by Karen Chaffee

Created on: December 09, 2008   Last Updated: July 08, 2011

Everyone needs a place in which to relax, unwind, and rejuvenate. Why not make your bedroom your sanctuary? If you are single, create your bedroom sanctuary according to your personal tastes. If you are creating this sanctuary with a partner, blend things you both love to make it a mutually pleasing place for two.

To begin creating your sanctuary, write a short list of your favorite places, places that bring you peace. For some, that might be a nature setting: forest, beach, cottage, or a mountain chalet. For others, perhaps the library or the spa. You are creating your at-home sanctuary, so go with a theme that you love.

Color As Therapy

Next, decide which colors make you feel calm, relaxed, and at peace. Incorporate them into your theme. Color choices could be the earth tones of green and tan and gray found in the woods, or blue and yellow and sand, like a sunny beach. Perhaps you are drawn to a mixed bouquet based on your favorite garden spot.

Pick three colors you love from your chosen palette. Make one the main color, for instance, the color you want your walls to be. Pick a second color for bedding and curtains, and a third for accessories.

Additional Sensory Appeal

When creating your bedroom sanctuary, if clutter bothers you, eliminate it. If you love the light, place a comfortable chair or two near a window in which to read, listen to your favorite music, doze, write in your journal, or meditate. A table setting nearby will provide a place for books, a cup or glass of your favorite beverage, a lamp, and special mementoes. It could also be a good place to converse or have a meal with your partner or play a favorite board game.

Bring a few of your favorite things into your sanctuary. Books, sea-shells or other collections, a plant, a beautiful bouquet, your craft or hobby basket, and your favorite CDs might be things you want to have close at hand.

Hang several beautiful paintings that tie in with your theme and your colors, ones that make you happy each time you look at them. Or family pictures in lovely frames might be your choice.

Comfort For Body, Mind, And Spirit

Think texture when creating your special sanctuary. Invest in bedding with high thread counts. If you are watching your budget, Egyptian cotton bedding is available at Wal-Mart stores, and it is reasonably priced. Buy several throws in various thicknesses and material.

Treat yourself to really good pillows on which to sleep, and throw pillows in several shapes, sizes, and materials. Mix smooth satiny fabrics with embroidered pieces. Blend items that are soft to the touch with those that have a more nubby feel.

You can buy a full-length body massager for less than $40.00. When tense or sore, lay it on the bed, adjust the intensity, turn on the heat option, and unwind. When done, you can store it under the bed so it is always handy.

For aroma therapy, fill a few of your favorite bowls or vases with potpourri in a scent you enjoy. Buy scented candles and place them here and there about the room. Check out some of the relaxation Cd's, or the ones with sounds from nature.

Remember, you are creating a sanctuary, so indulge yourself!

A Final Note

Leave the TV, the computer, and anything related to work somewhere else in the house. Don't let whatever vies for your attention in a stressful way invade your new haven of peace.

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