Millions are obsessed with the story of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey and the most iconic setting in the 50 Shades universe is the “Red Room of Pain,” also referred to among fans as simply “The Red Room.”
If you’ve ever dreamed of having your own sex room, I’ve gathered some essential tools, details, sex furniture and toys to bring the movie into your home. And for bondage shopping that’s fast and easy to set up, consider under bed restraints.
I’m jumping right in with the Sportsheets Spreader Set because no 50 Shades list would be complete without a leg spreader and this set gives you everything you need to recreate your favorite scenes–just maybe don’t attempt that flip.
It comes with a lightweight aluminum spreader bar with lock pin adjustments for the length of the bar. You also get two padded cuffs that link together for playing without the bar.
Spreader bars are in my personal top five tools to always have in my kit (and I’m pretty sure my sub would agree).
The Sportsheets Fur-Lined Paddle is an ideal beginner’s paddle. It’s affordable which is great and has both a soft and hard side.
One side is padded with a thick layer of fur so you can get into some light spanking without bringing in more pain than you’d like. The other side is harder and covered in leather for a sharper slap. Having different sides is a nice way to build up the intensity when you’re experimenting to find what you like.
It’s also fantastic for experienced users for sensation play as you can move instantaneously from soft petting to a harder spank with a flip of the paddle. You’ll love the surprise and contrast when combined with a blindfold.
If you only buy one item for your own personal Red Room, go with the 50 Shades of Grey Hard Limits under-the-bed restraints. They’re easy to set up (no tools needed), small to store, affordable, and set you up for a wide variety of potential scenes with the sub handcuffed or held spread-eagle to the bed.
Best yet, it doesn’t cause any permanent changes to your home. It works by wrapping the tethers around the mattress so the bed itself the anchor. If you yank on one restraint, it’s the three other cuffs that give the resistance so the Dom can enjoy watching their sub struggle without worrying the movement may damage the headboard or rip an eyehook out of the wall.
There’s a reason there’re jokes about the kink community and hardware stores –a lot of the bondage contraptions involve serious construction for safety and stability. And if it’s not done right, it can go pretty awry. I was at a convention once where we had to evacuate the hotel because someone tried to suspend their sub from a sprinkler head.
These types of restraints bypass all of this trouble and let you get straight to the fun stuff. Once you get them set up you can leave them on all the time, which is what I’ve done in the past. They’re easy enough to tuck away when not in use and company won’t even notice.
Because the pieces individually hook onto each other, the versatility and basically only constrained by your imagination. This set uses padded cuffs that are secured with velcro, so they’re easy to take on and off which is ideal for beginners. Later you can swap these out for locking cuffs if you want and the under-the-bed restraints will still work.
For me, something like this needs a good bondage hood to complete the look.
If you’re looking to go all out, go for the Obedience Bench from Master Series. This is full-on sex furniture built for kink and the sight of it turns any room into a dungeon (and any sub into jello.)
The steel frame can hold up to 400 pounds of weight and has padded rest and restraint points for knees and wrists to hold your sub face down in the optimum position for a variety of activities. These arm and leg rests are adjustable to better fit their frame, though short folks may have to stretch. There are even restraints on the padded area for their torso to minimize squirming.
I like that there’s an adjustable face rest similar to the ones you see on massage tables to keep the sub from getting position fatigue. Even if you’re showing up for the pain, you’re probably not jazzed to get a crick in your neck. There’s an opening in the headrest as well for easier breathing or whatever else you can think of.
Just be aware it will require a bit of assembly and it’s not the kind of thing you can store under the bed. This is for people who truly want a Red Room in their home.
Removing sight has a greater impact on a person than you’d expect so you need to try out a quality blindfold like Dominix Deluxe Padded Leather Blindfold. Anticipation becomes heightened and ever sensation is intensified when we can’t see what’s happening. A blindfolded person who is also restrained can really sink into space where their entire being is in the hands of their Dom.
