BECKLEY — Last year, I gave my daughter a $1,500 budget to redo her room. She spent $1,100 of it on the perfect bed. While every other 12-year-old may shift like a princess on a pea at night, she snores contentedly, as still as a chalk outline. Maybe she was onto something.

Should your venture into redecorating hinge on upcoming nuptials, you may be lucky enough to have your number called as the John Eye Big Sandy Grand Prize winner for the 13th annual Bridal, Prom and Special Occasions Show this Saturday at Tamarack. One bride-to-be will earn a new bedroom suite, including bed, dresser/mirror, nightstand and chest of drawers— a $1,300 total value.

For the rest of us, the task proves more of a challenge.

John Eye Store Manager Scott McKinney, who caters to new couples in furnishing their homes, says the average living room suite lasts eight to 10 years before customers desire a change.

“For bedroom suites, it’s longer.”

The obvious conclusion? “Make sure you select a style you truly want, because you’re stuck with it for a while.”

While the fortunate winner will have the hardware to outfit her bedroom, she’ll need to select her software — namely, the ideal mattress, her body’s nightly substrate.

“Some manufacturers offer a 20- to 25-year warranty on mattresses. The technology involved in bedding is as sophisticated as that involved in electronics nowadays,”  McKinney explains.

— E-mail: lshrewsberry@register-herald.com

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For registry how-to’s on setting up a home, and to preview the perfect wedding components, stop by the Bridal, Prom and Special Occasions Show Saturday at Tamarack. Doors open at noon and admission is free.

“Lots of incredible prizes are available at the show for brides-to-be, but you must be present to win,” says show coordinator Ann Kelly.

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Boudoir basics

Lackluster beds and blank, expressionless walls are where Amanda Clyburn, a Beckley decorator, works her magic. She takes her knowledge of what to include and what to remove from the mix in preparing a home’s inner sanctum, and offers best tips here for designing the most relaxing space possible.

Don’ts

—“Don’t have stuffed animals (or pillow avalanches) all over the bed. Men hate that. Also, loathe any electronics in a bedroom. A television, stereo, or even a gaming system in the bedroom can totally ruin the ambiance and romance or disturb peaceful sleep.”

—“Don’t have a desk in your bedroom. This is the last thing you will see before you lay down and the first thing when you wake, so do NOT cause yourself more stress. Bills or work are NOT what you need slapping you in the face first thing in the morning.”

—“Don’t have harsh, bright lighting ... try the subtlety and control offered by auxiliary lighting — otherwise known as lamps — unless romance is in the air. Then, candles are preferred for those intimate moments.”

—“Don’t paint your bedroom a harsh color. Red in a bedroom, for instance, can promote anger; yellow, anxiety. Opt for soft and muted colors. Tranquil bedroom color choices include greens and blues, which provide a naturally calming effect. Rich browns paired with a complimentary color are also relaxing choices.”

—“Don’t leave clothing, shoes and towels lying around. You want your bedroom to always be clutter-free and inviting. Put up clothes, and take dirty ones to the hamper. Spending the extra five minutes a day it takes to make a bed will also equal a more attractive and inviting atmosphere.”

—“Don’t ever argue in the bedroom. It should always be your safe haven, your conflict-free zone.”



Do’s

—“Bedding is VERY important. DO buy the best sheets that you can afford (remember, the higher the thread count, the higher the cost. It also helps to touch the sheets to see if they match the feel you want). A cushy mattress pad, a soft set of sheets and a down comforter-stuffed duvet cover can make you feel like you are sleeping on a cloud.

“Bulkiness doesn’t necessarily mean softest. A lot of people choose to use a matelassé instead of a duvet, which can sometimes look messy. It’s a thin, quilted designed coverlet.

“A few decorative pillows can also soften the room, just don’t overdo it.”

—DO “Limit your decorating. A few perfect accent pieces and a couple pictures on the wall are more than enough to dress a bedroom.

“A diffuser with a subtle scent of lavender can also help you relax. Don’t use harsh cleaners in the bedroom, but select natural products with subtle scents, like vanilla and lavender.

“Window treatments should be soft and flowing. For privacy and to block natural light on those Saturdays when you want to sleep in, a blind or shade should be installed. These, too, must be kept light, not heavy.”

—DO “Lightly spritz fabric spray in a scent that calms you to put the welcome mat out for sweet dreams.

“Remember, just like with gourmet food in a fine restaurant, presentation is the key. What you see first thing in the morning can set the tone for your day. What you see and feel last thing at night can determine your level of rest.”

Amanda Clyburn is the owner of “l Bless This House,” specializing in painting, papering, wallpaper removal, drywall repair and minor home improvements. For more information, call her at 304-237-1728.

Beds through history

Comfortable, supportive mattresses are something most of us take for granted. We don’t think about how they’ve evolved over time. Here’s an eye-opening lesson on the bed throughout history and in more modern times.

— 10,000 years ago, in the Neolithic period, people began sleeping on primitive “beds.”

— 3400 BCE. Egyptian pharaohs discover the benefits of raising a pallet off the earth. King Tutankahmen had a bed of ebony and gold. Common people slept on palm bows heaped in the corner of their home.

— Roman Empire. First luxury bed. Often decorated with gold, silver or bronze, these beds featured mattresses stuffed with reeds, hay, wool or feathers.

— Roman Empire. Romans discover the waterbed. The sleeper would recline in a cradle of warm water until drowsy, then be lifted onto an adjacent cradle with a mattress, where they would be rocked to sleep.

— Renaissance. Mattresses were made of pea shucks or straw, sometimes feathers, stuffed into coarse ticks, then covered with sumptuous velvets, brocades and silks.

— 16th and 17th centuries. Mattresses were generally stuffed with straw or down, placed atop a latticework of rope that needed regular tightening. It’s where the expression “sleep tight” comes from.

— The late 18th century. Advent of the cast iron bed and cotton mattresses. Together, they provided a sleeping space that was less attractive to bugs. Until that time, assorted vermin were simply accepted as an accepted component of even the most royal beds.

— 1865. The first coil spring construction for bedding was patented.

— 1930s. Innerspring mattresses and upholstered foundations became serious contenders for the dominant position they now enjoy in the U.S. and Canada.

— 1940s. Futons introduced to North America.

— 1950s. Foam rubber mattresses and pillows appeared on the market.

— 1960s. Modern waterbed introduced. Adjustable beds become popular with consumers.

— 1980s. Airbeds are introduced.

— 1990s. Spacious sleeping is once again on the rise. In 1999, the queen-size mattress became America’s most popular choice for mattress size — for the first time ever — beating the twin.

— 2000s. Choice and comfort are key words in contemporary bedding. In addition to an almost unlimited range of innerspring mattress designs, new types of foam mattress cores (such as “memory” or visco-elastic foam and refinements to traditional latex) as well as airbeds, waterbeds and high-tech adjustable sleep sets offer consumers attractive, quality alternatives. Pillowtop mattresses, a popular innovation in luxury, offer an extra layer of soft cushioning, and single-sided no-flip mattresses are common.

— Source: The Better Sleep Council