Bedroom wall color is the background for the interior, not the main design accent. A bedroom has a lot of textiles with their own colors and textures, so they should not compete.

Color Theory: Tone, Shades, and Light

Nonprofessional designers think the main thing is the colors. In fact, shades and tones are more important, especially color temperature and interaction with light in the bedroom.

Color Temperature

There are warm and cool colors; many people know this. When choosing a bedroom wall color, it is much more important to know that colors can have warm and cool shades. This especially applies to the most common background colors: white and gray. Although these colors can have different levels of saturation, they combine perfectly in any variation except one – color temperature.

You cannot use white and gray with different color temperatures in the same room.

dark purple walls in the bedroom warm gray in the bedroom black and white pattern on the wall in the bedroom black walls and curtains in the bedroom black walls with silver accents in a bedroom a bright red accent wall in the bedroom coffee-colored walls in the bedroom

In other words, you can use as many shades of gray as you want in the bedroom, but they must all be either warm or cool. This is difficult to follow because until you put two objects side by side, you cannot always tell which way the color leans. And this is why photos online differ from real designs in real life. Even in a real photograph of a bedroom, the camera will not show the difference in shades. As a result, everything looks great in the photo but not so good in real life. Following the rule highlighted above is exactly what prevents this difference.

warm yellow color in the bedroom Beige color of all bedroom walls White walls for the bedroom White walls in the bedroom Light violet painted walls in the bedroom All walls in the bedroom are gray gray wallpaper in the bedroom

Interaction with Light

In addition to your color preferences, you should consider the direction the windows face. If they face north, it is better to choose warm tones, while cool and bright shades suit the south side. You should also take the room’s size into account and use light colors to expand a small space.

White glossy wardrobe and table

Bright colors look better in daylight, while calm pastels look better in artificial light. Think about what time you are usually in the bedroom and what lighting is used then. Since most people will answer that they are there in the evening and the lighting is artificial, the standard choice for a bedroom is calm pastel colors.

brown walls with gray furniture

Very bright colors are unlikely to suit a calm, relaxing setting – they are invigorating and keep you from sleeping, while calm colors have a soothing effect. That is why you need to decide right away what the bedroom interior should do: help you get up early or help you fall asleep quickly.

Pink and peach in the bedroom Yellow walls in the bedroom that need cleaning Dark green walls with a dirty appearance in the bedroom golden walls in the bedroom dark blue wall in the bedroom

When choosing a bedroom wall color, it is important to consider how it combines with the other surfaces in the room. You should plan the entire interior together in advance, choosing colors and materials for the floor and ceiling, furniture, and textiles, of which there are really a lot in a bedroom. It is better to paint the walls after you know what the furniture will be, since changing their color is easier than replacing a furniture set.

color combinations of walls and curtains in the bedroom beige bedroom pastel-colored bedroom a bedroom with gray walls the walls in the bedroom are dark gray dark blue walls in the bedroom

Wallpaper can interact with color in very interesting ways; we have already written about bedroom wallpaper.

Choosing and Combining Bedroom Colors

We have a really good article about choosing and combining colors in an interior. All the color theory and combination principles are there, so we will not repeat them here.

Combinations

After choosing one color as the base, it is combined with other shades to bring a monotonous setting to life and add variety. Contrasting combinations look interesting. The strongest contrast is the combination of black and white, which suits bold, creative people. However, you should fill the space with these colors carefully because there is a risk of ending up with a dark, uncomfortable bedroom.

leather panels on the bedroom wall a red accent wall in the bedroom pastel blue color in the bedroom Pastel colors for bedroom wallpaper pastel gray-brown wall color in the bedroom dark loft-style bedroom

Current combinations:

  • White combines with yellow, blue, and rich green shades.
  • Brown, cream, and yellow shades combine well with lilac. This wall color gives the room restraint and coziness.
  • A combination of warm yellow and orange shades with olive and shades of brown looks stylish and bright.
  • A fashionable color scheme with coffee and caramel shades.
  • Cream with gray or rich chocolate brown. A bedroom with walls in these colors looks warm and cozy.
  • Beige with bright turquoise is a bright and original color combination.
  • A combination of different shades of green and blue-green.
  • Yellow with red and orange on the walls creates a cheerful, lively setting, but it is better to use muted shades in a bedroom.
  • Purple is acceptable in a bedroom in combination with beige shades because by itself it has a depressing psychological effect.
purple wall with backlight behind the bed gray walls and yellow bedding dark green wall behind the bed bright turquoise bedroom

