11 Tips to make your Master Bedroom a bit more Romantic
October 22, 2012 by Shelley
Is your bedroom a Haven? A getaway from the worries of the world? A romantic destination? Ha! If you answered no, no, and NO, you just might be a mom like me.
Before I had children, my room was always the cleanest room in the house. It was my sanctuary. I recently came to grips with the fact that my bedroom is, well, “overflow”. My definition of overflow: The stuff you don’t want the random unexpected guest to see: Laundry (folded and unfolded), superhero toys, sippy cups, mail that needs attention, paperwork, and of course, the dreadful SOCK basket. You know what I’m talking about: the random socks that will most likely never find their match. Ugh. I despise that basket.
I needed my sanctuary back, so the past few weeks I’ve made a conscious effort to make my room a bit more romantic. Now, I’m not just talking about making it a place for…. err… whoopie. Romance is so much more than that. It’s a place to escape to, a place to talk about important things, or a place to reconnect with your spouse.
If you are feeling your master bedroom needs a little romanticizing, here are 11 simple and inexpensive tips to make your bedroom a bit more romantic.
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1. Make your bed. Every single morning. It takes less than 2 minutes and defines the space as being “important”. Unmade beds = Unromantic.
2. Personalize your space. Add pictures, memorabilia, sentimental gifts, ANYTHING that reminds you of the love you and your spouse share.
3. Add more pillows. Have you ever walked into a 4 or 5-star hotel and seen two flat, pancake/frisbee-looking pillows? I think not! Flat pillows were for college dorm rooms, not a master suite.
4. Don’t let clutter gather in your bedroom. {Yes, I was the bad example featured in this picture. Don’t worry, it’s been BANNED}.
5. Add a little mood lighting. Try to avoid flipping on your ceiling light. Opt to use your bedside lamps, and occasionally candles. Bow-chicka-bow-wow. 
6. Don’t do chores in your bedroom. No ironing, No piles, No folding clothes, NO PROJECTS.
7. Make your room smell wonderful. Pillow mists, candles, Scentsy warmers, or fragrance plug-ins. Comfort, memories, and romance are linked to smells. Make your scent distinctive to your master bedroom (not the same scent as the rest of your home). If you are a Scentsy lover, I suggest Quiver, Be Still, Just Breathe, or Linen Sheets.
8. Make time for pillow talk. Pillow Talk: The sweet conversation you have with your spouse, no intimacy attached. Chatter about the kids, where you dream of taking your next vacation together, compliments towards each other, etc.
9. Go to bed together. Decide on a time, and stick to it. No matter what. Pillow talk, or other romantic things, aren’t going to happen if you don’t go to bed together.
10. Keep the TV off. I admit it, I have a TV in my room. Sometimes I wish I didn’t because I strongly believe OTHER things should be happening in the bedroom. Don’t get me wrong, occasionally snuggling up to a good movie and dozing off is wonderful, but don’t make it a nightly habit.
11. Occasionally, dig into the nightie drawer. That’s right. Forget your flannel PJ’s, your favorite Old Navy pajama bottoms, or even your plain-Jane underwear. Invest in a few comfortable/sexy pj’s and wear them even when you aren’t “in the mood”. {I love Eberjey’s line}
Do you have any tips to add to this list? I’d love to hear them. Now go, get romantic.
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You must have been inspired to write this for me. How did you know what my bedroom looked like?!
Love all the tips, and some great reminders in there on keeping your marriage alive and top priority.
saw this on pinterest thank you
Yes! Reclaiming the bedroom sanctuary is a must for a place to unwind and de-stress. I always wanted that feeling of being in a lovely hotel room, albeit with the personal mementos mixed in. Your tips are a checklist I should look over frequently to help keep it a special place.
Love this! Oh, the projects & the consequental clutter plague me!!!
I too have a mistery sock basket that shows up in my room on occassion…okay a lot of the times. I am banning it from now on. Thanks for the reminder!
I love this post…thank you! I really needed this
Love your tips…I have just started doing this since taking a leave of absence from my teaching job and becoming a SAHW. I do need to fill one empty photo collage frame with some pics though. Any suggestions on where to find tasteful lingerie for a plus sized woman? Thanks.
Zulily often features some great plus size lingerie. I’d check their sales often.
Fredericks.com is also a good site–and the clearance prices are unbeatable!
Nordstrom carries some beautiful full-figure lingerie
AND even better, today their Half-Yearly sale started so there’s some sassy stuff on sale! (I swear this isn’t a cheap plug – ha!)
