A bedroom that's equal parts fun and functional shouldn't be beyond your wildest dreams. You spend a huge chunk of your time resting there—why not put effort into making it a space for joy and rest?
One of the easiest ways to inject a little liveliness is with carefully placed pops of bold, saturated tones. However, you don't want to go overboard, cautions Nashville-based interior designer Bohnne Jones, who's part of Decorating Den Interiors, a collective of individually owned and operated design firms around the U.S. Here, she and her colleague Ciera Farley offer their tips on hitting just the right shade.
Find Your Hue
Any shade of red raises a bit of a red flag for the design duo. According to Jones, red can raise your blood pressure and increase your pulse. "Certain colors can make you feel certain types of ways," says Farley.
If you are a fan of the hue, opt for a lighter shade like pink. "Pink is proven to be almost immediately calming," says Jones. In other words, if you're feeling a rosy moment, lean in. Other good options include blues (they give a sense of safety), while nature-inspired greens can help people relax. "We're starting to see a lot more pastels," Jones continues, noting that cerulean tones in particular can be soothing. "Pinks and blues—they're not just for kids."
Start With Accessories
For the color-shy, playing around with accents is a good way to start adding brightness to a space. Jones suggests infusing a mostly neutral scheme with a couple of pillows on the bed. She recommends sticking to one shade and repeating it throughout your space with pieces like lamps, window treatments, and linens. "Then you can see if you like it, and it's easy to swap out."
A bold rug is another smart option—just make sure it's large enough to make an impact. "It should go under the bed and project out far enough that when you're getting out of your bed, your feet land on the rug," Jones says.
Be Artful
Another angle for those with color hesitance is to find a work of art—painting, photograph, mixed media—that you really love. "I would choose a piece that makes me feel good," Jones says, "and pull the colors out of it." Once you've keyed in on those favorite tones, you can replicate them in other artwork or even wallpaper.
Mix and Match
Like the one above designed by Sandy Kozar, creating a room with a variety of prints and clutters won't look cluttered if curated properly. Pick complementary colors and assign each a priority level: "We usually pick three and divide them up," Farley explains. "We have a large amount of one color, a medium amount of another, and a small amount of a third. We just combine them in different ways."
For example, pair a high concentration of gray pieces like bedding and carpeting with a few moments of velvety mustard-colored textiles in your pillows and curtains. Follow this with an even subtler touch of black with accents like lamps and picture frames.
Make a Bold Furniture Statement
Consider going big with your bed frame, as it is the natural focal point of the room. A bright headboard upholstered in turquoise velvet, or even a fun floral print, is an unexpected twist on your standard reclaimed wood or metal. Since larger pieces of furniture tend to be more of an investment, you want something you know you’re going to love. Jones, who is a huge fan of green, says, "If you showed me a lime green headboard, I know I could live with that forever."
And if you don't dream of daring chartreuse like the designer, fear not. A consultation with Decorating Den Interiors is sure to inspire a brightened bedroom—one chic accent at a time.