Choosing a Wall Color

Soft, light shades are used most often for bedroom walls. Interiors with dark or overly bright walls are sometimes seen, but by themselves these colors may have a negative effect on the occupants’ mood and even health. That is why these colors are used to finish one wall or create accents. By the way, when choosing a wall for this type of decoration, it is better to use the one behind the headboard. In that case, the saturated color will not flash before your eyes while you rest.

peach walls in a classical bedroom peach color in modern bedroom almost black paint on the bedroom walls pink walls in the bedroom light blue painted walls in the bedroom gray decorative plaster with a concrete look

Tips for creating a harmonious bedroom design:

  1. If the walls in a small room have to be finished only in pastel colors, you can add color and originality by using different wall textures. For example: wallpaper with a raised surface or decoratively applied plaster. With this technique, the color seems deeper and the interior more interesting.
  2. To create a harmonious design, you should keep a balance between the wall color and accessories. For example: if the walls are painted in calm pastel colors, the accessories should be bright and original, and if the walls are bright, everything else should be kept neutral.
  3. When choosing wall materials with shiny flecks, you should not repeat the shiny particles in other interior elements.
  4. It is better to choose the main shade at home rather than in the store, using special samples or palettes, because colors can look very different under different lighting.
wall painted with horizontal stripes

When choosing a bedroom interior, you should not be guided only by fashion and current new products because these solutions do not always fit standard apartments and do not look cozy. It is important to create a calm, relaxing setting for yourself while considering the room’s size and the intensity of natural light.

Fashionable Combinations

There are no limits when choosing a bedroom color – it all depends on the purpose of the room and the owner’s taste. Any color can be presented well with details and accents, producing a stylish, contemporary design. First of all, it is important to decide on the base color around which the rest of the interior will be built. The most popular shades are yellow, sand, orange, pink, light blue, light green, and gray. Dark blue and light blue promote healthy sleep more than other shades.

gray decorative plaster in the bedroom gray-blue walls in the bedroom gray solid wall paper in the bedroom blue wallpaper in the bedroom Combination of apricot and light blue in the bedroom gray and beige in the bedroom combination of black and dark blue in the bedroom

White has become the base color of most contemporary bedrooms. It is the perfect background against which both furniture and any accessories look good. Its ability to reflect light visually expands the boundaries of the room. When choosing white as the base of the interior, you can easily combine it with any shades.

White walls and brickwork in the bedroom

Gray in the bedroom suits rooms with little natural light. Its shades look really good under contour lighting, so when choosing gray, it is important to add many light sources, including hidden ones.

gray painted brick behind the bed

Pistachio bedroom walls are a British classic. But our advice is to make the walls neutral and add pistachio through accessories, such as curtains. It combines with white, gray, and coffee-colored shades of brown.

pistachio green curtains in the bedroom

Yellow. It relieves tension, gets rid of fatigue, and creates an optimistic mood. A bedroom with yellow walls looks fresh and spacious, which is especially important in a small area. Sunny shades fill the room with light and a good mood even in cloudy, rainy weather.

painted yellow walls

Green and light blue have a calming effect, but do not use shades that are too saturated.

walls are a dusty blue

To add variety to familiar interiors, original shades with a silver or gold shine are used. This finish creates a feeling of wealth and luxury and will not fit every bedroom.

silver and gray combination in interior

Pink walls add tenderness and create good conditions for sound sleep. But under no circumstances use bright, saturated pink, only its calm, neutral version.

bedroom in light pink and gray

Lilac works if you really want to stand out. It must be supported with bedding or accessories.

walls are lavender

Conclusions:

  1. Basic white and gray wall colors are enough to create a stylish bedroom interior. You can add one calm accent color.
  2. Do not mix warm and cool shades.
  3. If you have a favorite color, you can paint the walls that color, but choose a calm, unsaturated shade.

In general, calm colors and natural materials are currently in style, but it is better to read about that in the article on modern bedroom design.