The best paint colours for bedrooms
If the kitchen is the heart of the home, then the bedroom is the parasympathetic nervous system. Not quite as catchy, we know, but arguably more important. Itβs a place with a lot of emotion attached to it and it means that theΒ bedroom paint colour you choose is really important. According toΒ a 2021 study, around 1 in 3 Brits have trouble getting to sleep during the week, whilst 1 in 5 find it a nightly struggle. As our home and work life merges, 10% of the population admit to βworking from bedβ whilst a massive 70% of people report sleeping with their phones next to their beds. All of this affects our sleep cycle and can lead to disrupted sleep patterns.
Whilst there are several steps you can take towardsΒ better βsleep hygieneβ in your bedroom, the colour you choose to paint your walls is a great place to start. So, with that in mind, we spoke toΒ Tash Bradley, our Director of Interior Design, to recommend some of the best paint colours for your bedroom, according to colour psychology.
How do bedroom colours affect your mood?
Did you know that the colours of bedroom walls have a huge impact on your mood, mental wellbeing, and how well you sleep? According to the principles of colour psychology, certain colours have the ability to make us feel calm and rested, whilst others can leave us feeling stimulated and anxious. So, when weβre asking βHow do you want your bedroom to feelβ weβre really asking βHow doΒ you want to feelβ?
Warming, calming, relaxing, safe, and cocooningβthese are the adjectives people choose to describe how they want their bedrooms to feel.\n
Tash Bradley, Director of Interior Design
What are the best bedroom colours for better sleep?
If youβve got one of those brains that simply wonβt stop the chatter as soon as your head hits the pillow, then a gentleΒ blue bedroom paint might just be the answer. The most mentally calming colour, Tash loves a soft blue in the bedroom. According to her βthe softer the blue, the more calming. Shades likeΒ Blue 01,Β Blue 02, andΒ Blue 13 are perfect for a soothing bedroom and can help you sleep betterβ.
Darker shades tend to be more stimulating, so if youβre set on going dark she recommendsΒ Blue 17. This grounded, muted blue will help you feel relaxed and supported, without being overstimulating. Alternatively, Tash recommends teal paint for your bedroom walls, as a calming compromise for dark blue. Those green undertones ofΒ Teal 01 andΒ Teal 02 add a soothing softness to a space, whilst still creating a deep and cocooning effect.
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What is the most relaxing colour in a bedroom?
Of all of the colours, green is the least demanding on the eye. Without getting too sciencey on you, itβs the easiest hue for those rods and cones located in your retina to process. βThe colour of balance, green connects us to nature. It brings a little of the outdoors in and instantly makes you feel more relaxed,β says Tash. So, if youβre looking to create a restful feel in your bedroom, reach for thoseΒ green bedroom paints.
The holy grail of greens, for its versatility in different light conditions,Β Green 02 is a great mid-tone to use in your bedroom, whilstΒ Green 03 is an excellent choice for creating an air of tranquillity and quiet reflection. If you want to go for something lighter, considerΒ Green 09,Β Green 11, orΒ Green 14.
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What colours are the most calming and soothing for a bedroom?
βWhilst blues are mentally calming, pinks areΒ physically calming,β explains Tash. Pink is the colour of cuddles. So, if you go to bed every night with your shoulders up by your earlobes and your back in knots, then a cosy, nurturingΒ pink paint for your bedroom walls will work wonders for your sleep. Tash recommends opting for muted hues, likeΒ Pink 07 or Pink 08. These dusky pinks are straight from nature. They are earthy and grounding, and that heavy dose of black pigment makes them feel really grown up.
On the other end of things, if youβre looking for a light and bright, barely-there paint, go forΒ Pink 01βa great alternative if youβre after somethingΒ more neutral. Alternatively, if just the mentionΒ of pink makes you run a mile, Tash suggests βa fresh take on pinkβΒ Purple 05 orΒ Purple 06.
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What neutral colours are best in a bedroom?
From whites to beiges and through to taupe and brown, we never met a neutral we didnβt like. Sometimes you just want a blank backdrop and nothing does this better than a neutralΒ white bedroom paint. OatyΒ White 05 will brighten up even theΒ darkest bedroom, or for a really smart and serene palette,Β White 04 has a linen-like texture to it and will bounce light around a south-east facing room.
If you want to add more depth andΒ texture to your colour palette whilst still keeping it very relaxed, beautifulΒ Beige 02,Β Beige 03 and Brown 02 will do just this. As Tash puts it, βthese guys are there to make you feel safe. To create a sanctuary and a cosy, comforting environmentβ. Their yellow undertones inject warmth into a spaceβespecially Beige 03 for aΒ dark north-facing bedroom. Finally, Tash recommends earthyΒ Taupe 03. Its red undertones give it a pink(ish) appearance yet the effect is really cosy and grown-up.
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And there you have it. The best paint colours for your bedroom according to colour psychology. If youβre lookingΒ for some more room-by-room interior inspo,Β take a look at our favouriteΒ kitchen paint colours or discover theseΒ perfect living room paints.