Lanebryant.
With all your ideas and you mentioning no clutter in your room you may want to check this out. http://www.flylady.net is great for many things. Thought you would like this since you and the fly lady (Marla Cilley) think alot alike. Enjoy!
I’ve remember hearing about her somewhere!! I need to dive into her site. Thanks for the reminder.
Talking great sense and some great reminders! Thank you!
Fresh flowers always up the romance for me! And the bedroom would be a great place for them. Thanks for all the ideas!
Here is my solution to the sock basket… it took some guts, but I threw out/ donated ALL of our socks then I bought each person ONE kind of sock. (except for my husband who gets dress socks and plain white sports socks) now all the socks always match each other missing or holey socks are not a problem anymore, no more pairing pull out two socks and they are garenteed to match!
this is exactly what I did!!! I got so tired of the dryer beating me out every time & well although all the girls socks were cute when going to parties & get togethers they werent cute after being worn to school. I swear my kids mopped the floors of the campus with their whole bodies on a daily basis. I bought one type of sock for all the girls & now I never have to worry about not having matches anymore.
If any of them are fuzzy socks, they work great on the swiffer.
One trick I learned from my Mommy is to make my bed first thing in the morning. I have a king sized bed. My bedding includes 3 blankets plus 12 pillows. I have timed it, and it takes me a grand total of 2 minutes and 47 seconds to make my bed! With my bed made first it is always easier to want to keep the rest of my room nice. (I’m not perfect). And it makes me feel accomplished and like I can conquer the rest of my day!
I HAVE to know….where is that gorgeous bedding from in numbers 1 and 2? I’ve been looking for the perfect bedding for 3 years and I can’t find the perfect set for my room. This is PERFECT!! Do you mind sharing? THANKS!!!
You are so sweet. It was a “bed in a bag” from Macys. It’s probably been two years though.
I can look at the tag if that would help?
I heard about these ideas earlier in our marriage and have implemented them regularly. Four kids and almost 24 years together and going strong!
Tip: Share these ideas with your husband along with the idea that the purpose of them is to create a romantic retreat for the two of you. My husband helps me make the bed (sometimes makes it himself while I’m showering), keeps his clutter under control and buys smelling things for me (for the bedroom). He also gets me a new set of “pajamas” every year for Christmas.
Nice ideas Shelley! Great reminders. I think I need more candles.
In picture #2, what a super cute and fun idea to frame your story!
Do you happen to have a template where we could just fill this in with our stats/info? I think my hubs would love this! Thanks for all the great ideas!
Ha ha, it’s not just me who loses so many socks she needs an actual sock basket??
)
Thanks for these, will try a few and see what happens!
Great list! We need to add “get crib out of room” as well. Can’t wait to get our daughter her own room.
LOVE this post. I have put off finishing the master bedroom for too long. I need to make some simple curtains. But I did finally start by hanging some things on the wall, got pretty table lamps for the bedside, and I bought flowers at TJ’s (super reasonable) and divided the bunch into 3 smaller bunches and put them at various places in the room. You have some great ideas I will definitely be doing ASAP!!!
Just a note about those lost socks. I began just putting them in whoever’s drawer they belong too. Sometimes the mate actually gets found there! Then as your kiddos grow and you’re sorting the drawer, toss ‘em if the mate hasn’t shown up by then. I have a 15yr old daughter who will wear same style socks that don’t REALLY match. She has/had 6 pr of stripe socks, adds a little fun to her day that they aren’t all matchy matchy. She’ll wear the red stripe with the black stripes. I don’t even stress to match them up anymore. Any 2 stripes are a pair. My son’s socks were all the same brand so all are interchangeable. Eliminates the need for a lost sock basket!and it’s GONE from your bedroom/laundry room…outta sight outta mind!
Great tips! My husband is the messy one, so I keep banishing his junk from his bedside table and dresser to his office…don’t need 5 Pellegrino bottles at once! I would add just a simple tip: Keep it clean! We have 6 pets who shed everywhere, but running a duster around and vacuuming frequently helps keep it to where I can stand it. I have done a wall with a marriage prayer, bulletin and invitation from our wedding in a collage, photos of the two of us, and mementoes from our honeymoon. Makes me smile whenever I look at it.
Thanks for the post and te reminders! I LOVE my Scentsy and only ‘special’ scents are used in my bedroom warmer!
