Add a little romance with light and lacy fabrics in the bedroom.
s summer nears and the nights get hotter, adding bright and breezy touches to your bedroom will contribute to a serene scene—and a good night’s sleep. Lighten up with sheer fabrics that will leave your bedroom layered in romance but still open and airy enough for the warmest summer evening. Not only are they inexpensive, but it’s almost impossible to make them look bad, so unleash your inner decorator and create the bedroom of your dreams. Here’s some inspiration.
Fabulous four-poster beds were made to hold canopies; this version is easy to make and lends a sweet and neat look to the bed. If you already have fabric that’s wide enough to fit the area, you can simply finish the edges and add ties to attach it. An inexpensive way to find the right fabric is to make use of flat sheets or old tablecloths. No time to stitch on the ties? Try hammering grommets around the edge of the canopy fabric, and then simply thread string or ribbon through holes and tie away!
Philip Clayton-Thompson 		Before the days of central heating, a four-poster bed would be curtained off to keep warmth where you needed it most. These days, rely on such curtains to give your bed — and whole room — an unmistakably dreamy and romantic feel. Ballard Designs created this Tuscan Bed to look like an Italian heirloom (at a much more affordable price). Visit ballarddesigns.com or call 800-367-2775 for a catalog.
Ballard Designs
Give your bed a regal feeling with a smart, simple bed crown. Designed to hold drapery panels (you could add just about any fabric as long as the crown was sturdy enough to hold it), this version from Ballard Designs adds a touch of interest over the bed and lends that canopy look—even if you don’t have a bed frame. Create your own crown using pre-made and painted or fabric-covered shelves or racks, or, to order this one, visit ballarddesigns.com or call 800-367-2775 for a catalog.
Ballard Designs		 A large window offers a great opportunity to create the look of a canopy. Drape a sheer layer over the window, and then add another sheer layer that you can draw to the side to frame the bed. Finish by creating a valance that will hang out and over the bed—simply hang fabric from hardware that’s designed to create the three-dimensional look of a cornice.
Brad Simmons