My husband and I don’t get to go away too often overnight. While staying at a quaint B&B always sounds romantic and fun, it just isn’t in our budget outside of a special anniversary. And with kids, getting away is definitely more of a challenge. One thing that has always been important to us is that we create a haven from the world right in our own home.
Since we value our marriage and want to make sure that we “get away” from it all at times, we pay special attention to filling our home, and especially our bedroom, with special things that give us the bed-and-breakfast feel every day.
Use these ten tips to get the look of a charming Bed & Breakfast in your own bedroom.
1. Grab and Box Technique
Let’s start at the beginning. If your room is overrun by toys, electronics, and piles of laundry, it most certainly won’t feel like a bed-and-breakfast! That is pretty obvious, no clutter allowed! But if you have trouble keeping your room clutter free, here is my realistic suggestion for a quick solution: at the end of the day, right before dinner if you can manage it, do the grab & box technique.
Take a big box or laundry basket and gather up all the stray stuff that has made its way to your room and set it “somewhere else.” While you will still have the basket to deal with later, at least your room will feel clean and ready to unwind in at the end of a long day! I would prefer to have my room perfect and clutter free at all times, but at the very least it should be tidy when we want to retreat there in the evening!
2. Cleanliness
Next, focus on cleaning. Who would go to a Bed and Breakfast if they choked on dust every time they entered the room? Even if you have animals, like we do, you can at least try to keep the dog hair off your bedding. We would never let our dog lay directly on our bed. Way too icky of a thought for me! We have a dog blanket to put out if he wants to be on the bed (my husband lets him up there, I would never do that!). When we want a clean bed, we whisk off his blanket! Keeping a room free of dust isn’t easy, but running a quick rag over your nightstands and lamps and vacuuming the room will go a long way to making things feel more like a B&B.
3. Quality
One thing I feel is a must for obtaining the B&B feel is quality bedding. I do not like scratchy sheets. Fluffy pillows and good quality sheets on my bed are important to that B&B ambience. I have mentioned this before but I only have one set of sheets! I know that must sound terrible to those of you who love having options, but I just have one quality set. Not expensive, but just good quality! Better one quality set than a bunch of cheap sheets!
4. Layers of Warmth
When I picture a quaint B&B, I picture layers of warmth. Curtains with bamboo shades or shutters underneath. Big pillow shams and decorator pillows on the bed. Pretty bedskirts and a cozy throw over a chair. A fireplace, candles, or glowing lampshades. The feeling of a warm nest is essential to that B& B feeling, especially in the fall! I love the chill in the air when I have a cozy bedroom to curl up in!
5. Peace and Quiet
A B&B ambience requires peace and quiet. Lots of fabric and rugs will make you feel like you can settle in for a peaceful night. Without enough softness, a bedroom feels loud and uncomfortable. A TV can be questionable to me, seeing and hearing a TV ruins the whole ambience of my B&B ideal. I’d like to see piles of books on the nightstands instead! If a TV is a part of the mix, I would at least like it to be hidden or inconspicuous. A TV can be fine in a bedroom as long as its purpose is to enjoy an occasional movie and not the evening news or sporting event. But that is just me.
6. Indulge Your Senses
Think about the scent of the room, the feel of the fabrics, the surrounding sounds and the beautiful colors of the room. Your impression of the room when you walk in is greatly affected by the senses, so pay special attention to making the room appealing on all levels. I love a really good smelling linen spray to freshen up sheets and give the whole room a delicious scent. Think about the colors you use and what mood you are trying to create. Try to add as many textures to the room as you can. Add glass for visual sparkle and blankets for pulling up around you.
7. Pack Your Bags!
If you were going away to a B&B, you’d pack a suitcase of lovely night clothes. So why not pack a bag for a special night at home?
8. Breakfast in Bed Ambience
If you are planning a special “B&B night” with your hubby, you could set out some muffins and big coffee mugs on a tray, and set your coffee pot to turn on in the morning so you’ll wake up to the scent of coffee wafting through the air! Just like a B&B!
