Turning a bedroom into a love nest

[pplwatching]

Hello World!

How would you decorate a bedroom to encourage sensuality, emotional intimacy, and sexual excitement? Given the following key words; special place, cozy, relaxing, intimacy, sensuality, eroticism, sexual energy; what kinds of pictures and/or artwork come to mind? Lighting? Drapes? Bedding? Carpet? Throw pillows? Accents? Aromas?

My wife is out of town for a week, so I've been catching up on some HoneyDo projects around the house to surprise her. Now that I've been actively improving the house I’ve started noticing all the little things. It occurs to me that our bedroom is not a sexy place. I’d go so far as to call it sexually drab. We have white walls with no accents, functional furnishing, a king size bed, and drapes that my mother in law bought for us when we got married. The drapes match the bedspread in a sort of abstract blue and green water-color motif. Nice, but not romantic or sexy.

What I'd really like to do is turn our run-of-the-mill bedroom into a love nest while she’s away. I would love a bedroom that encourages sensuality, emotional intimacy, and sexual excitement. I’m hesitant to surprise her with a complete makeover. I think that such an intimate space should have her input, but I want to have some options to present to her when she gets home. I’m also open to making subtle (and inexpensive) changes while she’s away.

I need suggestions and ideas. Searching the web has turned up some ideas, but there’s something missing. The designers at 'designing' web sites seem to go more for romantic than sensual and/or sexual. Maybe it's just because I'm a man, but some of what they call 'romantic', while tasteful and beautiful, doesn't strike me as intimate. I think that the problem is that I don’t know what I’m looking for.

I need comments and suggestions on anything and everything! I would love to hear any and all ideas. I'd like to hear peoples experiences decorating and living in a space like I'm describing. Would it be too overpowering? Are the designers right, should it be less about sensual and sexual and more about pretty?

I would especially appreciate URLs to pictures that I can print, or stores that I can purchase from.

Thanks!

 

[Cathleen]

Oh, how fun.

I'll do some thinking but the first thing that comes to mind are candles and some tasteful but sensual artwork. Something that perhaps is subtly erotic.

I have a pretty black and white photo in my bedroom. There is an old car, convertible, and it looks as if he has returned to his love. He has swept her up in his arms and they're sharing a kiss. It is sweet but there is a subtle sexiness to it.

There is a site on the net artman.com that has lots of erotic and sensual artwork. They're posters and seem to be reasonable priced. It might be something to look at together.

I'm going to keep thinking on this - it is time for me to do something nice with my bedroom too.

 

[SueJ]

Do you have children or others who enter your bedroom, or is it totally private for just the two of you? That could have a bearing on how you decorate.

A mirrored wall, candles, and soft lighting are always nice touches. Paintings of nudes are lovely in a bedroom setting. You can find lots of nice, original paintings of nudes on Ebay.

This is such a wonderful gift to her. Lucky lady! Be sure to let us know what you do and how she reacts!

 

[pplwatching]

Do you have children or others who enter your bedroom, or is it totally private for just the two of you?

Yes, we have 2 kids (7 & 5), however paintings of nudes are not a bad idea IMHO. Obviously it would have to be something tasteful. I have seen paintings that are sensual without being explicitly nude or inappropriate for our kids. Good idea! Erotic and sensual are in the eye of the beholder when it comes to art, as Cathleen pointed out. My wife doesn't understand my relationship with my '68 GTO, so a car might be a stretch for her. I really enjoy looking at the curves of the female back, from hips to shoulders. I enjoy nudes where the subject is painted from the back, or back with a twist to the side with a partially visible breast. Even a bowl of fruit with the right colors can stimulate the senses, if not erotically. I'll see if I can find something tasteful and appropriate.

There is a site on the net artman.com that has lots of erotic and sensual artwork.

I'm pretty clueless when it comes to buying art. I am assuming that prints are the inexpensive way to go. What kinds of stores might I find artwork in?

Thanks

 

[Luv2PleasureF]

Only IMHO

Lots of candles, soft light. Making sure that those candles won't start a fire is generally a good thing too. Let's face it - you want the fire between the sheets, not literally having the sheets on fire!

Oh, and I might checking first before getting scented candles - make sure she likes that kind of thing, and what scents. If she's allergic, or sensitive to certain smells, your romantic hideaway is gonna turn into a prayer session with the Porcelain Princess. Not fun.

