Inspiration

Bedrooms decked out in bright hues can be delightfully fresh—here are ten smart ways to use colour to create the personal sanctuary you’ve always dreamed of

Go bold in your bedroom designs with these cheerful and vibrant decor ideas

BRIGHT STUFF

Yellow adds loads of energy to a space, so don’t use it in a bedroom if you prefer to sleep in.

This shade is best suited to someone who sleeps well and wakes up early and ready to take on the day; it ’s also similar to Illuminating, one of two hues named as the

Pantone colours of the year for 2021.

Sunny yellow and turquoise work well together to create a sophisticated space (opposite), with the clever use of black and white to break up the blocks of bright colours.

The headboard in a monochrome print is an unusual addition that pairs beautifully with the angular pieces to make for a stylish room. Do consider bedlinen as a key part of a bedroom’s design—the textured bedspread in pure white imparts a sense of calm.

GLASS ACT

If you are fortunate to have vintage architectural features in your home, use them to inspire the design of your room. Taking its colour cues from the existing stained-glass window, this bedroom in a renovated Paris apartment proves that a vibrant space can be elegant, too.

Blue and yellow are hues that can be energising as well as restful, so use both with restraint to create a space in which it’s possible to sleep well and wake up refreshed. The black-and-white throw draped across the base of the bed is the ideal final touch that smartly and seamlessly combines graphic shapes with elements of softness.

FRESH START

Who knew pale blue and leafy green could work so well together? This bedroom takes the conventional idea of keeping the backdrop neutral, and turns it on its head: here, the walls and floors are bright and the elements usually thought of as easy to change up are kept all-white. The result is a space bursting with joyful energy.

Keeping the side table and bedlinen in a chalky white is essential to maintaining a fresh look. The clean-lined light fittings keep the vibe breezy, while the latticework bedside table and pompomtrimmed bedspread add a playful touch. Accent cushions in African wax-print fabrics, plus a bushy fiddle-leaf fig, are all that ’s needed to complete the look.

CHILD’S PLAY

A colourful kids’ room need not take inspiration from popular culture—this shared sleeping space in a vacation home on the Balearic island of Mallorca is full of old-fashioned charm. With its mix of fairy lights, handdyed textiles, tactile baskets and vintage treasures, this is the perfect place to create childhood memories worthy of a fairy tale.

A draped overhead canopy creates a sense of romance that imaginative kids are sure to love. Use fairy lights to add atmosphere— conveniently, these will double as night lights for little ones who don’t like their room to be too dark if they happen to wake during the small hours. The star-shaped cushions are sure to hold huge appeal, and it ’s easy to have them crafted in a variety of textiles.

GREEN DREAM

Surfers call the inside of the barrel of a wave

“the green room”, and the celadon green used in this beachshack bedroom seems likely to provoke a series of oceanic fantasies. Enhancing the “green room” impression is the way the energising yet peaceful shade is used on the walls and ceiling, and grounded with a deep green rug. Finishing touches take the form of the embroidered cotton bedspread and pillows, and abstract artworks.

When the paint colour makes the main statement, the rest of the decor needs to work with that.

Here, an embroidered bedspread and pillows by contemporary Moroccan designers LRNCE add visual interest and touches of complementary colour.

BLUE HAVEN

Completely open to the elements, this bedroom marries the indoors and outdoors, so the choice of blue—rather than green—as an accent shade is unexpected and refreshing.

This enviable bedroom forms part of a mid-century modern home in Johannesburg that’s been given a new lease of life with careful updates, including the sensitive and selective use of colour. Here, the city’s beautiful blue skies are echoed in the tones used on the exterior overhang and in the textiles on the bed.

The blend of blues with natural materials— wood, slate and concrete—makes for a tranquil space.

African textiles always add bold energy, and used sparingly in complementary colours can have a seriously sophisticated feel, too.

MELLOW YELLOW

Using bright colour in an elegant manner is a hallmark of interior designer

Kim Stephen, whose own bedroom features a blend of blues and yellows that comes together in a thoughtfully chic scheme. The vibrant hues are offset by a range of textures including woven baskets and gleaming metal and mirrors; this is a bold and energising space perfect for “morning people”.

Try repetitions of contrasting colours in multiple prints and shades: the blue fabric in which the headboard is upholstered here, combined with pillows in a yellow stripe, would look disjointed were it not for the anchoring touches of solid blue and yellow. The artworks above the headboard are a perfect touch.

LAYER UP

The sophisticated layering of patterned textiles in the home of Cape Town interior designer Sarah Ord demonstrates her eye for unexpected colour combinations. Use a mood board to help create a mix that is complementary rather than clashing. Pin fabric swatches alongside one another and give yourself time to reflect on whether various combinations will work or not.

Keep the backdrop low-key—pale, unadorned walls and wooden floors are ideal—so that colourful textiles can take centre stage. This eclectic mash-up of pattern and colour is best grounded by classic furniture pieces with curvaceous shapes and rich detailing.

Try repetitions of contrasting colours in multiple prints and shades to create a dynamic and tactile look

IN THE PINK

As the popularity of “millennial pink” shows, the colour remains right on trend— whether it’s used as an accent shade or more widely throughout a space. If you love it, go for it.

In this petite guest bedroom, the candy pink wall behind the bed sets off the artworks collected by the apartment’s owner—a retired museum curator—to a T. The use of pink works fabulously well with the rose-motif bedspread and rug. Colourful cushions, mismatched bedside tables and vintage lamps complete an eclectic and highly personal look.

Gallery walls look great with colourful backgrounds, as this room amply demonstrates. For carefully composed appeal, mix a range of mediums and subject matter, but keep frame styles consistent.

VITAMIN SEA

Go bold: this room proves you really can be fearless when mixing bright shades. This Cape Town home boasts spectacular views of the ocean, and in almost every room, carefully chosen hues of blue add freshness to the space. The beautiful cerulean shade used in this bedroom was directly inspired by the work of South African artist Paul Senyol, and creates the ideal backdrop for a vibrant mix of vintage furniture and fittings with striped African textiles.

Because the look is all about bold colour, keep the lines of light fittings, lamps and furniture ultrasimple, even industrial in style. Vintage pieces such as a mid-century side table and bamboo easy chair add a lived-in element that plays up the room’s sense of fun.