While you can use almost anything as a blindfold, you should have at least one dedicated quality blindfold in your collection. This blindfold by Dominx is made of real leather with a sexy buckle closure.
It has thick padding so that when it’s applied, it molds around your eyes and nose, blocking out all light for a true in-the-dark experience without being uncomfortable. You want blindfolds to be something a sub can comfortably wear for long periods so the focus can be elsewhere and this one fits that bill for me.
The Liberator Wedge & Ramp Combo is one of those products that you don’t think you need–but you really, really do need it.
It’s a positioning aid that helps to prop you and your partner up so you can hit all the angles you’re looking for without fumbling to keep your hips up or straining your joints.
When using the Liberator, both parties don’t have to work as hard to get the results you’re looking for so it allows for mind-blowing experiences with the effort of “I’m kind of tired.” It’s particularly great if there’s a large difference in height and you normally have to adjust to meet that challenge.
Some folks look at the sticker and say a wedge pillow shouldn’t cost that much. I say your sex life is worth it, especially if it makes enjoying your love life easier.
The wedge and ramp work separately and together to support your body in a variety of positions–and the Liberator does come with a booklet of positions to add to what’s already in your imagination.
The micro-fiber covers are machine washable (my favorite phrase) and have waterproof liners to keep cleaning a quick process. The fabric is designed to be no-slip so the person laying on it stays in place instead of being pushed across the bed. I don’t own my own, but I’ve felt these and it’s cushioning isn’t too soft or too hard and has a firm foam core that supports while conforming at the same time.
It comes in several different colors, but of course, we’re going with red here.
Owning your own Liberator should be on everyone’s toy wishlist. It’s definitely on mine.
I bought this Stamping Paddle and it’s as fun as it looks. With this paddle, you can mark your sub with the label of your choice so the word is branded on their backsides in raised red welts. It requires a good smack, but this actually works and is readable on skin.
It works by having three layers: the first panel has the letter cut-outs (backward so they show up correctly when imprinted), the second panel is strip of heavyweight red paper to make the word stand out, and the last panel is a thin sheet of steel covered in faux leather which gives this paddle its bite. The lettered strip makes contact first and then the back panel really hammers it home.
The Luxury Bondage Kit by Lovehoney is a fun way to dip your toes into a wide variety of kinky acts. This is perfect if you’re ready and willing to try a lot of things out but not sure what you’re going to like.
It comes with four red satiny restraint ribbons, red ribbon tie blindfold, red-handed faux suede soft flogger, and a red feather ticker. It’s a beginner-friendly set with nothing too intimidating.
Bondage tape is magical: It looks like tape but it only sticks to itself.
If you have a fantasy involving someone secured with duct tape but don’t want to deal with the stickiness or pain of pulling the tape off, bondage tape is exactly where you want to be. You can wrap this across arms, faces, and even hair and it will only stick to the tape. It gives you the versatility of tape without all the downsides of duct tape.
A roll comes with just over 65 feet of tape. You can do a lot with 65 feet of restraints.
Plus it’s reusable. Since it’s not relying on adhesive glues like normal tape, you can use and then reuse the tape as many times as you want.
Think of these books as a BDSM 101. If you’re new to the Domination/submission scene, it’s important to get a good base of knowledge to work off especially considering how inaccurately kink is often portrayed in media.
Written by Donnie Easton and Janet W. Hardy this pair of books seeks to lay out a foundation for newcomers with plenty of interest but not a lot of experience yet. They really humanize the practice so that if you’re a little nervous it’s wrong, you can see that it’s just another way for humans to connect.
The New Topping Book is geared toward Dominants and The New Bottoming Book is meant for submissives but it’s not a bad idea to get a good sense of both so you can better understand and communicate with your partner. This is doubly important for switches, those of us who can play both dom and sub interchangeably.
These aren’t step-by-step instructions but by the end, you will feel like you have a better grasp of the scene as a whole. The language is approachable and not overly aggressive or raunchy (for a book about BDSM). It’s an easy read at the same time as being informative.
If you’re not sure where to start, these are a safe bet.