Music. Soft music, romantic music, something she'll enjoy, I would probably avoid rap or hip hop. Listing how many ways a woman can be called a biatch isn't romantic. LOL Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, that kind of stuff is good.

Also, there is nothing more romantic for a woman (again, IMHO) than a guy that goes out of his way to make her day easier, and find ways to help her to relax. Doing a chore for her, Tackling a task she finds unpleasant or bothersome may sound mundane, but if you're helping her, trust me, it's romantic and WILL be appreciated.

Final suggestion:
Go to a florist, and see if you can't get your hands on a few hundred rose petals. If not real ones, I've seen boxes you can get with "satin" rose petals, that are lightly scented. Emphasis on "LIGHTLY" scented. Make sure she has absolutely no clue whatsoever about them, and find a way to spread them liberally about the bedroom. Not just on the bed, but exercise caution with wood floors, as her slipping on them and breaking a vertebrae will generally dampen the mood. Most important of all, Let her know you love her, that your world revolves around her, that she is the most important and beautiful person in your life. Let her know she makes you happy. Communicate your feelings.

 

[Guest]

Lots of candles, soft light. Making sure that those candles won't start a fire is generally a good thing too. Let's face it - you want the fire between the sheets, not literally having the sheets on fire!

Oh, and I might checking first before getting scented candles - make sure she likes that kind of thing, and what scents. If she's allergic, or sensitive to certain smells, your romantic hideaway is gonna turn into a prayer session with the Porcelain Princess. Not fun.

Music. Soft music, romantic music, something she'll enjoy, I would probably avoid rap or hip hop. Listing how many ways a woman can be called a biatch isn't romantic. LOL Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, that kind of stuff is good.

Also, there is nothing more romantic for a woman (again, IMHO) than a guy that goes out of his way to make her day easier, and find ways to help her to relax. Doing a chore for her, Tackling a task she finds unpleasant or bothersome may sound mundane, but if you're helping her, trust me, it's romantic and WILL be appreciated.

Final suggestion:
Go to a florist, and see if you can't get your hands on a few hundred rose petals. If not real ones, I've seen boxes you can get with "satin" rose petals, that are lightly scented. Emphasis on "LIGHTLY" scented. Make sure she has absolutely no clue whatsoever about them, and find a way to spread them liberally about the bedroom. Not just on the bed, but exercise caution with wood floors, as her slipping on them and breaking a vertebrae will generally dampen the mood. Most important of all, Let her know you love her, that your world revolves around her, that she is the most important and beautiful person in your life. Let her know she makes you happy. Communicate your feelings.

Okay, so you're Mr. Romantic Luv2, but I haven't gotten those rose petals on the bed. What the heck ya waiting for?? *taps fingers*

 

[dollface007]

This IS a fun question!

Lighting is definitely a huge part of setting the mood in a room. I bought a purple lamp for my dining room and it makes such a huge difference in the feel of the space. Same thing for the red glass candle holders in my bedroom. A colored lamp is a good idea, of you have a lamp in your room, replace the shade with a deep color like red or purple or blue. In general, deep colors evoke romance and sensuality. Also, think about textures...high thread count cotton sheets, a satiny duvet, a chenille throw blanket, a soft area rug.

As far as artwork goes, you don't have to get into the "erotic art" area for it to be sensual. Take, for instance, the attached painting by Kokoschka. It's a masterpiece, but very sensual...one of my favorite paintings. I actually have a nude just as you described (seated nude, painted from the back) in my living room. It's more of a celebration of the female form rather than being overtly sexual.

My advice would be to take a trip to Pier One, or any other store that sells bedding, lighting/candles, window coverings, etc (even Target...they have really cute stuff now). You can look around, check out different concepts and designs, feel different fabrics, etc. Then you can decide on a few accents that will make your bedroom a little more warm and inviting.

 

[Cathleen]

doll, that is a beautiful painting - just gorgeous.

This is one I've always loved. It was my first av and I just love the colors, the use of different mediums - the feel of it.

doll, you're so right about the bold colors - I'd not noticed that before.

This is done by the artist Tullaha, the name is 'Protection'.

http://tallulahs.com/paint/mixed/mixed002.jpg

Hmm, no image here in the HT?

