What You Need To Create a Boudoir in Your Home

It’s tough to feel frisky when my children covered my shirt with play clay, homemade slime, and peanut butter. But deep down, I know that somewhere under the slime and finger paint lies a hot babe.

Historical hot babes had little private sitting rooms adjacent to their bedrooms called boudoirs. The boudoir was a pre-game to the main event, where, dressed alluringly, these women would entertain admirers. Well, hey, you’re worth admiring, so why not make a boudoir of your own? Here’s what you need to create a boudoir in your home without expensive remodeling.

Designate Space

Your boudoir doesn’t have to be big, just one that fits a vanity table and bench, a comfortable chair, and maybe a lamp with a fringed shade. Or a bar. Definitely a small bar.

You can even use a corner of your bedroom. Use an old-fashioned folding screen to defend your boudoir’s boundaries. Make it clear that entry is by invitation only. And there WILL BE CONSEQUENCES for infractions!

If you have a small room off of your bedroom that you can reclaim (you know, the room your partner never used as their “studio”), you can roll up your sleeves and transform it into a private pampering space. Just remember to put a lock on the door!

Choose a Style

What are you going to do in your boudoir: read? Share snacks or a nightcap? Recline seductively on your divan bed during the rare occasions your partner hasn’t already dropped into unarousable, snoring oblivion? You could put a small café table and two chairs in there, or a chaise and a side chair—after all, your admirer has to sit somewhere.

And let’s be honest, kids are going to come into your bedroom at night and cosleep no matter what. If your kid is getting a bit too big to fit in the “big bed” after having a scary dream, maybe get something like an ottoman bed for those occasions.

Next, decide how you want it to look. You could go for a Victorian vibe with some old-fashioned-looking stick-on/peel-off wallpaper and fringed drapes. Or you could go art-deco with a glass and chrome vanity and a curvy chair and ottoman.

In addition to furniture, wallpaper, and drapes, consider the floor: boudoirs are calming retreats, so choose rugs or carpeting that feels soft and lush. But if you already have a low-pile carpet, it may be possible to install “floating” vinyl, laminate, or hardwood flooring over it to create a more Victorian or French-country look. Then, you can add an Aubusson-style or fluffy sheepskin-type rug.

Or you could always use your need for a boudoir as an excuse to replace the tired, stained, threadbare stuff formerly known as carpeting that’s currently defiling the floor in your boudoir-to-be.

I hope I’ve given you a few ideas of what you need to create a boudoir in your home. Or I hope at least I’ve allowed you to dream about creating one while you’re secretly substituting a replacement blankie for the original one the dog destroyed. Good luck with that.