MUSIC THEME BEDROOM

Dear Jellybean,

Im redecorating my room to have a music theme. I want the colors to be mostly darkish purple and black. have any ideas?
-Katiekins

Dear Katiekins,

A music theme is a great idea for a bedroom. The best part is, you can customize the look according to what kind of music you like. If you're into a certain band, you can scan and print CD covers of their albums, and frame these to make a wall display. If you can get hold of some old records and LP's, you can hang those up with thumb tacks.

Posters of your fave music artists will also fit in nicely, but don't just tape them to the walls and call it a day. The trick to really making a music-themed or band-themed room look polished is to frame the posters and incorporate the theme into places other than the walls - that way the room looks decorated instead of postered.

Consider painting something eye-catching on the main wall of your room, like a music performer's silhouette, a band logo, a huge guitar, or another rock instrument. Use your imagination! If your walls are dark, do your decoration in silver paint for a sophisticated (yet still rocking) effect.

Speaking of wall color, purple is rock enough. Don't be tempted to paint all the walls black, because it can make even the biggest room feel small and cramped. If you must have black walls, try doing two black and two purple, or two black and two white. (Bonus tip: If your room is small already, try getting funky mirrors and placing them opposite to your door. This way, when you walk in, the mirrors will make the room feel larger).

Replace your old bedsheets and comforter cover with a black quilt and striped sheets (black and white stripes would look great). If you're a rock diva, go for leopard print pillowcases. If you're more rock than pop, keep them solid colored.

If you're actually a musician, have some of your gear accessible so you can impress people when they come over. Even if you're not a bonaifde rocker, put a guitar in the corner of the room, if possible. It doesn't have to be a nice one - you can probably find a cheap old acoustic from a garage sale.

Buy some music mags to fan out on your bedside table. (You can also find cool ads/pictures for your walls in these magazines).

A stereo in a music room is a must. Have an iPod or CD playing whenever you have friends over, to add to the atmosphere.

Finally, don't overdo it. It will look lame if it's too crowded. Do one decorating idea at a time, then assess whether you've got enough, before adding more to the room.