Well here is her web site:

http://www.tallulahs.com/sitemap.html

also I misspelled the site in my post above. It should be artmam.com

http://artmam.com/

 

[pplwatching]

A colored lamp is a good idea, of you have a lamp in your room, replace the shade with a deep color like red or purple or blue. In general, deep colors evoke romance and sensuality.

That's one thing that really needs upgrading. We have a single ceiling fan with a globe light fixture in the middle of the room. It has a frosted glass globe, but it's really not good for mood lighting. For lovemaking we usually turn on a reading light on the nightstand. Practical, but with an incandescant bulb it's not very sensual. Maybe I can get some low voltage track lighting and make better use of colors.

http://www.tallulahs.com/sitemap.html

Wow. Tallulahs is pretty cool. Some of the 'vintage' items on their samplers page like http://www.tallulahs.com/costumes1.html and the hand colored 'nudes' like http://www.tallulahs.com/color1.html and http://tallulahs.com/val8.html are tasteful yet provocative. Some are large format, I wonder how the others will resize.

All in one place for $20 per CDROM. Thanks for the link! I can print oversize to some extent ... 13" x 19". That should be big enough to frame. Browse, find the image I'd like to have on the wall, print and frame. Don't like the picture? Pick another one and print again for a few pennies more. Very cool. Thanks. Now I just have to figure out which CDROMs have the kinds of pictures that I'd like to work with.

 

[dollface007]

That's one thing that really needs upgrading. We have a single ceiling fan with a globe light fixture in the middle of the room. It has a frosted glass globe, but it's really not good for mood lighting. For lovemaking we usually turn on a reading light on the nightstand. Practical, but with an incandescant bulb it's not very sensual. Maybe I can get some low voltage track lighting and make better use of colors.

Yeah, ceiling fans don't necessarily evoke romance! Unless you and your wife are really attached to it, you might want to consider replacing it with a chandelier. Not one of those big fancy crystal ones, but perhaps something more simple.

Can you tell i watch a lot of design shows on tv???

 

[pplwatching]

Bedroom feng shui

Yeah, ceiling fans don't necessarily evoke romance! Unless you and your wife are really attached to it, you might want to consider replacing it with a chandelier. Not one of those big fancy crystal ones, but perhaps something more simple.

In my neck of the woods a ceiling fan is something of a necessity. We use evaporative 'swamp' coolers here. On a hot summer night after a rainstorm the breeze of the fan carassing your body after a sweaty session of passionate sex is pretty nice.

Here's something I found while searching the web : http://horoscopes.msn.co.uk/destiny_mind/feng_shui/zodiac_bedrooms.php. Not entirely relevant, but cute. I'm a Gemini, my wife's a Saggitarius.

I've found a couple of design websites, I'll post URLs as soon as I find something interesting,.

 

[pplwatching]

Interesting things so far (consider this my bookmark page :

Goddess at Home: Divine Interiors Inspired by Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Hera, Hestia, and Persephone by Anita Bronwyn Llewellyn
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1564969207/102-3360806-2176129?v=glance

iVillage 10 Ways to Turn Any Bedroom into a Love Nest
http://home.ivillage.com/decorating/bedrooms/0,,3l49,00.html

Rental decorating(?)
http://www.rentaldecorating.com/romanticbedroom.html
http://www.rentaldecorating.com/0203romanticbedroom.htm

Homestore.com
http://www.homestore.com/HomeGarden/Decorate/Features/Holiday/Valentines/Bedrooms.asp?poe=homestore
http://www.homestore.com/homegarden...leries/beforeafter.asp?poe=homestore&tran=vud
Others
http://www.home-decorating-made-easy.com/bedroom-decorating-ideas.html
http://home.att.net/~DLeddy/BedBath.html
http://www.bhg.com/home/Bedroom-Decorating-Ideas.html

But for now I'm off to strip up some tile from the foyer.

Thanks all.

 

[krazeekat]

You said you have reading light? Yes they can be a mood killer, are you able to throw a soft fabric over it so that it'll cast a less harsher light? Maybe a chiffon fabric, something in the line of sexy purple hues or fiery red.

Since your walls are white you might want to give it some character. Personally I find black and white photographs sexy. What I did with our bedroom was to have b/w photos of different parts of my body (my neck, lips, hands) have the photos blow up and hang them.

