walls. Most walls that are painted a plain white will not come close to achieving that Oriental appeal. The walls must either be painted or wallpapered. If it is within your means, purchasing textured wallpaper that mimics corrugated paper or rice paper is perfect for creating the Oriental look for the walls. If you prefer not to paper the walls, then earth toned paint will do fine. When hanging the paper, be sure to cover any white spaces from the wall beneath.

Lighting

This is an important part of turning your master bedroom into an Oriental escape. Although it is customary to have a brighter light in your bedroom for reading, folding clothes, etc., it is also nice to have the option to lower the light level, especially in your master bedroom. Installing a dimmer switch is a great choice to allow for lots of options. This gives you control over how bright or how dim you wish for the lights to be. Using lots of candles or small lamps with shades made out of rice paper are also alternatives that can add ambiance and a romantic feeling.

Furniture

Your furniture should be Asian influenced. This would include furniture with dark wood tones, straight lines, brass hinges and knobs, or very brightly stained red, high gloss types of furniture. You might also consider furniture made out of rattan or woven wicker.

Bedding

Your sheets, coverlets, duvet covers and pillows should all be in natural tones, raw silk woven fabrics or soft silk fabrics. Natural tones of color like beiges, tans, reds, blacks, all colors from nature and use natural fibers like silk or cotton. Rarely do you see a man-made fabric in a traditional Asian-inspired room.

Décor

This is where you can get creative. First do some research on the Orient and find items that are common in those places. Your goal is to create an exact imitation of an Oriental retreat. Some examples of these are ceramic and porcelain vases and jars, wall hangings, decorative Oriental screens, tabletop fountains, candles and more. The sky is the limit with regards to decorations. But it is good to keep in mind that too many decorations create clutter. And clutter creates stress. That will contradict what you are aiming to create. A stress free environment.

Another good idea is to do some research on the concept of Feng Shui. Feng Shui is the Chinese art of correct placement. It is believed that if you align your furniture and room décor in a way that also aligns with Nature outside, you will in turn attract good health to yourself and those of your household. Again, research this idea if it interests you. In the end, your master bedroom will be completely different. It’ll be the safe haven that you once dreamed of.

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Rhonda Morin, owner of http://myinteriordecorator.com and author of The Decorating Bible, enjoys writing and teaching others how to decorate the homes of their dreams.

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Copyright (R) Rhonda Morin, MyInteriorDecorator.com. Article may not be reprinted without permission and may not be reprinted without author byline including the active links.

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