BDSM=Romance in the bedroom Part 2

Valentine's Day is just around the corner!

via Pinterest

Again, it's not Fifty Shades we're working on, But romancing the bedroom using the principles of Feng Shui! BDSM by my last week's definition is:

1. Banish
2. Dust and clean
3. Storage
4. Maintain

So the bedroom is cleared out, the cleaning is done, the electronics are under control, now what? The fun stuff! If you are not familiar with the Bagua map to determine which areas of your room represent which part of life, go here and get a blissfully simplified explanation of how it's used.

Color is a very important part of using Feng Shui in interior design. It is the mood setter as well as the gatherer of positive energy for a space. What would be your guess for a romantic bedroom color? Red? Pink? Both! Let's be clear though. An all red bedroom may have worked in a 19th century bordello, but it's WAY too much for a day in and day out bedroom! All pink may look good in Barbie's bedroom, but would Ken be comfortable? So the answer is somewhere in the middle…or not!

Both partners in a bedroom need to agree on the color choice. You want to create a sanctuary, an inviting nest for the end of the day, a romantic getaway from the cares of life... well you know what I mean without getting too mushy! Bedrooms are very yin (feminine energy) spaces.

Although blues and greens are excellent choices for a calm, cool, revitalizing bedroom, the best tones are in the skin tone of all the races. Terah Kathryn Collins writes in Feng Shui Room by Room, "pearly beiges and tans, creamy cocoas, blushing pinks and peaches, subtle yellows, pale violets, and earthy reds". These are definitely romantic colors. This gives a lot of room for choices when partners need to compromise. Look at these color cards for inspiration:

via Design Seed

via Design Seed

And in the more dramatic category are the darker colors in the same tones or the aforementioned blues and greens. Check out this way cool bedroom below:

via NY Times

 This is how red could be added into the design without overwhelming a red hater! (Really, are there truly any?) If the artwork was of a different theme, this could be perfect.  In art and accessories couples or pairs is what you're looking for. If people in artwork makes you feel uncomfortable, how about a pair of dolphins entwined or a pair of lovebirds? Serene and romantic is the goal you're striving for in art, photos and accessories. Don't even think about putting those family photos back. (Future posts will put those in their proper place!) This is the place for your happy couple pix. Who wants the kids or Nana watching while being in your intimate environment?

Notice how the chandelier is not over the bed? Great Feng Shui! The pointy edges are considered "poison arrows" pointing sharp energy outward. Not good over the bed!

While we're on the subject of over the bed….ceiling fans. Not so good in Feng Shui. The moving fan blades cut and move around the energy, again not wanted over the bed.  I have had good luck  though using a crystal ball chain pull on a ceiling fan when a client couldn't give one up. Go here for an explanation of fans over beds.

Feng shui is all about intent, not rules. I put (this) here with the intention of adding (this blessing or cure). The intention and blessing is what ever you decide it will be. If something is precious to you and brings a memory of a time with your loved one but is not a pair, by all means put it in your intimate space! Never have anything in your home that you do not love or cherish. Getting rid of home decor items that just decorate a space is clutter control #1. 

via Vogue

This bedroom has been on just about every design blog, pinned on Pinterest and posted on Facebook millions of times. It deserves to be because it is wonderful Feng Shui design. It is symmetrical, it has equal space on each side, two pictures in the same spot on each side and 2 teeny lamps, one on each side of the bed. It shows the intention of an equal partnership in this couple's life. The beams above the bed are pretty high, but in a perfect world, beams should not be over the bed as it lowers the energy, pushes it down. The cure for this is the wonderful custom wallpaper in an up reaching tree pattern. It stretches the energy upward to counteract the beams. Love how it grows out of the live edge slab headboard! Very grounding for this dynamic couple. Hmmm… do I detect a smidgeon of pink in those birds?

Last week I showed you this photo of a messy bedroom:

via Google

I wanted to show it again because this actually illustrates 2 points.  The first is that this bedroom has great bones. The color is cocoa beige. The headboard is curvy and feminine in shape, the mattress and linens look top quality and the lamp is very stylish. The pointy ends of the side table are not great, but we could throw a scarf or runner diagonally over it to soften it. Remember that pointy objects throw off "poison arrows"of negative energy (sha ch'i). 

Secondly, I can guarantee this is a single woman. How? The lack of symmetry in the room. There is one side table, one lamp, the statue is of one solitary woman and the artwork is of another solitary woman. Perhaps if a second side table with a lamp was added, pairs in accessories and romantic artwork that depicted couples, she would see a new relationship in her life. Well that and pick up the mess!

Let's take a look at more well done Feng Shui in a bedroom:

via Roger Davies

Beautiful symmetry and the pops of red are wonderful. Pairs of objects everywhere! The overloaded chair is a clutter problem but I'm sure it's only for photo styling. The chairs look as if they belong on either side of the table at the foot of the bed.  Marilyn's photo looks amazing over the bed. Obviously this couple finds it very romantic when they added it to their bedroom. Love the chandelier and the curves in the walls!

via Pinterest

Here is a romantic bedroom, hard to determine if the occupant is single or not. The room is fairly symmetrical with lighting on both sides of the bed and the heavy fireplace wall is balanced by the window wall. Maybe too many mirrors, they could be changed out with serene artwork. The photo over the bed is of the woman of the house and is appropriately intimate. There is a good feeling here, the colors are beiges and creams and very soft elements are nice against all the hard surfaces. Notice the offset chandelier again!

 Now some questions to finish up the bedroom…..
What do you see when you wake up in the morning? A lovely painting or the doorway to the bathroom? Not so soothing. If there is no door, can a screen hide it or a curtain? Imagination helps out here.

How many mirrors are in the room? Good Feng Shui suggests no more than one and it not face the bed. Too energetic for sleeping, but scarves help with this too. It would be interesting to find out how the previous bedroom felt in energy while sleeping…..

Speaking of the bed, where is the bed located? Check out this article for perfect bed placement.

I love to add fresh flowers and a plant or two to pull together the accessories. Make sure they are always healthy and in good shape. Dried flower arrangements are fine, but they do have a shelf life. You should throw them out after about a month.

These articles are just a starting point for decorating your bedroom with the elements of Feng Shui. Channel your inner decorator and remember, clutter and storage are your major concerns in intimate spaces, followed by mental stimuli, and then color and artwork. 

Let me know your comments and ask me questions to fill in any blanks in your space and have the best time romanticizing your bedroom!