Luv2PleasureF mentioned rose petals which is a great idea. If you're not up to sprinkling them all over the bedroom you might want to put the petals in a large deep bowl dish. It makes a great sexy deco piece.

Candles are great too and again another inexpensive deco piece. Get the ones with deep red or purple tones as these are sensual colours. It doesn't have to be scented nor does it all have to be of the same size.

Hope the above helps you a little

Oh btw, I'm Sagi too.

 

[Lynxie]

What a fun thread! I'm obsessed with interior decorating, so this is right up my alley. There have been tons of good suggestions so far...I'll add a few of my own.

- If you can't decide on prints, fabric wall-hangings are another good way to cozy-up a room. Amazon.com has a wide variety of options for wall decor.

- If you're using boring sheets right now, try buying a new or better material. Egyptian cotton and sateen sheets both feel luxurious to the naked body.

- Candles always set the mood... be careful about wall sconces, as they can leave scorch marks on your paint/wallpaper. Instead, look for either small votive holders that you can put on top of dressers or nightstands... or large free-standing holders that could substitute for a lamp.

- Develop a color scheme for the room. If your current bedding is already blues/greens, it's easy enough to stick to that. You might want to consider painting your walls...you'd be amazed at how much a little paint can change the atmosphere of a space. If you don't want a project that large, just make sure any other decor you purchase falls in the same color scheme. If you bring in too many random colors, it'll feel cluttered and distracting.

- Keep the room clean. I'm not saying you don't, but I know this is a problem my husband and I have. We tend to be a bit less than tidy, especially when it comes to our bedroom. Nobody else will see it, so that's where the mess ends up. Keeping it clean makes it more desirable to be in, and there's certainly nothing wrong with spending a little extra time in the bedroom

- Keep massage oil within easy reach of the bed...it's nice to surprise your lover with a sensual massage without having to get up to find lotion or oil.

- Same goes for your sex toys... you still want to make sure they're not accessible to your kids, but having them as close as possible to the bed is ideal.

- Buy some fresh flowers just for the bedroom from time to time. Most women tend to show off their flowers when they get them...they end up in the kitchen or somewhere else where they're visible during the day. I know whenever I have fresh flowers at home, my mood is boosted tenfold...putting them in the bedroom once in a while reminds me to stop and appreciate my love for my husband.


Most importantly, have fun with it! You know your wife better than we do - think about what she would enjoy. Here's a website that might give you more info about general home decorating/improvement: hgtv.com

Good luck, and keep us informed about your decisions and your wife's reactions!

 

[pplwatching]

Thanks, everyone, for the input.

Re: Reading light -- The light has a stainless steel 'shade', one of those upside-down-flower-pot looking things that the light nestles in. It gets pretty hot, I don't think that draping anything over it would be a good idea. I am willing to go second hand shopping for a new lamp that fits the motif (once I know what it is). Second hand always seems to have more character.

Re sheets : Believe it or not, I am the one who insists on high thread count sheets. Imagine my glee at Dillards last month when 500 thread count sheets were on clearance at 75% off! We got 5 sets. Some sateen, some a silk blend, good old Egyptian cotton. They feel great. My wife says that she can't tell the difference, but her mother got some from the same sale and now she's hooked too We were limited to color-on-hand, but for the price I can't compain. White, green/gray, and yellow. The green/gray set has a little flower pattern in the weave.

Re paint : My wife has previously picked out a 'green' that's hard to describe, but the lamp shade on this page http://doityourself.com/colordec/cucumbergreen.htm comes pretty close, except maybe my wife's choice is a little brighter. I haven't had time to do anything about it, and worse I can't visualize it as a color in my bedroom. But ... I'll make the leap of faith and paint the room while the mastic is curing. I have a power roller and can always repaint. The color will make her happy (or at least earn some points to be redeemed in bed . I'll need to look for accents that work with it.

Another surprise for my wife is that I am finally finishing the flooring. It has taken me two nights to remove about 60 sq feet of mosaic tile from the foyer, which will be replaced by 12x12 cream tile. If all goes well, I will have the tile and transitions installed by the end of the weekend (including mastic curing and grouting).

