You’ve pitched all the funny pick up lines you can think of and been on a few dates with your girlfriend – you’ve already reached the point where you decide you want to be exclusive – and now you’re both ready for the next step. Introducing a girl to your bedroom for the first time comes with its own pressures but none more so than when it’s a girl you’re making a commitment to. You want your bedroom to be a place your girlfriend feels comfortable being in, so here are some tips to create the perfect bedroom. (Image: Flickr)
Make your décor less masculine
Sure, it might be your man-cave but if things go right it won’t be for long; so make the changes you will most likely to have to eventually on your own terms. As much as guys hate a girl’s bedroom where everything is pink, girls hate guys’ bedrooms that look like everything has been made from the same tree or painted black.
Tone down the dark colours with some light, pastel colours, cushions and a floor lamp. Take down posters and replace them with pictures and artwork – frame your favourite poster if you want to keep it, just make sure it’s not from a lad mag. If you have space, a small potted plant is an excellent touch.
Get a bedside table
This is essential. Having a place to leave your belongings, phone or night-time glass of water will make life easier. Also, somewhere to place a book or two, a nice lamp and maybe a plant (this is recommended) says that you are grown up and practical – things which are hard to get across in the early stages without seeming a bore. If you have space, have one on either side of the bed.
Declutter
Clutter is a huge turn-off for both sexes but we rarely notice our own, possibly because we’ve become used to it. The less stuff you have stacked in corners, on the floor or generally cluttering up every surface, the better your bedroom will look. A tidy room is more conducive to better sleep anyway so make use of the space in your room with storage options like divan beds, wardrobes with internal shelves to stop dead space and wall shelves. The general rule of thumb is if you have somewhere to store things, you’ll quickly get into the habit of putting them there.
Keep it clean
Vacuuming is all good and well but if you aren’t doing it properly you might as well not be doing it at all. Make sure you get all along the skirting and dust all flat surfaces in your room. Girls love a tidy guy as much as they love a guy who can cook or doesn’t look like he lives on takeaway pizza and Pot Noodles. It’s not the bedroom but it’s an idea to keep a bowl of fruit in view.
Being tidy isn’t just about vacuuming, it’s about presentation and organisation. They say you shouldn’t have a TV in the bedroom but if you do make sure the cables are tidy and any media you have like DVDs are stored appropriately. Try to keep the remote next to the TV when not in use. Storing it on you bedside table, or worse, on the bed itself, makes you look like a slob who probably eats in bed watching trash TV.
Get a wash-basket. It’s a common item missing from guy’s bedrooms. There’s no excuse to live like a student so have somewhere to put your used clothes. A waste paper basket is another must too.
The bed
You’ll want a bed that is impressive, inviting and reassuring at the same time. The first step is in your linen, make sure it’s of good quality, preferably Egyptian cotton, and your sheets are white. No hotel ever has given their guest black or dark sheets because aside from looking tacky they also can’t be trusted to be clean. Patterned sheets are fine and you can get some tasteful, attractive and masculine ones. Another tip is to make sure your bed is properly made and you iron your sheets. No girl wants to get into a bed that looks like you’ve already had someone else in it.
A few strategically placed cushions in a juxtaposing colour to your main scheme adds personality to a bed and when combined with a statement upholstered headboard makes an appealing bed for all sexes.
Invest in your mattress. You want a comfortable base for whatever your bed is being used for and your guest to enjoy sleeping in it – if they do they’ll be more likely to do it again.
Final touches
Put flowers in your bedroom. They help the room smell nice and clear out that man-funk but they are also soothing. Nature in the bedroom is calming and a welcome sight in the morning.
Adorn the walls. Don’t leave them blank, they’ll look cold and uninviting.
Have various lighting options. Stumbling back across the room in the dark after turning off the light is not attractive although it might be funny and girls do like funny.
Your bedroom is the one place in your home where you can most express your personality so don’t be afraid of putting your stamp on it but be wary that you are trying to create a room that someone else will like too.
