1. DEEP PURPLE AND OCHRE
We often assume that to evoke feelings of relaxation and calmness in a bedroom, we should only sleepwalk to colors that are light, like baby blues, or pale pink. Not always so. Interior designer, Karen Knox, shows how you can also evoke sanctuary-like, cocooning feelings when you wrap your bedroom in darker, deeper hues.
2. BLUES AND NEUTRAL GRAYS
Moving off complementary colors towards a color combination more rooted in nature, blues and grays make an excellent pair, says Patrick O’Donnell
‘Blue, like green, is timeless combined with a soft neutral for an elegant and relaxed scheme. Combine an elegant mid blue such as Oval Room Blue, which has a dose of green undertone, with a soft neutral like Ammonite, a versatile brown-based gray, for a calming and timeless scheme that is utterly restful.’
3. MIX YELLOW WITH BLUE TO MIMIC THE SUN AND SEA
For a calming and balanced bedroom scheme, opt for sandy yellows or ochres and pair with blues – the colors of the sun and sea on a summer's day. ‘As a warm and vibrant tone, yellow creates an emotional response that is both joyful and evokes energy in a space. Blues bring a feeling of tranquillity and when paired with energetic yellows,’ says Camilla Clarke, creative director at Albion Nord.
4. WARM UP A BLUE BEDROOM WITH RED AND ORANGES
Pale blue meanwhile makes for a calming backdrop for a bedroom that can be instantly warmed up with reds, oranges, pinks and yellows. ‘We are very careful when picking blues for a room that doesn’t get too much natural light to make sure that the undertones are not too grey,’ says Liv Wallers and Cath Beckett
5. PAIR PALE PINK WITH DARKER PINK AND GRAY
Pink is an excellent color choice for a modern bedroom as it doesn’t distract or stimulate the brain. ‘Choose a warm and cozy hue,’ recommends Irene Gunter of Gunter & Co. ‘My current favorites include Temple by Paint & Paper Library and Setting Plaster by Farrow & Ball. Using blush shades like these, particularly in a bedroom, creates a soothing and inviting atmosphere.’ She likes to pair these shades with natural wood floors and textured materials such as velvet in a deep grey
6. BLUE AND CANARY YELLOW
A wall color of calming blue leaves the door open for some vibrant accent colors – and what color could cheer a bedroom up more than a canary yellow? ‘Yellow is always such a great color to use against a neutral backdrop and a way to make antique furniture really sing!’ says interior designer Mary Graham at Salvesen Graham.
7. PAIR PALER SHADES OF BLUE WITH SUBTLE GREEN
The source of the adage of never mixing blue and green has murky roots. Scratch beneath the surface and its origins are hard to fathom. One of the most likely theories, given that so much idiom in the English language derives from maritime vernacular and superstitions, is that sailors were warned not to paint the hulls of their boats green lest they become invisible when capsized. But it’s tenuous.