Re room clean : I could have written that paragraph :-( I'm ashamed to admit that every flat surface is a collection of receipts, laundry waiting to be folded, and misc. stuff that got shuffled to the bedroom when we had guests over. I'm willing to take most of the blame here, as my wife is working on her masters degree and working a part time job. I will take responsibility for keeping the clutter out of the bedroom (well, our bedroom anyway -- the kids are another matter). A closet organizer would sure help too, just to make more room to get clothes out of the way.

Re things close at hand : Massage oil is on the headboard. Have to get up to fetch condoms and sex toys, as those are on the top closet shelf out of kids reach Our bed has under-drawers which both of us hate, but it's flimsy and there's not much chance of locking it. That's one of the things I won't replace without her input.

Re flowers : When we first got married my wife said that she didn't like flowers-as-a-gift because they go bad so quickly and they do nothing for her. I've gotten her a honey bunch lately and Valentines roses for the first time in a long time (we've been married 10 years) and she changed the water and pruned out dead material every day before heading off to work. She seems to like them and hasn't said 'no more'. I think maybe she's changed her mind ... good idea. I'll need to find a nice nightstand to put them on.

So, I will paint the bedroom the green and now I need to find pictures or wall fabrics that will work with it. I also need to go shopping for a bedspread / pillow covers / throw pillows that work with that color to create the mood/feel that I want. I feel so ... male ... I don't know how to create a feeling from colors.

You know what's really sad about this? My sister is a professional interior designer, with a degree from the Colorado Institute of Art. I just can't bring myself to call her and ask her to help me put together the mood that I've described (she is younger than I am). Pretty sad, eh? I suppose I can ask her what goes with green

If anyone happens to come across something on the internet that you think might work, please send me the URL.

Thanks again!

 

[sweetgirl666]

An easy way to fix the light is to install dimmers. They are just awesome for that great mood.

Also, really work on that cleanness thing, its a major part of romantic mood...no bill, no receipt, no old school books, nothing around. Dirty laundry kills everyones mood.

A guy that buys 500 count sheets.... wow, you dont happen to have a younger brother or so by any chance??

 

[h_i_s]

As we have recently moved to a new place, i'm currently involved in decorating our bedroom. Soft lighting is certainly one of the main concerns. One touch i've added to keep the mood on the soft romantic side:

A black cast iron room divider will serve as the headboard for the bed. It will be covered with a thin cream or white (have not decided on the color yet) fabric. A black halogen free standing lamp will be placed behind it. The switch for the lamp will be easy to locate, i'll use a small black velcro tab to attach it to the edge of the divider.

--Sorry, No picture to offer. i haven't finished the project yet.

¸,ø¤º°sinn0cent°º¤ø,¸ proudly owned by, and devoted to INSIDEYOURMIND

 

[Lynxie]

Art.com is a fun place to search through prints, posters & paintings. They're not the cheapest site to buy from, but they have a huge selection... it's a great way to figure out what you might like to purchase for your bedroom. They've also got a section that gives you tips on what types of art to buy, based on the mood you want to set and the style of furniture you already have. Here's a link.

That green could work. Don't make everything in the room that exact same shade, though. See if you can find other shades of green that compliment it, or maybe pick another color to add to the theme (a creamy off-white might look nice with it). Here are some prints/art that I think might do alright with that color on your walls:

http://a1259.g.akamai.net/f/1259/5586/1d/images.art.com/images/PRODUCTS/Regular/10092000/10092591.jpg
http://a1259.g.akamai.net/f/1259/5586/1d/images.art.com/images/PRODUCTS/large/10080000/10080170.jpg
http://a1259.g.akamai.net/f/1259/5586/1d/images.art.com/images/PRODUCTS/large/10067000/10067877.jpg
http://a1259.g.akamai.net/f/1259/5586/1d/images.art.com/images/PRODUCTS/Regular/10076000/10076968.jpg
http://www.edward-weston.com/nudes/seated_nude_227n_lg.jpg

Just some ideas...

 

[Cathleen]

pplwatching, this sure has become a great thread! Thanks.

I am enjoying the idea from everyone. It's nice to become inspired.

pplwatching, you'll have to update us on what your wife says when she returns home. What a nice thing you're doing.

 

[Luv2PleasureF]

Okay, so you're Mr. Romantic Luv2, but I haven't gotten those rose petals on the bed. What the heck ya waiting for?? *taps fingers*

It would have been this past weekend, honestly, but unfortunately I can't find the friggin' box!

