How to pick the perfect colour for your bedroom

This has to be one of my favourite hues for bedrooms as it’s so restful and calming. It’s a soothing hue that has a lovely clarity to it too. Picking your right tone though can be a mind field. Personally, I like to err on the warmer shades as blue can feel chilly so spare the cool hues for a sunny south facing room. Otherwise pick a rich teal or soft duck egg. My personal choice is a deep blue with a bit of red in it like Lazuli which is what I’ve used for my recent bed linen range for the Secret Linen Store. The lighter tones appear more serene and reflective but then the deep bottom of the pool blues can feel so deliciously dramatic and cosseting. Blues also pair up really well with warmer tones like coral, orange and yellow.

Not a popular choice for bedrooms as it’s a high-energy colour that can feel agitating and aggressive if it’s too full on. However there is no denying it’s connotations with all things sexy so if you want an element of the boudoir in your bedroom, a hint of red might just be the cheeky hint you need. Instead, I’d maybe look at the warmer deeper tones of red like burgundy or claret. They could feel more sensuous than sexy.

This lovely bed is the Knightsbridge double bed in Pumice house basket weave, sofa.com. This bed would look just great with any Secret Linen Store grey bed linen set.

Unlike red, pink is the perfect colour for bedrooms. The soft warm fleshy tones are the most flattering wall colour for, err, viewing oneself in the nude don’t you know! From a colour psychology perspective, pink is all things nurturing, soothing, intimate and reassuring. I think the blush tones have a real touch of glamour although its feminine connotations can make it a total no go for men. Just call it a nude neutral and see how you get on with that instead.

Generally, I don’t think yellow is a great choice for bedrooms. Rolled out on all four walls and it’s going to make you look sallow. Not flattering. Also, like red, it’s a very upbeat and energising colour. So, unless you want to get out of bed with a hop, skip and a jump then yellow is best avoided. However it’s a very positive feel good colour so I think it makes a good accent. For example, a yellow headboard will give the room a cheering vibe but you don’t have to look at it when you are actually relaxing in bed. Team with cool blues or soft greens to balance the look.

Pictured here is the lovely Rose King Size Divan in Bespoke Zimmer and Rhode Saga Velvet Fabric by Button and Sprung, with Secret Linen Store crisp white 400 thread count Percale and Relaxed Denim Graphite Grey.

Think of soft peach, coral, and apricot and you can see how orange could create a very soft, warm and positive bedroom scheme. Another passionate colour, it’s possibly more effective if you go for the pinker tones of orange rather than the red. It can also be a really luxurious hue. Just think of Hermes packaging with a sharp hint of charcoal grey to make a room feel special.

This smashing example is the Henrietta bed from Love Your Home upholstered in bespoke Fermoie Pattern.

Green is the Doctor Feelgood of the colour spectrum. The colour of Mother Nature, it always imbues the feel good vibes. It’s a great color for rest and recuperation and can bring a real sense of balance and wellness to a scheme. Again, I’d be wary of using too much green in any room scheme, as it can quickly appear stagnant. Not so great for getting out of bed in the morning! Instead freshen it up with crisp white or charcoal or make it feel pretty with its perfect partner - pink

This should be a real contender for bedrooms. In terms of colour psychology, it communicates luxury on the deeper end of the spectrum and spirituality when you get towards violets. It’s a bit of a marmite colour for most that dips in and out of fashion but currently lilac is very de rigour and the bedroom could be the perfect place for it. In my mind it can err towards tacky so keep purple classy and only invest in quality to stop it looking down market. And no crushed velvet anywhere!

Here's my stunning bedroom for the Innovation house at the Ideal Home Show 2018.

Still such a popular decorating colour, grey is the go to neutral for many schemes. Its paler tones can make for a very sophisticated bedroom while the deeper ‘Downpipe’ shades can look robust and dramatic. Grey can look instantly chic and is easy to pull together. On the downside it can look flat and lifeless. I think it works best when teamed with other colours. Be that a sharp slice of black and white to add clarity and definition or softened with an accent colour like pink, yellow or purple. Also, like any neutral scheme, consider pepping it up with plenty of texture and metallic’s. Both gold’s and chrome metallic’s work equally well with grey.

The colour of purity, one would think this is an obvious choice for bedrooms. In it’s purest form I would say it’s too stark and could actually feel rather draining. As white is all the colours reflected back at you, it is rather exhausting to look at. Instead if you want that fresh and pure look, consider an off white. There are too many to mention here but my go-to is the designer paint brands who are experts at mixing the right whites for our North European light. That all being said, there’s nothing more alluring than some clean crisp white cotton sheets.

The clichéd teenage goths bedroom just got universally acceptable. Thanks to designer Abigail Ahern and her fearless approach to decorating, people have been daubing their walls inky dark shades up and down the land. It’s a gutsy approach to decorating and only really works when you go all out - ceilings floors and all. It makes a great space to be enjoyed at night with plenty of subtle mood lighting. Just good luck finding your socks in the morning!