I love this post!! My husband and I are newly weds, but we came into the marriage with 3 kids already, so we hit the ground running! I love the tips on not doing chores in the bedroom. As I’m writing this my laundry is sitting in our room in nice folded piles, just calling my name to fix it. I find the tip of a unique scent in the bedroom intriguing. We have tons of candles already, but I have never thought to purposefully use different smells than in the rest of the house. I will definitely be following these tips! Thank you so much for sharing.
I’d like to see more of your ‘love story’ in the frame. What a perfect anniversary gift for my hubby. Care to share?
Beautiful and a great reminder for us all. May I ask where you found the amber colored candle holders?
Thanks!
Great post! I love the “Bow-chicka-bow-wow” reference, made me laugh!
We try really hard to not have toys and other children items in our room or bathroom. Doesn’t always happen but is a goal to help the space be ours.
Loved your suggestions and was thrilled that you mentioned Scentsy. I’ll be back!
Hi there, I hope this isn’t too nosey! I was wondering if you could tell me what you have written in the little love story on your bedside table. I think it’s a cute idea and would love to know what things you have included? Thanks for the ideas!
I’m with Kristen W–where did your framed “story” come from in Pic #2, Shelley?! Did you make it up on your own? I LOVE it. Please share!
Shelley,
tks for the nice article about making our bedrooms a romantic place, our sanctuary…tks for just reminding of that! so many simple things I have just being ignoring…wow! Me and my husband just celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary…and after reading about your tips I decided I am gonna make start some changes right away!!
thanks for sharing! I do love this site…I am Brazilian but despite some cultural differences, I am a woman, a wife, a mother and I think that all over the world it is all the same for all of us!
I love to add lavender vanilla wallflower plug-ins from Bath and Body works to our Master Suite. The smell is perfect for relaxing us and is so different from the rest of our home! They even make night light plug ins.
LOVE IT!! I’ve been needing some inspiration for my overflow room as well!
SHELLEY!! I absolutely LOVE this post of yours!! Great job! I really like that darling “how they met” framed story you guys have on your nightstand. How cute!! I might need to make one of those! lol
I use a mid-size Scentsy warmer with lavender vanilla scented wax. When it’s turned on about 5:00 in the evening gives our bedroom a fresh and inviting atmosphere with light and aroma. By the time we are ready for bed, the room is ready for us.
The only thing I disagree with is pictures. I really don’t like photos of even myself and my husband in my bedroom. I’ve opted to put up artwork of calm scenery instead. I just feel like pictures are staring at me in the only part of my house that is untouched by children, other family, etc. Its still my sanctuary and pictures don’t make it feel that way! I do love the other tips though!
Thank you so much for this topic! We recently moved we’ve bought new furniture for our bedroom, we expanded to KING SIZE (best thing ever!) and that means that I needed new bed sets. I went with a black and white theme and circles for shapes. I still need frames/quotes for the walls, and candles, ohh and some throw pillows. I love these tips! Our bedroom has always been
an extension of our kids playroom, but not anymore!
Ok, so I read this and thought you made some valid points, but couldn’t imagine how I’d get my room in shape without spending alot of money. Then I went home, and evaluated. One weekend of cleaning and reorganizing later and our master bedroom is heaps more romantic. You made such great points that I never thought of, like getting all the projects out of the room. My sewing machine resided in our room and with it tons of unfinished projects, fabric, etc. So the opposite of romantic and stressful! And we didn’t have any pictures! So I moved key mementos from our relationship and wedding into our room. FREE and makes a HUGE difference. So I guess what I’m saying is, THANK YOU!! This was such a perfect much-needed read.
For the sock issue, I just throw all lone socks back in the dirty laundry. After seeing the same socks for a few weeks in a row, I assume the mate is gone and they are used for dusting. Most of the time the mate is found in a later wash and they are reunited. I’ve also heard that you should give each family member a lingerie bag and all dirty socks go directly into the bag. They are washed and returned in the bag.
As for scents, my husband hates artificial scents. Instead I take a light essential oil and dab a touch on a cool light bulb. As it heats, the scent will fill the room. I put it on a hot bulb once and it shattered, so be careful.
We have been married for 20 years. I believe strongly in all of these tips! Thank you for sharing this wisdom! I also enjoy putting loving, thoughtful or suggestive notes in his sock drawer, on his pillow, or on his mirror in the master bathroom. This is common sense but I’m amazed at how many couples overlook this: CLEAN SHEETS! Freshly laundered sheets are so romantic! Beautiful, relaxing music is soothing. Invest money to make your room a haven. When we moved into our new house, our bedroom was the first room to be painted and decorated. We also have set times to just relax together in our room and our children know that there is to be no interruptions. A strong marriage is the best thing you can do for your children and grandchildren.
