RETAIL ROUNDUP:Bring the outdoors inside

A master bedroom or suite can be a ticket to relaxation or romance, depending on what you’re looking for, and luxury appears to be the top priority for customers, local designers say.

These designs and products will likely last for years — fad fashions are not the prevailing wind of bedroom design.

“Designs are still classic, not radical or ultramodern…. In the home we live with these things for years, so classic colors and classic designs will always be in,” said Paul Marx, owner of Between the Sheets in Fashion Island.

But it all depends on what customer wants to use the room for. Although the trend will seemingly always steer toward the classic colors — whites, beiges and cream colors — a growing number of people are seeking more variety.

At The Bedroom in Costa Mesa, manager Jena Watson said she’s seeing more customers combine blues and browns in their rooms and bedding.

“I think it probably resonates with people in this area, it reminds them of being at the ocean — the brown sand, blue water and blue sky — even though it’s not a nautical print,” Watson said. “It’s bringing the outdoor elements and what inspires your outdoor living into the home.”

Certified interior designer Paula Taylor Moore, who has an office in Costa Mesa, says some folks are considering their bedrooms like a vacation spot.

“The trend is going to a four-star luxury feel, people want that kind of pampered feel and don’t want to have to go on vacation to have it,” Taylor Moore said. “Since we live such fast-paced lives right now, we need that kind of space for our well being.”

But how does one achieve four-star luxury? It doesn’t necessarily come cheaply, but a trip to Paul and Sandra Marx’s bedding store Between the Sheets in Newport Beach will certainly put you smack in the lap of luxury.

Paul Marx is not just a retail store owner, he’s a textile technician and can tell you the ins and outs of every sheet set in his Fashion Island store.

A common misconception he said the consumer often has is that the higher the thread count, the better the sheet.

“The biggest problem in our industry today is the dishonesty of retailers and manufacturers,” Paul Marx said, sitting in his store surrounded by walls filled with Egyptian cotton sheets. “Everyone promotes thread counts, but that’s only one measure of a good sheet.”

Quality starts with the yarn, and includes everything from the type of spinning equipment used and how the yarn is wove, to the dying and finishing of the yarn.

Be ready to ask questions, and if the salesrepresentative doesn’t have the answer, do some research about the company.

If you’re looking to create a romantic getaway at home for you and the honey, use colors like rouge red, subtle pinks and creamy peaches and make sure the colors used are flattering. Chenille or velvet throws can add to the sensual allure of the room, Taylor Moore said.

But if you’re looking to create a private sanctuary — and some couples are taking that to the next step by having two separate master suites — keep photos of friends and family around the room, as well as a favorite piece of artwork.

Forest greens, chocolate browns, navy blues and eggplants can create a soothing atmosphere, Taylor Moore said.

And before you buy a bedroom set, make sure to plan for the space, said David Allan Root, manager of the Costa Mesa Glabman Furniture showroom.

Keep in mind storage space — if the room is equipped with a large walk-in closet, less dresser drawer space is needed. Taller bedside chests or nightstands have become more popular, complete with more storage space, Root said.

Taylor Moore said that some nightstands are even replacing traditional dressers.