Is Your Bedroom Ready For Romance?

Chocolates, champagne, and silky camisoles are the stuff of Valentine’s Day. How about some simple changes to your bedroom that will help you celebrate Valentine’s day 365 days a year?

If your bedroom looks more like Grand Central Station than an oasis of calm, there’s not enough time to do a complete makeover. Here are a few simple changes that can help set the stage for a memorable night.

Get rid of the clutter. It’s hard to concentrate on nibbling his ear if you’re distracted by clothes that need folding (you know, the ones hanging off the exercise bike in the corner), or bills that need paying (see that pile of papers about to topple over on the desk?), or the stack of magazines in the corner.

Put the laptop back in your briefcase … this is no time to think about checking e-mail. Your boss can wait.

Make the bed the focal point of the room. Treat your bed like a star and showcase it. If it helps, think of the bed as a diva. And just like a diva, your bed will have a list of demands:

Make me comfortable. Outfit your bed with an excellent mattress, box springs and sleeping pillows.

• Make me sexy. Choose sheets that feel good against your skin. I’m thinking silk or satin.

• Make me decadent. Dress the bed with the plumpest duvet and pillows you can find. Don’t worry, they won’t stay on the bed for long, but nothing says come hither like … well, you get the picture.

• Make me, please! I know it’s easier to hop right in if you never made the bed in the first place, but rumpled sheets just kill the mood. Trust me.

Lighting is crucial in a bedroom, and it should always be soft, never jarring. If your lights are on dimmer switches, well done — it’ll be easy to turn the lights down low. For the rest of you, consider swapping out the 60-watt bulbs in your bedside lamps with 40-watters, or even colored bulbs (red or pink) to wash the room with a soft, warm glow. Then bring in some candles and let their flickering light take you to new levels of romance.

Lastly, create the mood: If you have a Ipod docking station, clock radio, or get radio reception from your cable or satellite TV, turn on the tunes.  Accessorize the room with flowers, and sprinkle a few rose petals across the bed.

Spritz a spray or two of her favorite perfume in the air, and don’t forget to place your two best crystal wine glasses or champagne flutes within easy reach by your bedside. Because it wouldn’t be Valentines’ Day without something sweet, Fill the most beautiful bowl in your house with elegantly wrapped chocolates and present them to your sweetie when the moment seems right.