As the city of Romeo and Juliet, Verona Italy is a place of romance.   With landmarks such as the Palazzo Barberi, the Tower Lamberti, and the Arena, Verona is known for its history.  You can bring this sense of romance and history into your own bedroom with just a few simple steps.  

Wall color:  The wall color of your Verona themed bedroom should be a classic antique white with bright white trim.  Pale yellow or mustard are also acceptable colors.  You can go the extra step and use a faux finish to age the walls and trim just a little bit.  Keep it as clean and simple as possible.  

Flooring:  For your floor treatment, I suggest dark wood floors with a light colored Italian area rug.  If your floor is carpeted, add a small area rug in an open are on the floor.

Furniture:  Hooker furniture makes a wonderful platform sleigh bed suite that is made of solid birch wood, with deep wood tones and ornate carvings.  This antique Italian bedroom suite really suits the Verona style.  Alternately, you can purchase modern Italian furniture which is more sleek in style but is still made from rich dark wood.  

Windows and Bedding:  Bedding should be simple and have a solid print that  does not dominate the room.  Window treatments should provide privacy, but be sheer enough to allow natural light into the room. 

Accessories:  Wall art for the room should be romantic in nature.  Look for items like peaceful Italian landscapes and oil portraits.  You will also want to use three dimensional iron and cast metal art pieces that add to the architecture of the room.   

One piece I like in particular is this Verona Metal Wall Vase that you can mount on the wall and add flowers to or display as is.  It stands at 25” high and 15” wide and would be great displayed in a pair above your bed, or to fill empty space on any wall.

• November 2007