Decorating Den Interiors shares their tips for creating a personal retreat.

One of the greatest luxuries we can have, and the most elusive to find, is time for ourselves. Nearly every minute of our lives is programmed with family, business, or social activities. In order to better handle our multiple responsibilities, we need time each day to retreat to our own private place, where we can restore our tired bodies and souls. Get in the habit of taking time to pamper yourself. Here are some ways to create your own divine personal retreat inside your home.

Eliminate Clutter. The first step to decorating a peaceful haven is to eliminate annoying disorder, like stacks of stress-provoking paper clutter. Discard dated material. Important papers should be filed in drawers or individually covered wicker file boxes. Magazines and other reading material can be attractively stored in decorative chests. Your decorator can help you find pretty and practical solutions for keeping your paper collection undercover.

Pamper Yourself in Sleep. There is hardly anything more restorative than a good night’s sleep, enhanced even more so if followed by a leisurely morning in bed. Treat yourself to a glamorous setting that promotes lingering, so every day you can wake slowly to the joys of a new day. Tufted headboards, down comforters, plump pillows and romantic bed ensembles are just a few of the luxuries that make your mornings more beautiful.

Create a Cozy Corner. Losing yourself in the worlds created by novelists is a wonderful way to escape from your daily routine. Prepare a quiet, cozy corner for uninterrupted time to read the latest bestseller or revisit a favorite book. Comfortable seating, proper lighting, and a handy table for books and beverages are essential furnishings. Consider a decorative folding screen for extra protection from outside distractions.

Make a Place for Beauty. There are certain routine aspects of life that have a tendency to wear us down. One such activity faced by women is the daily beauty regimen. Imagine how much more appealing the morning’s ritual would be if you were sitting on a boudoir chair, before a lovely vanity table, with a large mirror and the appropriate lighting.

Reflect in Luxury. Soaking in a tub is a glorious way of unwinding. Create the perfect bathroom grotto ambiance with plants, candles, scented soaps & oils and soft ethereal music. Warm up the tile floor with a lovely chenille rug to match your luxurious bath sheets. The ultimate finishing touch would be a fabulous chandelier on a rheostat for soft night light.

Soothe the Soul with Music. Every once in a while you need to force your active mind and body to slow down. One of life’s greatest delights is listening to music. Music inspires a range of emotions, but one soothing suggestion is the sounds of Chopin, Debussy, or Pachelbel. Their good-for-the-soul sounds make a soft background for reflecting and meditating.

Let Creativity Flourish. If you find peace in recording your life in a journal, pleasure in watercolors, or dream of writing a blockbuster novel, you need a solitary place to pursue these creative endeavors. Have everything at hand when the mood strikes. Whatever your style preference or budget allowance, you can have the perfect creative accessories.

Find Time for Peace and Quiet. Finally, to complete your serene setting, shut down the computer, switch the phone to voice mail, and turn off all the bells and buzzers. The absence of extraneous noise will allow you to get the most out of your personal retreat time.

Click here to read more design tips from Decorating Den Interiors New England.

While an exhaustive amount of time is often given to designing and decorating the walls and floor of a room, the ceiling is often overlooked.  Since the ceiling  represents a large portion of a rooms surface area, why not use it to make a style statement?  This is what we call the WOW factor. We love the design of this great room.  Although so many design elements of this room are terrific, this ceiling is really what sets this room apart.

Does this ceiling inspire you?  Do you have a room that would benefit from a little WOW factor?  Visit our website to find out more about Wainscot Solutions and what we can do for you.  Visit our blog for design and constructions tips.

Boston Based Interior Designer Leslie Fine, has a clear vision of what can take a bathroom from functional to sensational.  Here is the first in a series of bathroom design tips from Leslie.

One of the greatest challenges for a designer is designing a bathroom. Often bathrooms are short on space and large on “must haves”.  Add in various construction parameters and things can get complicated. Over the years I have developed a keen sense of what really makes a bathroom work and what elevates it to extra special.  Over the next couple of weeks I will focus on bathrooms and share some of my insight.

One of the simplest and most appreciated additions to a bathroom is a magnifying mirror. Women love them for makeup application, tweezing and all too often self assessment! Once the men see them, they want one of their own for shaving. These mirrors are particularly helpful for those who need to throw on a pair of reading glasses now and then…

I have posted a picture of one of my favorites from Remcraft. I love the sleek styling and the quality craftsmanship stands up to heavy usage.

Click here to see it installed in a bathroom I designed.