If you are like me, and live in a big city like London, chances are that you may not have a spare room you can turn into a dungeon, or it could be that you do have a spare room but may not want to dedicate it for just that (imagine if you family pop over for tea and find themselves in the Red Room?) However, I am one of those people that hate getting everything sorted for a scene. I guess you can call me lazy but I have zero patience and when the need strikes, I want to be ready and set up for a scene in as little time as possible, so with that being said, here are a few tips I follow to ensure I am always ready.
- Toys & Tools at Hand
Nothing annoys me more than having to look for all my toys at the bottom of the drawer before setting a scene. I am a bit on an organising freak, so I like to have everything important within easy reach. You know those shoe organisers that you get for the back of the door? Well, these are perfect to store all your BDSM toys inside your closet. This way, when setting a scene, all you have to do is open the door, and voila, you are ready.
This is particularly useful for those into impact play as you can store paddles and floggers easily. You can even get an over the door hook on top of the shoe organiser so you can hook the floggers, whips and other longer items (as keeping floggers bent may harm the leather). Having individual pockets also means you can store everything separately which is more hygienic that putting everything inside a drawer together. The small pockets are also useful to store lubricants, condoms, vibrators, you name it!
Amazon and eBay have a huge range of closet organisers, see here.
2. Kitchen Trolleys?
What if your kinks means that having things hanging off the wall is not ideal? Well, then I shall present you with the kitchen trolley. I know, I know, it sounds weird, but it’s all about thinking outside the box. If you are into medical, rope or wax, you may want to have a trolley that you can simply roll on to the bedroom when needed. Or you can always keep it in the bedroom, with some nice flowers on top so it looks like a normal dresser. Having a trolley means you can store all your kit in the drawers, and what’s best, you can move it around the bedroom or the flat so that you have everything you need at hand. A friend of mine bought his and painted it black which made it look amazing. You can also buy small containers and put them under the table top for extra storage. The possibility are endless.
This is not the cheapest but this is the one I have, and it stores all my medical equipment and candles perfectly.
3. Lighting
Nothing sets the scene for me like lighting. Most kinks don’t require heavy lighting (medical being one of the exceptions) so you can really play around with it in order to evoke different feelings. If you are opting for a more sensual scene, candles and soft dim lights work the best. If you are after a CNC scene, then a spotlight would work best as the sub/bottom can be at the end of the light, almost blinded by it, whereas the Dom/Top is hidden in the shadows. The thing about lighting is that it looks vanilla enough that you can have it in your bedroom as normal decor, but then it plays a vital part during a scene. If you are into flogging or whips and your play area is small, then instead of candles, I would suggest those flameless candles instead as you won’t be at risk of an accident (trust me, they can happen!)
I love these mood changing lights as well it allows you to really control the mood. In terms of spotlights, this one is currently on my wish list.
4. Smell the Roses
Along with lighting, smell can really transport you to a different place. No wonder that most spas pay special attention to lighting and smell. In combination they can really affect the senses and allow us to be in the right frame of mind before a scene. If I am about to do a mentally draining scene, such as CNC, I like the room to be very dark and to smell of tobacco or leather. If, on the other hand, I am doing a medical scene, I like the room to be very bright (also because I need to see what I am doing) and to clean all surfaces with antibacterial so the room has that hospital-like smell. For romantic scenes, lavender and musk are my go-to smells.
Smell can be achieved through candles, incense and sprays. Room sprays are available in many stores, including Space NK, Molton Brown, The White Company, John Lewis… the list goes on. A personal favourite is Kiehl’s Original Musk, which is a perfume but a few sprays of this in the room and I am instantly ready.
5. Bed Sheets
This is a bit of a risque one, because having silky sheets at all times may lead to questions if you have flatmates, but personally, nothing is sexier than having nice sheets. You can get some nice ones from Amazon or splash out with fancy ones from John Lewis (or wait until their sale is on) Silk or satin sheets not only feel gorgeous on the skin, but it also helps in setting the mood. They come in a range of colours, and like I mentioned, you don’t have to spend a fortune. Amazon have some decent ones here.
If you are into latex/rubber, then you can buy a bed set from Libidex here. These are not cheap but they are really well made and if you care for them, it will last you for a long time. I will of course say that this is not for every day use, but if you live alone and want to, then why on earth not? They are easy enough to take off and store, and this will instantly change the look of the room. And if you want to take it one step further, then you can splash out and get a Vac Bed. They are easy to store and set-up and take no space. I know some people like to strap it to the bed, whilst others like to have it set up on the floor. The choice is really yours.
As you can see, making your bedroom a bit more BDSM friendly is not very difficult or expensive – you just need some imagination and a willingness to try. If you have some other suggestions, I would love to hear them!
A Sense of Clarity 