Thank you Shelly for all the tips, I’m a newly wed and my wife and I are about to close on our first house. I cannot wait to try all these tips in our master room!
A very thankful,
Gino Montalvo
YES to Scentsy in the bedroom! I’ve got 2 warmers in my room – Mother’s Day & Snapshot with a picture of my kiddo. I’ve got Love Story in both as we speak!
It’s a good idea to keep a comfortable chair in your room too, when life is hectic, you or hubby can sneak away and have a moment of peace in the best room of the house, the one filled with love.
it’s really hard to stay mad when every direction you look is a picture of the two of you in love. Hee Hee, kinda sneaky, but it helps. Make sure they’re not ALL wedding pics, some should be younger years, and some should be recent. All- wedding pics would hint at bondage, only younger years would hint at “the way we were” and a blend of wedding, younger and recent, gives a nice balanced feel.
I also like to have plants to help clean the air, and pictures of us together on every wall ~ then if you have to argue- do it in the bedroom
A tip from me…take all picture of your kids out of your room. It doesn’t mean you don’t love them, it means you have a designated place for just you and your husband.
I like this article.
Especially the no TV suggestion. Studies show that couples with a TV in the bedroom have about half as much sex as ones without.
Really liked this article. My husband and I do most of them. One thing we really liked in the past is do not put pictures of children/family in your room. Your bedroom is supposed to be all about the two of you, because how are you supposed to be romantic with your kids or mom staring at you. Awkward! Also the scentsy scent we prefer is Love Story. It has a lovely scent of strawberries and chocolate, but it is just in the undertones of it. Delicious and romantic! The clutter thing I have got to work on. Drives me crazy! Thank you again!
A bedroom with candles & stinking parfumes? No thank you… To bed at the same time? Not going to happen. But you are right about the television: that should not be in any bedroom. I don’t have one&don’t need one.
Sweet dreams (in my comfy flanel pyjama’s
;)
I’m a first-time new mom and had no idea how easily our bedroom would turn into the exact dumping ground you described! Not to mention how easily romance suddenly gets put on the back burner..when I lived alone before baby, my room was always exquisite and my favourite place to relax. Sharing a room with a man can easily even ruin that! Haha..thank you for the great, simple post to remind me to put an end to the chaos!!
I LOVE that you recommend Scentsy! Talk about a safe and effective way to distinguish the bedroom from the rest of the house. I have the Jane warmer in my bedroom and LOVE to warm RU N2 Me, Linger, Quiver, My Dear Watson and Satin Sheets. They also have a product that I use ONLY on my master bedroom sheets, Washer Whiffs and Dryer Disks…add the Washer Whiffs to your load at the beginning of the cycle along with your regular detergent, and then use the dryer disk when you put them in the dryer! My FAVORITE scent for the sheets is Quiver. It really adds a little something special! And if you still love the flicker and romantic light of candles, you can get sets of LED candles that all operate on the same remote…talk about easy..and no one has to get out of bed to blow out the candles! SAFE AND SEXY!!
sidenote – i saw an idea where each person has a lingerie bag to put there dirty socks in each day. hang it on the back of the bedroom door or somewhere inconspicuous. at the end of the week, just throw it in the wash. each persons socks stay together and reduces the time to match up socks. you can get rid of the sock basket!
I LOVE these tips! Thank you SO much. I am hoping to share these with my man. Maybe he will be receptive to the ideas and we can rekindle the romance!
i think its super important to go to bed togehter. it sound so easy.. but its hard to do .. great list, thx for sharing it!!
I love these ideas! So simple yet so effective! I found you on Pinterest and I’ll be going back to repin! We are sprucing up the Master Bedroom when the tax money comes in (come on tax money!!) and I’ll refer to this again! Thanks!
stumbled across this post in pinterest! Thanks for the Scentsy Shout out!!
One KEY thing to remember: Scent is Tied to Memory.
Create your own romantic memories by finding a scent you BOTH enjoy (and gets you both in the mood). Add it to you warmer, use a room spray (each pump of the spray lasts 4 hours), or scent pak (ideal for linen drawers or to hang in the closet).
Once you have established your bedroom scent – surprise your man by tucking a travel tin or scent circle in his car. He will RACING HOME TO YOU AT THE END OF THE DAY!
