Romantic hideaways need not be lacy and frilly. A perfect example is the Ice House. This is possibly the most unusual, yet delightfully romantic hotel in the world.

What's so special about it? It's made entirely from ice! The floor? Made of ice. The ceiling? Ice. But the bed? You got it - ice! Top to bottom, total ice.	

The Ice House, which has several rooms, is comfortably warm, though I wouldn't recommend going barefoot. Guest accommodations are nice and cozy, with oversized, plush comforters keeping visitors toasty throughout the night. Dozens of candles are the only source of light. They're everywhere - small ones peak out of icy nooks and tall ones stand at attention on the floor. They reflect off the surrounding ice, creating a surreal effect. And even though the light comes from open flame, no, the ceiling doesn't drip on you.

Though a weekend of winter whimsy may be romantic to some, others' idea of a romantic getaway involves warm ocean breezes. In Bali, it's not rare for private villas to be completely open to the soothing winds. Guests drift to sleep with a majestic starlit sky for a ceiling and the soothing sound of waves breaking against the beach to lull them into dreamland. If the warm breezes and sounds of the ocean are still not romantic enough, guests can order all their meals in - or, in this case, is it out?

Regardless of which dream hideaway you prefer, a sanctuary that provides total tranquillity and allows us to forget our "real" lives is the perfect romantic setting.

Though you can spend a lot of time and money creating your own romantic hideaway, there really is no set price tag for creating a personal retreat. It can cost next to nothing, and you can create it in your own home.

What's your most romantic room - typically the bedroom. Not romantic enough? Critique it. What's right? What's wrong? The room definitely needs some thought and a theme. Without a theme, we tend to wander, lose focus, and end up with a hodge-podge.

Then think back to all the romantic locations you've ever visited or wanted to visit. What was it that lingered in your mind and tugged at your heart? Then ponder, "is there anything like that I can bring into my life?" 

To start, begin with a favorite fabric and an exquisite bed or chair and expand from there, ingredient by ingredient. Don't be afraid to bring in fantasy. Yes, fantasy can be in good taste, classic but with a sense of romance. Done correctly, no one will know exactly what your theme or inspirations were. Stay subtle, don't let the room or any part of it scream at you. This way you'll find that you will probably enjoy it for years to come...

Remember, above all, have fun!


Tips By Julee!!!

Tip #1. Bored with winter? Invite a friend over (how about your spouse?) for a traditional afternoon tea. Prepare English tea sandwiches made from watercress, egg salad and cucumber and serve freshly-baked scones topped with Devonshire cream and preserves. Serve with black tea (capful of vanilla) or Jasmine tea. Entertaining a friend with children? Serve young ones hot chocolate, scones and sandwiches of Nutella and bananas (yum!) or ham and cheese. 

Tip #2. Sunny windows destroy fabric and fade paint. Remedy? Keep the view while protecting your furnishings from harmful UV rays. Have glass "film" applied to your windows. There are several choices for degrees of darkness and color. Survey says? People are raving about it!

Tip #3. A room with no windows? Create an illusion with a pair of French doors. Attach them to the wall with gathered fabric hanging behind. Build window seats on either side with a wall-to-wall mirror above each seat. Then paint the walls a light and glossy color to give the room a light and airy feel.


Questions to Julee

Could you tell me the formula used for lamp lighting? How high should the lamp be on a table beside a sofa? On a bedside table? Which is better for reading, a floor lamp with the illumination coming from the top (like a torchiere) or from below (with a traditional shade)?

It is unwise to apply a diehard rule or formula, because the styles of the lamp, the table and the sofa or chairs all contribute to the total picture. Plus, there is more than just function involved. Common sense tells us to be sure the reading light (as opposed to general or accent lighting) is intense and focused on your reading material not on your face. Try out a few lamps until you find one that works.

Ideally, a three-way light is most functional. One turn of the switch shoots (general) light to the ceiling, another turn directs light down and a third, even brighter, allows for tasks. These are often torchieres.


I love the natural looking tortoiseshell (or matchstick) blinds I've been seeing. However, my drapes are floral and are hung from a pewter rod. Are they a good match or are the blinds too rustic for my existing d?cor?

Yes, it is possible to combine tortoiseshell blinds with fabric. Two successful examples would include (a) a patterned fabric in a larger scale than the tortoise, but in the same tone (not darker or lighter colors), or (b) a solid fabric (no obvious pattern) but very textured (nubby) with any color from a natural pallet.


I have adjacent rooms and would like to paint one red and the other blue. Would this interrupt the flow? What do you recommend for accessories and window coverings so these spaces, which open to one another, work well?

First, be certain that your blue and red paints are from the same "season." For example don't use a winter red with a spring blue. Next pick a neutral color that goes well in both rooms. Add a little red into the blue room and blue into the red room and use the neutral color in both. When adding the neutral and the opposing colors to the main color, remember to keep their use minimal. Their purpose is as accent colors and they should be used only in trims, borders, frames, linens, or accessories. The red room should remain primarily a red room.


Send your decorating questions to me at tips@domestications.com. We at Domestications wish you and yours a romantic season filled with love...


As always,
Julee and The Domestications Team
http://www.domestications.com/default.asp?code=DOM-EMAIL-020602-ATEXT15


WHERE TO BUY?

Down Comforters: http://www.domestications.com/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=9202&code=DOM-EMAIL-020602-ATEXT03

Candles: http://www.domestications.com/product.asp?product=377839zz&dept%5Fid=13550&parentname=&featurename=code=DOM-EMAIL-020602-ATEXT04

Drift to sleep with a majestic starlit sky: http://www.domestications.com/parent.asp?product=C374509Bx&dept%5Fid=9103&parentname=&featurename=code=DOM-EMAIL-020602-ATEXT05

Exquisite Chair: http://www.domestications.com/product.asp?product=37672201zz&dept%5Fid=12300&parentname=&featurename=code=DOM-EMAIL-020602-ATEXT06

Window coverings for an illusion with French doors:
http://www.domestications.com/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=11109&code=DOM-EMAIL-020602-ATEXT07

Lamps: 
http://www.domestications.com/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=14000&code=DOM-EMAIL-020602-ATEXT08

Torchiere: http://www.domestications.com/product.asp?product=372397DHzz&dept%5Fid=14100&parentname=&featurename=code=DOM-EMAIL-020602-ATEXT09

Blinds: 
http://www.domestications.com/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=11101&code=DOM-EMAIL-020602-ATEXT10

Patterned window coverings: http://www.domestications.com/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=11107&code=DOM-EMAIL-020602-ATEXT11

Solid window coverings: 
http://www.domestications.com/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=11109&code=DOM-EMAIL-020602-ATEXT12

Accent furniture to tie the red and blue room together: http://www.domestications.com/dept.asp?parentname=Furniture&dept%5Fid=12200&code=DOM-EMAIL-020602-ATEXT13

Who's Julee?
http://www.domestications.com/product.asp?product=Newsletterzz&dept%5Fid=19998&code=DOM-EMAIL-020602-ATEXT14

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