Another quick, affordable, and reversible way to turn a room red is with red lighting. You can purchase red light bulbs if that’s the way you want to go but changing normal bulbs for red ones to prep for a sexy evening is kind of a hassle.
Instead, check out these color changing bulbs from Sunnest. If you replace a few bulbs in your bedroom with these, they can give off white light like normal bulbs but you can also switch them to a deep red using a handheld remote.
You can change them to any color you want just by pressing a button. They advertise as having 120 distinct colors which seems excessive. (I don’t know if I could name 20 colors off the top of my head.)
These bulbs are dimmable, have a memory function of your favorite settings, and can even be put on a timer.
It’s maybe not the sexiest item on your Red Room shopping list, but atmosphere can make all the difference.
Rope bondage is a classic for a reason. It’s visceral, raw, and extremely versatile.
But not all rope works with bondage ties. If the rope is too thin it can cut off circulation and rope that’s too rough, like the cheap stuff you can get at the hardware store, can cause burns and lacerations. Friction burns are no joke.
It’s best to look for quality ropes that are designed for Shibari which is the practice of elaborate Japanese-style knotwork. Shibari rope will be the right thickness and softness for your needs.
This three-pack from Flow of Passion comes with red, purple, and black rope bundles, each measuring 32 feet long. They are cotton, machine-washable, and sealed at the ends so there’s no fraying or scratchy edges.
If you haven’t experimented with rope before, make sure to read up on safe practices and have a pair of trauma shears handy to cut the restraints in case of emergency.
Holding a riding crop instantly instills a sense of power. The sound is perfect and there’s something intensified by the distance you can get with a crop that you don’t have with a paddle. A flick of the wrist from a couple feet away can send a sub flinching.
There are crops you can buy that are specifically made for kink but they tend to be more expensive and about as good as crops made for horseriding. So in my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with buying a crop meant for horseriding. That’s the type of crop I have and in all honesty, I think it makes it a little hotter.
If you’re thinking a throw isn’t going to cut it, Doc Johnson makes black waterproof fitted sheets to cover your entire play area and keep your mattress from getting wet. The black sheen of the material has almost a leather look but it’s breathable fabric that’s comfortable to lay on.
Wet Works sheets are machine washable which is probably their most important feature after being waterproof.
It’s a deep fitted sheet to fit pillow-top mattresses and is available in queen and king sizes. If you’re looking to match, they also offer Wet Works pillow cases.
If you can’t paint your entire room red, you can still get a Red Room effect with this moisture-proof throw from Liberator. It’s designed to be laid down on your play surface (bed, floor, wherever) and protect it from whatever wild stuff you get up to. So you can lay this over your sheets, have your scene, and then not have to worry about going to sleep in the dreaded wet spot.
The Fascinator has two sides: A smooth satin side and a plush microfiber blanket side. You can use either because in the center of the blanket is a waterproof barrier. Which side you pick can depend on which just feels sexier or on how much absorption you need because the microfiber side will soak up a lot more than the satin side.
This throw is machine-washable (which is key) and a good size at six feet by 4.5 feet.
This is an attractive flogger. It’s just plain beautiful. The proportions, the stainless steel ball handle, the wide cut of the falls (strips) all speak to this being a quality flogger that I’d have in my collection.
It’s handcrafted by Imli Styles from real nubuck leather which means the leather has been buffed to make that much softer. The falls aren’t too soft and don’t worry, even soft leather will sting when flicked.
The steel handle makes for a solid grip but also balances the flogger so your arm won’t tire as quickly during long lashing sessions. It works well in practice and looks impressive on your wall or at your hip.
If you’re setting up a play room, make sure you have protection on hand. Unless you and your partner are fully monogamous and feel secure in that, it’s always best to play it safe.
Kink is all about communication and part of that is talking about safer sex practices and what each of you is comfortable with. Consider picking up quality condoms like Durex and dental dams (mint flavored) at a minimum.
For more info on safer sex and tips on how to start the conversation check out the CDC’s Start Talking page.
