6 color schemes, each on a real bedroom

Bedroom color palettes

A bedroom can take a deeper color than any other room, because it is mostly used at night and the aim is rest, not brightness. Put the strongest color on the walls or the bedding, keep the ceiling light, and repeat one color in a small thing across the room.

6 bedroom color schemes

Hex codes to match against paint and fabric samples. Colors on screens and in daylight never quite agree, so hold a sample up in the room before you commit.

Navy Retreat

Navy walls with white bedding and warm wood, a bedroom that feels like a hotel suite. Pictured: a Transitional bedroom.

Navy Walls #26354E
White Bedding #F4F3EF
Pale gray Headboard and curtains #CFCDC8
Walnut Bedside tables #5E4433
Brass Lamps and frames #B8934A

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Sage Calm

Sage walls and white linen, the gentlest green for a room you want to slow down in. Pictured: a Scandinavian bedroom.

Sage green Walls #A3AE92
White linen Bedding #F2F0EA
Light oak Bed frame and wardrobe #CDAF86
Oatmeal Rug and throw #D9CCB6
Terracotta Cushions and a vase #B8674A

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Blush and Clay

Blush walls with clay and cream, warm and soft, flattering in lamplight. Pictured: an Organic Modern bedroom.

Blush Walls #E6CBBE
Cream Bedding #F1EBE0
Clay Throw and cushions #A8644A
Pale oak Headboard and bedside tables #CFB58F
Mushroom Rug and curtains #A69888

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Moody Charcoal

Charcoal walls with oatmeal bedding and walnut, dark, quiet and cocooning. Pictured: a Modern bedroom.

Charcoal Walls #3B3B3D
Oatmeal Bedding #DCCFBA
Walnut Bed frame and wardrobe #5C4232
Camel Throw and cushions #B58C5C
Brass Lamps and pendant #B8934A

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Rust and Mustard

Rust and mustard on warm white, a retro bedroom with plenty of warmth. Pictured: a Mid-Century Modern bedroom.

Warm white Walls #F1EBDF
Rust Bedspread #A9502F
Mustard Cushions #D4A23A
Teak Bed frame and bedside tables #A0643A
Olive Rug and curtains #6B6B3A

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Coastal Blue

Pale blue walls with white and a navy throw, airy and fresh for a summer bedroom. Pictured: a Coastal bedroom.

Pale blue Walls #C7D7E2
White Bedding and curtains #F6F6F3
Navy Throw and cushions #24364F
Driftwood Bed frame and bedside tables #B8A68E
Sand Rug #E0D3BC

Design with this palette

How to use a palette

Every palette here is listed from the most of the room to the least. Keep roughly to that order and the colors hold together.

1
Most of the room: the first color

The walls, and often the ceiling. A light, quiet color that everything else sits against.
2
A third: the next two

The big pieces: the sofa, the rug, the wood. They set the mood of the room.
3
A tenth: the last two

Cushions, a lamp, frames, a vase. Small, so a bold accent stays an accent.