Take Your Bedroom on an Egyptian Decorating Adventure

Does your bedroom need an extreme makeover? Those looking to bring an opulent, regal vibe to their inner sanctum should consider an Egyptian theme. Give yourself the royal treatment with a room that evokes the ancient culture of the river dwellers of the Nile. A bedroom with an Egyptian flair adds a mystique to your home and creates a room that's mysterious, romantic and comforting.

A Fresh Coat of Paint

Start by painting the room a color that evokes the sands of the Egyptian deserts. Shouldn't be too hard to find something at the local home or paint store that fits the bill. Most popular paint brands offer something with the word "sand" in the title that's likely to work, but there's plenty of room to work with here and anything from a yellowish dust to tan-brown will fit the theme. Some stencil work with hieroglyphics at mid wall or near the ceiling will help bring the look together. Those with average art skills should be able to pull off a reasonable facsimile of a hieroglyph. Searching online for an Egyptian font and blowing it up in a word processing program might help you along.

Black and Gold

The art of the ancient Egyptians often used black and gold as its primary colors, as evidenced by the many statues and sculptures on display in the world's museums. These colors work great in fabric and linens. A black comforter with gold pillows will work nicely. Black and gold stripes are commonly found in the Pharaoh's headdress, so that will work nicely on the bed too. A canopy does a lot to create a romantic atmosphere. If you don't have a canopy bed, an attractive and simple solution can be created by attaching curtain rods to the ceiling and running the canopy drape through.

The Right Furniture

Brass, bronze, leather and wicker furniture help create the Egyptian feel better than light colored woods like oak or pine. Black leather works particularly well, but if that's not already part of your bedroom set consider a black or black and gold slip cover for any chairs or sofas. A chaise lounge makes a nice Egyptian statement, ready and waiting for the Pharaoh or Queen of the palace.

Bringing It All Together

An old leather trunk at the foot of the bed makes a nice addition as well as adding some functional storage. To complete the look add a stone or colored wall relief. These three dimensional wall hangings are often based on the walls of temples and tombs discovered by archaeologists and add depth and authenticity to the Egyptian themed room. To make the room truly distinctive, add some Egyptian statues or busts of well-known Egyptian gods and goddesses. Egyptian candleholders, boxes, mirrors and incense burners can do even more to emphasize the Egyptian style. A nice selection of Egyptian wall art, statues, mirrors and busts can be found at Your Museum Store. Have fun and before you know it, you'll be living like Cleopatra.

Rob is a former military journalist, screenwriter and technologist. He and his wife, Sherry, operate an e-commerce site selling high quality museum replicas at www.yourmuseumstore.com.