Colin and Justin: Amp up your bedroom

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A six-point nutshell guide to sweetening your nest

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Our first rule of bedroom service? Order. A tidy and smartly dressed lair tempts relaxation and repair, so ensure yours is up to scratch.

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Clear distracting obstacles (treadmills that double as clothes hangers, for example) and rid your nocturnal quarters of all clutter that emotionally – and literally – suffocates the relaxation factor.

Specify good quality linens (visit silkandsnow.com for a superb range of made in Canada options) low key bedside lamps, and wall-embellishing artwork to elicit a comfortable mood.

Visit hotel websites such as Vancouver’s Loden (loden.ca) various Le Germain outposts cross Canada (germainhotels.com) and Montreal’s Hotel Birks (hotelbirksmontreal.com) to espy Frette linens, voluminous duvets, sophisticated black and white photography and a roster of relaxing finishes that’d send even the most REM resistant into a state of benign succour.

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Setting the scene is crucial to romantic success, and the eponymous Shangri La Suite at Shangri La in Toronto (Shangri-la.com/toronto) delivers all this and more.

The project’s climactic moment hits a high note at the Moon Gate entrance, a timber clad, cylindrical portal (like some hedonistic peep hole at a high end Burlesque show), that views seductively towards a tempting, statuesque four poster.

Bathing, and showering, too, should never be overlooked. Bubbling, tumbling waters go hand in (wet) hand with romance, so ready yourself for a little spa-at-home indulgence as you set the scene.

Freshen your bathroom with fluffy towels (Homesense carry tremendous stock by a roster of bold face designer names) soaps and aromatic tinctures.

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And don’t forget matters olfactory: flickering, scented candles bolster atmosphere. Floral lovers should try Tuberose Rouge, whereas those predisposed to smokier, late-night scents will love Feu de Bois, both by Diptique (diptyqueparis.com) at branches of Holt Renfrew, cross Canada

Amp Up Your Bedroom – our six point nutshell guide to sweeten your nest

1. Ditch clutter and dirty laundry. By straightening your bedroom, you and your partner will be disburdened of impending job reminders. You’ll instantly feel more relaxed and, erm, racy.

2. Remove multi-function. Purge that less than sexy computer desk (or ironing board) and make the bed your focal point, unless you’re are planning a spot of steaming whilst wearing your finest undercrackers. Domestic role play? Just don’t get your fingers — or other extremities — burned.

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3. Dim the lights. As Vincent Van Gogh proclaimed; “I think night is more alive and more richly coloured than day.” Running with this, massage mood using clever illumination. Switch things up with coloured bulbs, or by searching out lamps with sequential colour pattern. Ensure overhead illumination is variable (an affordable dimmer switch from Home Depot could prove the best-ever precursor to ‘activity’, or use table lamps with soft shades to create flattering illumination.

4. Experiment with texture and pattern. Consider leather trimmed throws, open weave blankets, chenille pillows or wall coverings with ‘raised’ pattern. Seek out damasks (for commanding feature zones) or, if more subtly inclined, consider smaller crested patterns for overall application.

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5. Dress for success. If your bed currently sports a Maple Leafs duvet or a B.C Lions quilt set, then perhaps it’s time to swap it out for something a lil’ more romantic. Spend on comfort and luxury and opt for a goose-down duvet and plump, feather-filled pillows.

6. Spritz bed linens, chairs and nighttime attire to set the scene for seduction. Nothing gets a room — or its occupants — in the mood quite like a spray of Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather. Visit tomfordbeauty.com for further olfactory inspiration.

So, bedroom verve? You got this. Adding the (se)X factor with auspicious decor and cool design will magnify the love quotient, the feel-good factor and the lives of everyone concerned. Now doesn’t that sound like the start of a great affair? Or, at the very least, a great night’s sleep…

Watch for Colin and Justin on Citytv’s Breakfast Television and Colin and Justin’s Sub- Zero Reno on Paramount Plus TV. Find the Colin and Justin Home Collection in stores across Canada.
Visit www.colinandjustin.tv.

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