Choose a Neutral Color Palette
This is obviously one, but choose the neutral palette you’d like in the space. For me, I like warm, soft grays and crisp whites. One of my favorite pale gray paint colors is “Classic Gray” by Benjamin Moore. Another warmer gray tone that I love and recently painted in our living room is “Seapearl” by Benjamin Moore.
Add Depth With Wood Tones
Wood is the easiest want to instantly warm up a space and add a coziness. In our master bedroom I did this with a wood dresser and wood accents on the walls. A good rule of thumb for me is to have at least one large wood toned item in a room. I also try to limit the tones of wood to two in a space to keep it looking cohesive.
Add Textures in Neutral Colors
When decorating a neutral space textures are really key to achieving a soft, cozy vibe. With all the neutral colors the space can look flat without a variety of textures. Some of my go to texture choices for a neutral bedroom (or any space) are linen, wool, ceramics, knits and occasionally velvet. Keep all the textures in the same tones – like warm grays or crisp whites – and the space will really come alive and feel very lived in.
Keep Styling Minimal
In a bedroom (an most spaces) I like to keep the styling to a minimal. I opt out of throw pillows on a bed because I’m lazy and very rarely fully style my bed on a daily basis, so the pretty pillows always just laid on the floor. What you could do instead to add dimension to the bed is add a sheet sets with a subtle pattern like stripes or dots, again in a neutral color. Or you can do like I’ve done in our bedroom and have a big, fluffy, white linen marshmallow bed!
Decluttered Nightstand and Dresser Surfaces
Keeping your surfaces decluttered and minimal helps your eyes and brain rest when you walk into your bedroom. Think about a beautiful hotel room, they don’t have lots of decor on every surface, instead they have a beautiful headboard and stunning furniture pieces minimally placed in the room. I like to keep the same principle in our bedroom, especially the nightstands as the tend to gather things easily themselves. I do have a few items on our dresser that make me happy, yet serve a function. Plant adds warm and texture. Salt lamp adds warmth and mood lighting. Candle in a pottery bowl adds texture and mood lighting option. Wood sculpture makes me happy because we got it on our honeymoon in Costa Rica, but it also adds warmth and a subtle dimension to the space with its soft curved lines.
Mix Metals
Metals may seem stark and hard, but they really add dimension and warmth to a space. My personal favorite metals are brass and black. I’ve repeated those metals throughout our home in our lighting, curtain rods, furniture legs, etc. A good rule of thumb is to keep your metals to two. When you add too many metals to a space it can feel cluttered and busy.
Add Warm to a Space With Plants
Plants literally add life to any space! To me a room never feels finished unless is has curtains and plants. Plus, plants help to create better air quality in your home. They act as a great touch of natural during cold, snowy winter months (especially where I live in Minnesnowda – I mean – Minnesota.)
Add a Variety of Lighting for Different Moods
Lighting is the quickest way to change the mood in a space. In a bedroom you’ll likely have your traditional overhead ceiling light, then think about adding task and mood lighting. Task lighting options would be lights near your nightstands or closets. Mood lighting options could be adding a dimmer to your ceiling light, candles and warm lighting options like a Himalayan salt lamp.
Add Personality to the Space
To keep your bedroom from looking like every other neutral bedroom add personality to the space with conversational pieces or unexpected items. In our bedroom that’s done with the ukulele hung on the walls, my hats hung near our closets, the wood sculpture on our dresser and personal photos hung on our walls. Don’t think too hard about this step, just add things you love to your space that make you smile!
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