Post by Craig Jenkins.

Do you have a sizable room that you want to furnish with a bed that takes advantage of that space? Maybe you want to consider a canopy bed. Canopy beds are great ways of filling up a room. Naturally a king or queen sized bed will eat up some of the horizontal space in any room you put it in, but a canopy bed makes use of not only the horizontal space, but also the vertical space. Pick the right one, and you’ll not only have a luxurious, regal sleeping space for yourself and your family, but you’ll also have a towering, majestic focal point for your room.

Better yet, canopy beds allow you to flex your creative muscles and introduce little personal design flourishes you wouldn’t normally be able to work into a smaller bed. You can trick out your canopy with extra trappings like curtains, drapes, lights, plants, and whatever else strikes your fancy. If you have the right room for it, and you want to add some extra three dimensional pop and kingly largess to your sleeping space, a canopy bed seems like the perfect option.

Tags: bed, bedroom, canopy bed, Charles P. Rogers

Post by Laura Cheng.

A few months ago, I was actually happy when my partner accidentally broke the ceiling fan while cleaning it. I now had the opportunity to begin the initial transformation of my ordinary and cluttered bedroom into a dreamy luxurious suite, à la the Presidential Suite at the St. Regis Singapore.

Source: http://www.blog.barnlightelectric.com/elegant-crystal-chandelier-and-sconces-in-the-st-regis/

It is now 4 months later, and although my bedroom doesn’t look anything close to the $15,000 a night suite, I did delve up some great chandelier selection tips.

Chandeliers are sold without the shades and are often used that way. These chandeliers will be brighter because the bulbs are bare and exposed. If you really want to light a room, choose a chandelier with bulbs or translucent glass shades. Adding or changing shades gives you a totally different appearance and reinvents the piece. If you simply want to light more of a bed, pick a chandelier with opaque glass shares or mini lamp shades that direct the light downward. Frosted bulbs will also cast a pleasing glow and won’t create shadows.

Any easy way to get more “sparkle” from your chandelier is to consider wattage. Chandelier bulbs come in up to 60 watts. Try using 40, or even 25 watt bulbs for the right amount of light in your space. Go one step further and install a dimmer to control the glow even more.

When trying to decide what type of chandelier is best, bear in mind that cleaning can be labor intensive. Simple, armed designs are easier to keep dazzling, while crystal chandeliers, however beautiful, take much more effort to maintain. Dust seems to collect much more easily on glass and crystal chandeliers.

Chandeliers come in many different sizes, so how do you know which size will be appropriate? A good rule of thumb is to add the width and length of the room (in feet). The sum of those two numbers is the diameter in inches of the chandelier you’ll need. For example my bedroom measures 10 feet by 9 feet. You add 10 + 9 together to get 19 inches in diameter. If you happen to have low ceilings, you can play with the width or diameter of a chandelier to create eye-catching looks. The bedroom below uses a chandelier that is much wider than it is tall.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/7ymxccu

How low should the chandelier hang? Personally, I would not hang a fixture any lower than 6’8” from the floor (the same height as a standard door) to avoid hitting your head when walking underneath. I have an 8-foot high ceiling so that gives me 16” of height to play with for a dramatic light fixture.

But of course, rules are meant to be broken. Over a bed or nightstand, where no one will walk, you can get away with dropping a chandelier a little lower like the ones below for added drama.

Source: http://www.bhg.com/rooms/bedroom/master-bedroom/25-of-our-favorite-real-life-bedrooms-/

Source: http://tinyurl.com/82r7tlm

And for those that really do not have head space in your bedroom for a chandelier, you could always try this quick and easy weekend project:

Source: hrhcollection.net

Post by Laura Cheng.

I am a firm believer in color, but I also love the simplicity of the primal colors, black and white. Since outfitting a bedroom in black and white often creates the illusion of a clutter free environment, I am all for it. Black and white is also more versatile than many people think. It can be used to set a contemporary, classic, or luxurious ambiance.

When decorating with black and white, it’s important to use different textures to make the room interesting. The intricately created lace headboard is the focal point of this room. Although the ceiling lamp is also white, its unsystematic yarn woven design adds interest to an otherwise lackluster ceiling and wall. The wooden plank floors create a warm, patterned ambiance. And of course, the soft fluffy bed beckons one to sink comfortably into it. I love how the bed frame appears to be nonexistent. It looks like two oversized down comforters, one stacked up on another. It adds a touch of softness to an otherwise overly crisp room.

