Transform your Bedroom with 7 Surprising Color interior design Tips—get cozy in Chicago this Season
When it comes to home design, the colors of a bedroom rank as one of the most important parts of the home’s environment. Without establishing the right color scheme in your bedroom, you can feel restless, anxious, and even unmotivated.
As an interior designer, I see bedrooms as our non-negotiable sanctuaries. Your bedroom is the restorative place where you can hide, dream, rest, and rejuvenate! But the only way to make this possible is by establishing the right color scheme. When choosing bedroom colors, whether it be for painted walls, wallpaper, accessories, or bedding, it’s important to establish your color palette first to get a collection of cohesive colors that make you feel warm, relaxed, and comfortable.
Especially in Chicago where there are more overcast days than sunny days, I recommend using colors that enhance your mood and enliven your spirits while making you feel cozy on those dark days of fall and winter. Keep reading for expert tips on how to find soothing, cozy colors that work perfectly in Chicago bedrooms. Once you find the cozy color scheme that speaks to you, you can repeat the color on your bedding or upholstered pieces, or even bring it out in your art and accessories!
Color Scheme Interior Design Tip #1: Find Your Element
When helping my clients establish their perfect bedroom color scheme, there are three elements of color I focus on:
Earthy Tones
Murky Watercolors
Soothing Creams
Ask yourself: How do I respond to my environment?
Do you love taking long walks in the forest? Go with earthy tones like greens, browns, golds, or even dusty pinks!
Do you love hanging out at the lake or dream about summer days on a boat? Find your murky watercolors like blues, grays, and blacks.
Do you have open spaces with a lot of natural light? Lean into creams and greige tones.
Tip #2: IMMERSE YOURSELF IN EARTHY COLORS
Earthy tones help you feel grounded, safe, and in a cocoon state. Nothing feels more satisfying than feeling like a color is wrapping you up in a cozy blanket—earth-toned colors do just that. In Chicago where we are known for forests and trails, pulling colors from nature that reflect colors from outside is a great strategy for finding your paint colors. Take a walk in nature, and study the colors you see. Take photos of the colors outdoors that you gravitate towards and use them for inspiration in finding the right paint choices. You don’t have to be literal in matching the colors to the colors in your photo, but you can use these inspirational colors to find similar hues!
Tip #3: ADD WATERCOLORS TO YOUR SPACE
Murky watercolors are tranquil colors that help you feel relaxed and calm. Think of floating away in quiet waters or feeling solitude with the depth of dark colors that transport you to a euphoric state where you connect to the water for peace.
In Chicago, we especially want to get those murky watercolors just right, because the water from Lake Michigan is not the same as Mediterranean waters or oceans in warmer climates. Undertones of colors are very important to understand in order for the color to reflect the right feeling in your space. We don’t want to teletransport to Greece while dwelling in the Midwest!
Tip #4: IGNITE JOY WITH CREAM COLORS
Creamy whites have the ability to energize you and ignite joy and happiness. Creams illuminate the space, allow for natural light to dominate the feeling of the space, and make you feel right at home in your natural surroundings.
These colors also add simplicity to a room and help the space feel less cluttered and more spacious. If you like modern or Scandinavian design, going with creamy colors might be the right choice depending on the light you receive in the bedroom—more on this later!
Finding the right creams and whites can get a little tricky. For a bedroom, my biggest recommendation to clients is not to go too stark white where the room can feel cold and sterile. There should be some warmth to the tones of whites to play off of other colors you introduce into your bedding. Especially in the Midwest, I shy away from popular whites like Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace, or Simply White for this reason. Unless you live in a very modern glass structure with a lot of openness to nature, these whites will not make a bedroom feel relaxing.