It works folks – im getting married next month!
Love all these ideas…especially the candles!
http://Www.bethstreet.myrandf.biz
AAAGGGHHHH!!! The sock basket! I thought I was the only one who had one of those. Honest to God, I know exactly what you’re talking about. I love this list, thank you for sharing it.
My tip would be if there is room for an oversized chair or small loveseat, add one. My honey and I love to cuddle up in the chair and talk rather than the bed. We feel closer to each other emotionally that way.
i am recently married with no children, and these tips are still awesome. i will definitely be doing some of these things to make the bedroom more romantic and peaceful looking! thank you for the tips!
I really love this post. Who couldn’t use a little help in this area! We have never put a TV in our bedroom..best decision!!
Awesome blog! These are wonderful suggestions. The only one I need to tackle is the clutter.
There is a running joke with big daddy where he will tell you that if he gets up to use the restroom he will return to the bed made. Even with a busy schedule I have a standing rule: The bed gets made every morning, every evening the bed gets folded down and pillows fluffed, side lamps on and his jammies are laid out on the bathroom sink for when he showers. There is even a drawer organizer in his night stand drawer that I fill with his favorite candies (big daddy has a wee bit of a sweet tooth but never gains weight UGH!). It makes going to bed extra special!
We live in a large a-frame and our room is on the top under the rafters with a huge loft space over looking the great room, with a hallway, bathroom and bedroom in the back. It was, for a lot of years, the greatest hide and seek hiding place ever, but over the last couple of years we’ve worked really hard to make the loft area a multi-function office/sitting area and grown up haven. In fact, since our kids are a little older (8 & 11) they aren’t allowed up there. Not like they can’t come up EVER, but I will never again have the rude awakening of stepping on a Littlest Pet Shop animal on my way to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I thought my husband was crazy when he decided the girls weren’t allowed in our room – but he was totally right.
Love these ideas, I want to do this so bad, but have to find some kind of storage unit for all of my husband’s Michael Jordan shoes. Do you by chance have a template for the monogram and the Poem with you and your husbands name that were in the frames?
I also saw on the Today show The Seductive Home
by Moll Anderson
My husband are still getting out of that college dorm room stage but since he’s in college still we’re sorta in it too. I love these ideas because I want to do this early in our marriage (1 1/2 years) to make sure when children come into our lives it will be second nature. Thanks for this post!!
I love this list! That is exactly how our room is setup. The theme is our wedding & honeymoon with candles from our wedding day. The only thing I’d like to add to your list is to make your room off limits to the kiddos. My girls know our room is of limits unless they have something urgent & ask for permission. Our room is reserved for us at all times. We feel it makes it even more special. But that’s just what works for us.
I’ve found that watching a movie together in bed can add romance! Just your average movie (my hubby and I prefer a good comedy). Doesn’t have to be a romantic movie. But there’s something romantic about cuddling up and watching a movie together!!
Thanks for the useful list! I’ve also made it a rule, that our romantic bedroom is the only area in the whole house where there are no photos of our kids. This allows our bedroom to be more of a little hideaway, a little escape, a place where we can go when we need time to ourselves or with each other. I have pictures of he and I, and a few paintings/wall art that etes his and my personalities (we both love music, I love nature, etc…)
Where did you get your bedspread? I really love it, and have been looking for something just like it.
I got it from macy’s a while back.
I love every one of your suggestions. It seems like my room is always the last to get any kind of attention & it’s about time that changed! Thank you so much for the inspiration
There are few which i want to add like the room should be dim lighted,bed should be spongy,and most importantly females should be in red as they attract lots of guys.
Something I have always done…when people come to visit, especially if they’ve never been to our home,I will take them on a tour of our home, but I NEVER let them see our bedroom. It’s a personal, intimate space that nobody needs to see except us!
My hubby and I also have a ‘couples devotional’ book that we read together each evening and then we pray together.(If you’ve never prayed with your spouse, you should give it a try. Its an intimacy thats inexplainable!)
Also, I’m an English Cottage kinda girl, but its the one room that looks more like a hotel room. No clutter whatsoever…pictures, yes, but my usual knick knacks aren’t allowed!
Music. Play soft music. Try placing the speakers under the bed where they’ll be quietly heard but not seen…
In winter, play the continuius fireplace on ur tv. I use Netflixes w-out the music. It has the pleasant crackling sound of a fireplace.
-Cpl thots