It's your ultimate personal retreat. It's a space for you only, meant to be the one place you feel the most at home, the most comfortable, and the most protected. Naturally, you'll want to design this space to speak to your own personal style and needs, and we have some ideas on how you can make this room in your home an unparalleled sanctuary.

Choose the Right Colour 

Believe it or not, there is psychology attached to colour. Using certain colours in your master bedroom creates a different ambience depending on the colour you use. For warm, soothing tones that create a luxurious, relaxing feel, use colours like cranberry red, slate grey, emerald green, or deep, rich violet. Pair these tones with sleek, black furniture and low lighting.

If you prefer your bedroom to be a more invigorating space, use colours like soft white, sunny yellow, or a pale grey with pops of bright colour in the fabrics and décor. Pair these colours with soft furniture such as padded headboard and chairs, donned with fresh linens and lace.

You may even choose to have some fun with your choices and opt for a popular paint palette]. Alternatively, you may appreciate the timeless feeling brought on by a classic black-and-white combination. Paint your walls a rich, mid-grey and decorate with black-and-white furniture, décor, and textiles for ultimate luxury.

Luxurious Lighting 

Light fixtures come in virtually endless styles and sizes now, and you can choose just about anything to fit your bedroom's decor and size. Chandeliers are a very popular style of light to add to a master bedroom, as they add a level of luxury like no other, but your high-end custom lighting options are excitingly vast.

Although a single light fixture in the ceiling seems to be the standard, you don't need to end there. Adding ceiling features such as a tray or coffered ceiling, amps up the sophistication significantly. In addition, replace your night table lamps with wall sconces on each side of the bed, freeing up your night tables for books or other items. These sconces can come in any style and can be installed on a dimmer switch for your own light level control.

Two- or Three-way Fireplace

This one's a stunner when done correctly. If your master ensuite is positioned in the right way, adding a two- or three-way fireplace between your bedroom and ensuite is probably one of the most luxurious features you can add. Install gorgeous stonework floor-to-ceiling on both sides to elevate this design feature even further. It may just feel like you're retreating within a mountain chalet or luxury penthouse suite.

Sitting Area

Every luxurious master bedroom needs a space in which you can relax other than your bed. Incorporate a space to lounge with a morning tea, or an evening glass of wine. Consider adding a bookcase nearby for books and magazines, or any other item you'd like access to in your lounge area. And don't forget to add a versatile coffee and wine bar.

Vaulted Ceilings 

If tray or coffered ceilings aren't your style, perhaps stunning vaulted ceilings are. A single peak can create a minimalist, yet ravishing look, but you can also add multiple different vault lines in your design to give your room a more complex, cultivated style. If you prefer a traditional-style design, adding decorative beams to your vault design will also give your space that wow factor.

Barrel vaults are still in style as well. Consider adding a barrel vault over your sitting area to frame out the space in a subtle, yet classy manner.

Sophisticated Trim 

If you look at the design of one-hundred-year-old homes — or older — you'll notice they carry a tremendous amount of charm, and they feel well-built somehow. The secret to this look is quite often in the trim. Baseboards are taller, often four inches or more, and detailed crown moulding shapes the ceiling. In addition, trim around windows and doors add even more detail to the design, especially if the windows have a small sill ledge with an apron.

If your style is more traditional, adding wainscoting to the design in certain areas of your bedroom can improve the level of sophistication in the space and even highlight your home's architecture. Wainscoting offers many different levels of complexity from a simple chair rail, trim detail and painted walls, to highly complex, raised panel designs.

The overall look and feel of your master bedroom can be accomplished by attending to many different details. From the colour of the walls and shape of the room, to the level of decorative trim added to the space, you can customize your master bedroom to be precisely the personal sanctuary you crave.

An elegantly-designed, custom master bedroom deserves an ensuite of equal measure. The ideas in our post, Creative Customization: Ensuites, can help you complete your remarkable master suite.