Source: http://donkeehouse.com/?p=367

If you don’t like the minimalism of just black and white, but want to incorporate those colors, this bedroom has a multitude of monochromatic patterns that keeps the room engaging. The wallpaper features a large Chinoiserie print that complements the striped bedding nicely. To achieve a similar effect, start by choosing three or more patterns. Odd numbers, especially the number three, just seem to work. When mixing different patterns, it’s important to use different scale prints. That way, you add a sense of balance and interest. Be sure to pick the patterns carefully, selecting different patterns about half the scale or size of the first pattern. The wonderful thing about decorating in black and white is that its use highlights any color you add to the room. The yellow rose on the nightstand would have gone unnoticed otherwise in such a strongly patterned room.

Source:http://tinyurl.com/7qg4edk

If white is too stark of a contrast, you can use a variant of white. The creamy white in the bedroom eludes old Hollywood, beachside glamour when paired with the velvety black. This bedroom was designed by Kelley Proximire for the Spring 2007 Design House. Shams and a bed valance are covered in a seashell fabric from Grey Watkins. The canopy features a coordinating geometric pattern. The daringly black walls will darken a room so make sure there is proper lighting. A simple and effective way to do so is by hanging mirrors. Mirrors will create extra light both during the daytime and from the reflection of the lights at night.

Source: http://www.thelennoxx.com/browse-by-style/dramatic/black-white-with-seashells/

Tags: bedroom, Bedroom Design, beds, Charles P. Rogers, Color, Design, furniture

Post by Kyle St. Romain.

Call me prehistoric, but my ideal sleeping environment embodies all the good qualities of a cave. If I had to choose, I’d even sleep on a cold rock floor over a bed in a warm, bright room. Fortunately, in the 21^st century I can have my cake and eat it too: a cave-like bedroom with a comfortable bed.

Let’s start with the thermostat: I like my bedroom colder than most. When it gets cold outside, I often leave the window cracked to make my bedroom as cold as possible. Drifting to sleep tucked away under a warm, overfilled, goose down comforter with a chilly breeze across my face is the best. While a cold bedroom helps me sleep, it doesn’t help me wake up in the morning. I’ll just call work and tell them I have a cold… bedroom. I’m sure they’ll understand.

During the summer, my carbon footprint swells. The air conditioner runs overtime trying to maintain an acceptable temperature. However, even the coldest bedroom does little good if it’s too bright. We need to close the drapes.

One of the best ways to combat unwanted light in the bedroom is by using blackout curtains. Blackout curtains are like any other type of curtain, except they come with a thick backing that keeps light out. Denim and velvet are two popular materials used due to their thickness. However, blackout curtains come in a variety of colors, patterns and materials to appease even the most discerning designer’s pallet. You can further enhance the look of your blackout curtains using decorative knots to tie the panels back.

Apart from looking good and keeping your bedroom dark, blackout curtains can also lower your energy bills. On bright summer days, your air conditioner runs more effectively with curtains stopping sunlight from warming your bedroom. During the winter, blackout curtains add anther layer of insulation over your windows, reducing some of the chill that comes off the glass. With blackout curtains, you’ll be able to better control your sleep environment. Better sleep and lower energy bills is a true win-win situation.

So if you’re not sleeping as soundly as you’d like, or want to freshen up your bedroom décor, try replacing your existing window treatments with blackout curtains. You don’t have to limit them to the bedroom either; they can be used just as well throughout the whole house.

Tags: bed, bedroom, Charles P. Rogers, curtains, Design, furniture

Post by Craig Jenkins.

We at Charles P. Rogers are dedicated to creating and maintaining beds that go on to be the gorgeous focal points of our customer’s living areas. We love it when we get feedback from our customers about how much they love their CPR beds, and nothing pleases us more than actually getting to see the ways in which our customers have decorated their rooms around our beds. We actually have a whole section of our website dedicated to pictures we’ve received from our customers. When you get the chance, you ought to check out our website’s customer image gallery to get a better idea of what we’re talking about.

Poking around the net this week we discovered the website of a customer of ours who did a blog post showing off her Charles P. Rogers furnished bedroom. The blog is called Cedar Hill Ranch, and it’s run by Anita from Texas, a homeowner who is dedicated to imbuing her house with a classic Southern vibe with a French twist. She recently posted a gallery of photos of what she has called the Red Bedroom (we’ll give you one guess as to the origin of the name!), and if you take a close look, you’ll see one of our Charleston iron and brass beds chewing the scenery next to the armoire. Thanks to Anita at Cedar Hill Ranch for showing off her lovely bedroom and allowing Charles P. Rogers to be a part of it. Take care, and happy holidays.

Tags: bed, bedroom, Charles P. Rogers, Design, furniture