If your bed sits amid cluttered nightstands, teetering stacks of books, overflowing laundry baskets, and countless pairs of shoes, you need to up your bedroom's sex appeal to inspire sultry pillow talk and wild abandon.

We enlisted psychologists, decorators, and even a randy culinary whiz to help us create the perfect booty chamber – one that looks harmless enough to the unsuspecting eye but is so sexually charged you won't be able to hang out in it without feeling the urge to strip naked and growl.

1. Sound

"One of the easiest ways to change your environment is with sound," says Stephanie Buehler, sex therapist and director of the Buehler Institute in Irvine.

"Customise your playlist so the genre matches the mood you're in – and the music builds to the mood you want to reach." For example, start with the soft sound of Band of Horses, shift into the sexy groove of Calexico, and graduate to the steady, pulsing rhythms of Björk or Portishead.

2. Romantic Roses

A recent study in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology found that women perform better on creative tasks when in the company of plants. Choose classically foxy flora like roses, which emit a mood-enhancing chemical called phenylethylamine, or PEA. Or, more creatively, surround yourself with lavender and lily of the valley, whose sweet fragrances, according to the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, help increase arousal in men.

3. Visual Stimulation

You don't need an expert to tell you that action on the tube can inspire real-world raunch, but Patricia Covalt, author of What Smart Couples Know, is happy to do so anyway. She suggests racy non-porn; we like Y tu mamá también or 9 1/2 Weeks. Open to female-­focused erotica? Heat up your DVD player with Chemistry, by feminist author and sex educator Tristan Taormino.

4. The Right Covers

When selecting duvets, pillows, and throws for steamy sex scenes, Jenny Oman, a set decorator for Showtime's sizzling series The Tudors (yes, the one starring Jonathan "Too Hot to Be Human" Rhys Myers), mixes in posh materials like velvet and satin. "Light-enhancing sheens and deep, rich colours like dark crimsons and pinks feel sensual and luxurious," she says. And get this: Less is surprisingly more when it comes to thread count. Designer Anki Spets says a 200 to 400 thread count in high-quality cotton is ideal (anything higher and you'll be covered in sweat, since tighter weaves decrease much-needed breathability).

5. Colour Your Love

A 2007 study by the University of Minnesota found that high ceilings prompt more inventive thinking, and low ceilings help you focus on details. If your partner is too busy getting kinky to pay attention to your love button, paint your ceiling a few shades darker than your walls to make it seem lower. If your guy seldom strays beyond missionary, paint it several shades lighter, like primrose to complement burgundy walls.

6. Dim it Down

Bright light is so unsexy it would make Shakira hide under the sheets. Covalt suggests easy-to-install dimmers for flattering, fuss-free lighting. And interior designer Robert Verdi, whose clients include Eva Longoria and Mariska Hargitay, says coloured light bulbs are a bright idea. Pink ones soften the room and add a rosy glow to bare skin, while amber makes your body look sun-kissed. Margaret Walch, director of the Colour Association, agrees: "Pink has calming effects, while amber increases arousal."

7. Mirror, Mirror...

Propping up a mirror next to the bed can make you feel as sophisticated as a contestant on Charm School. For a subtler visual thrill, cluster big, sturdy candles on the floor to create shadows, Oman says. And make those flames citrus-scented: The Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation reports that a whiff of orange can increase penile blood flow by 20 percent.

8. Add Some Orange

"If you want a lot of action, you want orange on the walls too," Walch says. The energising shade blends the sexiest aspects of red and yellow. Physiologically, red is a stimulant – but its psychological effects can include irritability. Mix it with sunny yellow, however, and you'll feel uplifted. Verdi suggests deep orange paint to keep the room sultry, not seventies. If an entirely orange room seems overwhelming, try painting the colour as an accent on just one wall – behind your bed, for instance – or on another focal point in the room.

9. Reminders of Intimate Moments

Stoke intimacy with art that reminds you what a horny couple you are. Verdi suggests blowing up tasteful photos of cosy moments – or even having them professionally converted into prints. Souvenirs like the leaf you saved from a romp in the woods look artsy when popped in a frame.

10. Booty Chaser

Lighting a cig after a hot-and-heavy session isn't just unhealthy (and a fire hazard) – it does nothing to quench your post-rendezvous thirst. Alexandra Antonioni, author of Eat Me: Love, Sex and the Art of Eating, suggests a refreshing glass of her oh-so-erotic Asian Iced Tea instead.

Asian Iced Tea

Basic green iced tea
1 cup sake
1 cup sparkling lemonade
1 cup ginger syrup
3 mint sprigs
3 lemon slices
Grated orange zest for garnish
Crystallised ginger for garnish

Method:
Blend iced tea, sake, lemonade, and ginger syrup in a large pitcher with ice. Gently stir in mint and lemon slices. Pour into two iced glasses; top with orange zest and crystallised ginger.

Why It Works: The scent of ginger stimulates circulation, which may make erogenous zones more sensitive to the touch. Orange zest can increase arousal for a second go-round, while the tea's caffeine boost helps endurance. The lemonade and fresh lemon slices will help rehydrate you.