Besides, not sure if the scent would bother you or not, I was going to hold out for the real thing, considering that you're the real thing!!

 

[Guest]

It would have been this past weekend, honestly, but unfortunately I can't find the friggin' box!

Besides, not sure if the scent would bother you or not, I was going to hold out for the real thing, considering that you're the real thing!!

Um, babe, you found the box, but what about the flowers petals?

 

[dollface007]

You know what's really sad about this? My sister is a professional interior designer, with a degree from the Colorado Institute of Art. I just can't bring myself to call her and ask her to help me put together the mood that I've described (she is younger than I am). Pretty sad, eh? I suppose I can ask her what goes with green

OMG! You have a goldmine at your fingertips! As a little sister, i would be thrilled if one of my older brothers came to me for help on this. There's nothing to be ashamed of in saying, "I want to know how to make my bedroom a little more romantic as a suprise for my wife." In fact, you should be really really proud of yourself. Presumably, your sis knows you and your wife much better than we do. Plus, she can probably tell you where to get quality stuff at a good price.

 

[pplwatching]

Presumably, your sis knows you and your wife much better than we do. Plus, she can probably tell you where to get quality stuff at a good price.

For about 1/2 of our marriage my sister lived in Vail doing design for people with a lot of money. She has since moved to another growing resort town in Idaho and started her own business doing the same. She knows my wife from a few weekend visits a year, but not especially well.

I went out and got a new ceiling fan today. The major chain hardware stores only had basic white, wood tones, and shades of chrome so I went to a store that does nothing but lighting. I got a beautiful shade of cream, sort of a cross between a bavarian cream and an almond, but very rich. I chose a 4 light fixture and they had some scumptious sconces that are like a sculpted transparent tan marble. That place was amazing. So many beautiful lights, so little money ... who knew? I'm hoping the almond/cream will look good with the "cucumber". Good thing the store is reputable and has a 30day money back policy (as long as it hasn't been installed). Anyway, I got a remote control to put next to the bed for easy access to mood lighting. I'm sure that my sister knew, so I have decided with your prodding to call her tonight after I shower and I'll e-mail her a picture of what I got. I only went $50 over my budget, and that's because the remote is $60.00. My co-worker says that's about right for the decent quality ones.

Thanks for the example images. They were firmly fixed in my mind as I looked at lighting. I really liked the tiffany-esque lamps. They have the most beautiful greens and romantic reds all in the same lamp, but it's more of a table lamp than a nightstand lamp.

I had planned to paint tonight, but that will have to wait until after work tomorrow. I've just spent the evening scraping off the remnants of 70 or so sq feet of old mastic with a floor scraper and I'm beat. Talk about a labor of love, my arms are like lead. I will lay the tile on Saturday when I am alert enough to operate power tools. She comes home monday afternoon.

I will post before and after pictures if people are interested. My wife will probably divorce me if I post pictures with laundry in them (it's clean laundry, by the way), so I'll take pictures right before I put the drop clothes down and again after I've put the fan in

 

[pplwatching]

I had to find these for my sister, so I figured I'd post them here too.

Fan : Model MF-F568-SWH Shell White with Shell White Blades. http://www.hansenwholesale.com/minka/supra52.html
Glass : http://www.hansenwholesale.com/images/craftmade/glass/296.jpg


I can't find a picture of the light kit, but you can imagine what 4 white stems look like. They are matching 'shell white', which looks more creamy in the real world.

 

[Lynxie]

I had to find these for my sister, so I figured I'd post them here too.

Fan : Model MF-F568-SWH Shell White with Shell White Blades. http://www.hansenwholesale.com/minka/supra52.html
Glass : http://www.hansenwholesale.com/images/craftmade/glass/296.jpg


I can't find a picture of the light kit, but you can imagine what 4 white stems look like. They are matching 'shell white', which looks more creamy in the real world.

Looks good - I think that'll compliment the cucumber green nicely! Now, when you buy other accents for the room, try and stick to other creamy tones like that...it'll bring some coherency to your bedroom.

I only hope my husband turns out to be as good as you are ... we're going to be buying our first home (probably this summer), and I'll at least need him to be patient while I go decorating-crazy