Choose Paint Color for a Bedroom

A bedroom is meant to offer solace to its inhabitant. The paint color you choose for your bedroom should make the space seem well-coordinated and comfortable. The best bedroom paint colors typically create a soothing ambiance, but you can also opt for hues and shades that introduce a hint of passion into the mix. Avoid overly energetic colors, however, since these may make the room difficult to relax in.

Steps

Coordinating Your Space

1. Base your color scheme on your furniture. If you already have furniture for your bedroom, select a color scheme from that. Pick colors from your dominant pieces, such as floor rugs, chairs, and bedspreads, and choose paint colors that match these hues. If you introduce an entirely new color, you may pick something that clashes, or you may make your bedroom look too busy by having too many colors.
2. Opt for a complementary color scheme to draw out the richness of your paint. Complementary colors are found on the opposite ends of the color wheel and include red and green, yellow and violet, and blue and orange. Choose a subtle hue of one color and pair it with a dominant hue of its complement. You can accomplish this with paint alone, or you can rely on a combination of paint and other decorations.
3. Keep things mellow with monochromatic and related colors. Related colors are found next to each other on the color wheel, and monochromatic colors are colors of the same hue but different tones. Both of these color schemes have stylish, uniform appeal.
4. Pick a style or theme. The right paint color can bring a theme together, but the wrong one can completely tear it apart.
   • Stick with white, black, or similar neutrals for a modern bedroom space.
   • Give your room an exotic twist with a cinnamon or apricot hue.
   • Opt for ivory or rich hues to create a more traditional style.
5. Save your boldest colors for accents. Bright, bold colors can seem too energetic and overwhelming in a bedroom if used as the dominant paint color. Instead, opt for a more toned-down shade for your paint and introduce bright splashes of color by using other design details.
6. Consider using multiple paint colors. Walls are traditionally painted a single color, but you can add drama and depth by painting one wall a different color. This "accent wall" tends to be a richer or more vibrant shade than the other walls.
7. Try the color before committing to it. Buy a sample color and paint a corner of one wall with your selection to see how it looks in the room's lighting. If you like what you see, move forward with it. Otherwise, make a different selection and try again.

Color Psychology

1. Consider the size of your bedroom. If you have a small bedroom, you may want to put lighter shades on the wall, since lighter shades create a wider, more open appearance. If you have a large bedroom, you can experiment with bright and rich hues that close the space in, creating a cozier ambiance.
2. Look up. Many individuals only think about what color to put on their walls, but you can paint the ceiling of your bedroom to give the room an entirely different mood. If you have a low ceiling, you can open it up by sticking with white or light yellow. If you have a high ceiling, you can create a warmer, more enclosed space by painting it a shade or two darker than the color you have on your walls.
3. Know the difference between warm and cool colors. Generally, warm colors create a cozy feeling, but bright shades of warm colors can be energizing and oppressive. Cool hues almost always promote a sense of calm.
4. Opt for rich shades of red or orange. Walls painted burgundy red or burnt orange can inspire warmth and passion in your bedroom. Bright, neon shades can quickly overwhelm the space, making it too vibrant and energetic to relax in.
5. Play with shades of yellow. Golden hues create warmth, while pale hues open a space and create the illusion of additional light. Sharp yellows are often too dramatic to use as wall paint, however.
6. Make your room feel airy and cleansing by using blue. Light blues are reminiscent of the sky and sea, and as a result, they create an open, free ambiance. Medium to deep blues have a more sober effect, but can be just as soothing.
7. Use violet to create an air of serenity and romance. Violet has romantic connotations but is less bold and in-your-face as red or pink tends to be. A violet on the cool side of the spectrum can also create a peaceful, harmonic sensation, especially when used in light shades like lavender.
8. Borrow colors from nature to create a nurturing atmosphere. Medium and dark browns have an especially soothing effect. Light greens can also work well for bedroom paint, but deep, saturated greens do not flatter most skin tones and should be avoided.
9. Consider neutral colors. Neutral paint colors are the most versatile and can be made to work with nearly any color scheme you choose for your furniture and decorations. Stick with stark white to open a space up, grays to introduce a cool edge into the room, and beige and tans to add a touch of warmth.

Tips

• Add depth with a decorative finish. Once you have your base paint on the wall, consider painting over it with a textured finish or colored glaze. For example, mineral and metal finishes like mica, copper, pewter, bronze, antiqued gold, and antiqued silver can reflect light in a subtle yet effective manner.

Related Articles

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• Choose Interior Paint Colors
• Decorate a Girls Room in Bright Colors
• Brighten Up a Dark Room
• Give Your Room an Airy Feeling

Sources and Citations

• Lowe's: Choose Interior Paint Colors and Schemes
• homedit: How to Choose a Bedroom Paint Color

See also

• Identify Lead Paint
• Choose Interior Paint Colors
• Choose Living Room Colors
• Choose Paint Colors for Your Basement
• Choose the Right Colour for Your Room
• Work With Enamel Paint
• Know when to Use Oil Based Paint Instead of Latex
• Calculate Amount of Paint to Paint a Room

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