What is a sexy bedroom like?

[flexagon]

Lately I've been reading House Thinking by Winifred Gallagher. It's a good book, but doesn't have amazing ideas about what to do with your place unless you're not already familiar with the kind of thinking in The Not-So-Big House and A Pattern Language. What it really adds is the idea that environment really affects not just how you feel, but in many ways who you are at any given moment and place. The main idea in house design, then, is to make each room or area not only facilitate acitivities, but facilitate you being the kind of person who is most able and happy to do those things.

One question it asks is this: why do so many Americans have unsexy bedrooms? The moment I read that line, I knew my bedroom was unsexy. What my bedroom is (and I did this myself, it took a long time and I like it, but...), is playful. It's not even grown-up playful, but 10-year-old-playing-Nintendo style playful. Here are some pictures I posted to saucydwellings when the paint was still drying:



See? Good, but maybe not sexy. Not to mention the fact that I have all my childrens' and YA books in there (to clarify, we don't have kids; the books are mine). SIGH. Do I at least get props for the framed naked picture of me? :) Who do I want to be in my bedroom anyway?

I want to redo things this summer. So, what makes a bedroom sexy? (Assume that I'm not allowed to cover the walls in black leather, mirrors and metal rings bolted to the studs, because indeed my husband doesn't support that plan, but I do plan to repaint and redecorate.) What color are the walls? What is the light fixture like? What does it smell like? What's on the walls, what's on the dresser, and what IS on the bookshelf besides alarm clocks and sex books (which are out in our living room bookshelf right now)? It may sound a little silly, but one thing I think I want to do is cover the light switch and switch plate with velvety stuff so that there's some tactile indication of entering a more sensual zone than the rest of the house.

(crossposted to saucyhelp, where a longer discussion is underway)

Comments

[a-kosmos.livejournal.com]

Good question.... I'm not sure what constitutes a sexy bedroom, either. Ours is painted brick red, but beyond that..... There's such a fine line between sexy and silly.

[flexagon]

Nice icon choice. :) And yes... I've been thinking in terms of dark red, possibly with creamy/gold trim colors, depending on whether heisenbugis up for it. If you are interested in this, definitely check out the discussion over on saucyhelp.

I like my sex serious, though you might not always know that by how I actually do things. I fall over that line all the time, into silly. My brain likes it but my body's response is much less at those times. Sigh. :(

[nevers.livejournal.com]

i want to answer your question and give you suggestions, but it seems impossible without knowing what YOU find sexy. in general though i'd say go for the colors and textures that feel sexy. is that too obvious of an answer?

[nevers.livejournal.com]

also, for a while i would look at things with good design (jewelry, electronics, candelabra) and think "that's so hot" or "that's so sexy." at some point i stopped doing that, but i still could tell you the type of things i thought that about, and those are the types of things i'd want in a sexy bedroom (for me, it's often about smooth graceful surfaces and curves or sinuous twists)

[flexagon]

Yes, please, I'm trying to gather other people's opinions. :)

[a-kosmos.livejournal.com]

High thread-count sheets feel sexy.

[flexagon]

How high? I have, I think, never had good sheets.

[a-kosmos.livejournal.com]

I like at least 600, although higher is always better: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Sheet-Sets/1/subcat.html

[flexagon]

Ooh, many thanks!

[silentq.livejournal.com]

Hello. *waves* I meandered over here to see the cross post from saucyhelp, and got sucked into reading the rest of your recent entries. We seem to have quite a bit in common, so I thought I'd let you know that I'm going to do a drive-by-friending (so you can check out my journal). Feel perfectly free to request removal from my list, but I thought I'd hedge my bets as some people are less laissze-faire about flists than I am.

[flexagon]

Yep -- 2 things in common at least, although you can dance in public without choreography! I want to learn that trick, dammit.

I'm not very high-drama with the flist. Sometimes I add people and then I drop them if I don't find myself commenting often, things like that. Anyway, sure, I'll add back and we'll see how it goes. :)

[silentq.livejournal.com]

I was lucky, when I was in high school I went on a school sponsored weekend trip, Leadership camp I think. I was there on my own, no friends, and when we had the Saturday night dance, I just felt so free that no one I knew was around to pass judgment, I danced just for me. I wish I could remember who complimented me afterward, she's directly responsible for my continuing love of dancing at clubs. :)
My sense of stuff we have in common might have been skewed by some of the stuff that you like appearing often enough on my friends list that I have a peripheral interest in them. :)
Thanks for the friendsback, and no worries if it doesn't work out - it's so odd that LJ formalises the getting to know you stage - but I try to keep a drama free zone around myself as well. :) I just keep most things locked because I can write more freely if I don't have to wonder if my mom will stumble across it...