EGYPTIAN THEME BEDROOM
Chill out like an Eyptian! An ancient Egyptian, that is. Decorate your bedroom in the style of the Nile, for an elegant theme that transports you away from everyday cares. Just follow these tips from Myjellybean.com.
The Walls
Think gold! Pyramid interiors were painted gold in ancient Egypt, so gold walls are an important first step. Choose a semi-gloss or glossy paint for that 24-carat glam-Egyptian look. If you're looking for a more ancient feel, select a matte paint (which has no sheen).
Once walls are painted, you will want to incorporate Egyptian writings and/or hieroglyphics into the wall design. You can use borders with ready made hieroglyphic designs, and/or use transfers or stencils for your wall decorations. Search for these online, or visit your local craft/wallpaper store. If you've got the artistic touch, you can hand-paint Egyptian symbols (such as Ankhs and scarabs) on walls with black paint. Find these symbols in books and on the Web.
This is an elegant, exotic look. But if you're way into the theme of archaeology, you may want to go all-out to give your room the feeling of an ancient Egyptian dig site, complete with one or more walls made of limestone blocks, just like the pyramids. You can get this effect by taping off and outlining large square sections on the wall(s) and doing a glaze/wash paint effect with white, cream, and taupe. (Get tips on paint effects and working with glaze at your local hardware or decorating store).
The Accent Colors
When it comes to your bedding, pillows and other room accessories, stick with bold, jewel-tone colors. In addition to gold, ancient Egyptians loved the regal, opulent shades of blood red, jade green, and deep blue.
The Bedding
Search bedding stores for Eyptian motifs. If you can't find anything that's perfect, mimic real ancient Eypgitan bed linens by using cotton fabrics in cream, rust, and metallic gold colors. A deep colored duvet, in dark red or deep green, would look great too, especially topped with pillows in yellow, blue, green and/or gold pillowcases.
The Window Treatments
Flowy curtains are a must, so toss those Venetian blinds (or cover them up with drapes). Window coverings should be cotton or linen panels, in either gold or a single jewel tone. Layer over white or beige sheers for that touch of anicent elegance. You can add gold accents to these curtains in the form of tieback ropes, trim and tassels. So Egyptian!
The Flooring
Woven mats, usually available inexpensively from dollar stores or Chinatown, are ideal as area rugs on floors. If you prefer carpet in your bedroom, choose something very soft and light-colored like a shag carpet in beige.
The Furniture
Ancient Egyptian furniture was simple and well made. It was also lower to the floor than standard American furniture. Snag the same look and feel with a platform bed, or futon that rests on a platform or low frame.
Or go for that total Cleopatra feeling, with a canopy over your bed. Use gauzy, sheer gold fabric for that floating-down-the-Nile flavor.
If you've got the space, add a chaise lounge or daybed for lounging around, ancient Egyptian-style. Make it feel regal with a faux fur throw and/or a few gorgeous jewel tone pillows.
If your folks give you the go-ahead, you can hand-paint or stencil some Egytian symbols onto other furniture, such as dresser drawers.
The Accessories
In your Eygptian theme room, items such as the waste basket, laundry basket, and extra storage should be made out of wicker.
Craft shops and home decor shops are good places to hunt for treasure boxes made in the shape of pyramids, other pyramid-shaped items, sphinxes, plastic palm leaves (arrange in tall wicker baskets around windows, or attach to mirrors), decorative glass pyramids (good as bookends or for shelves), and Egyptian-style baskets.
Mirrors for this room should have gold frames, and pictures can be framed in black.
Since the Egyptians worshipped cats, you can add cat statues of all sizes around the room. You can also hang pictures or posters of Egyptian Pharaohs (such as Queen Tut and Cleopatra) around the room.
The Lighting
If your walls are glossy gold, think bright light. In sunny Egypt, the sun would reflect off the walls and create great rooms bursting with light. If you don't have large windows to let in natural light, use lamps (with gold or red shades, of course) to cast out the shadows. If you're going for a more dusty, tomb-raider feeling, you can keep lighting more subtle.