Tip #5: MASTER NATURAL & FILTERED LIGHTING
A question I often get asked is, “Should I go with a dark or light color for my bedroom?” My answer is always the same: It depends on the natural light you get in your bedroom! Do you have windows that allow natural light to come into the room? What direction do your windows face? If they are located in the north, chances are your room receives very little light, or on sunny days, more filtered light. If your windows face south or west, you likely get more natural light that leans towards warmer, pink and red tones. If your windows face east, you will get beautiful morning light, but it may reflect cooler lights compared to the light from the setting sun.
Now, here comes my controversial response to choosing color. You’ve likely read that if you have natural light, it’s great to paint a room dark and if you have no natural light, it’s great to paint your room in light, cream colors to add more light.
I’m here to say my opinion… That is completely WRONG!
ALWAYS LEAN INTO THE LIGHT YOU HAVE - NOT AWAY FROM IT!
But what does that mean?
If you have a natural light, enhance it with creams or lighter, softer tones of your favorite element. Likewise, if you have no natural light, or your light is filtered from a north or east-facing room that receives little to cooler tones, then by all means, paint your room DARK!
Simply said, lean into dark with dark and light with light. Makes sense, right?
If you paint a room with little to no natural light a white or cream, the color will go flat and dull, and you won’t hit that cozy feeling you’re after. The good news is that rooms with very little light give you the best options to get creative. Think dark walls, patterned wallpaper, or murals. This is your opportunity to bring natural light into your room with clever tricks of color.
Another question to ask: Am I drawn to the warmer gold tone colors or cooler colors with gray and blue tones?
This will also determine the tone of color you choose. Both choices can make for a cozy space, it’s how you pair the colors together and drench the room in color with paint, art, and accessories that will give it the coziness you want. It’s also about the textures you add to the room. By layering colors in the same hue with different textures, you amplify the coziness!
Tip #6: BEFORE PAINTING, SWATCH ON CRISP WHITE PAPER
Why? Because this is the only way to see the undertones of a color. Not all greens, pinks, browns, and blues are created equal. There are warm greens with gold undertones and cool greens with blue undertones. Until you see that undertone, you won’t know how it will translate to larger wall space.
There is no right or wrong with picking warmer or cooler colors, but different undertones may not fit together. Creams have different undertones of yellows, reds, and greens while blues can have red or gray undertones. This will determine how you want to play with the mood of the room! Just make sure the undertones of different colors don’t clash with one another.
PRO TIP: Carry a whiteboard while you are sourcing colors and fabrics for a room. Place them together on the whiteboard so you can see the purity of the undertones together. This is the best way to determine how your colors will harmonize!
And, if you have questions or are confused about undertones or choosing the right paint color, reach out to me for a color clarity session. I’ll be sure to put you on track so your bedroom feels cozy and comfortable this fall season!
Tip #7: DON’T FEAR TEXTURED PAINT OR WALLPAPER
Photo: York Grasscloth Wallcovering in Blue Lustrous
My new favorite way of creating coziness is playing with texture. There are many creative paints available on the market for you to go beyond color. Try color-washing your walls (a simple technique!) with limewash paints from Portola Paints. And check out this video that provides expert advice on limewashing with Portola Paints. The company even sells handmade paint swatches that you can purchase online!
Another option is to wallpaper your bedroom with textured wallpaper. Grasscloths are beautiful options that not only add texture but also bring nature inside to provide that extra cozy space. And of course, if you are living in a rental space, Etsy has great options for you to find peel-and-stick wallpaper. One of my favorite peel-and-stick brands is this small company from Florida with great customer service, and samples you can purchase before delving into a full project.
FINALLY: Adding color to your bedroom is like putting on a warm sweater and feeling that comfort. Don’t neglect your bedroom’s color—it impacts your mood more than you know!
With the right bedroom color scheme, you’ll wake up feeling energized, uplifted, and ready to conquer the day.
Are you ready to transform your bedroom with color but don’t know how to get started?
Book a Curated Home Consultation with me and let’s create a bedroom that will reflect your personality, embrace sustainable elegance, and surround you with timeless beauty.
