Colorful Bedroom Ideas: 3 Rooms Styled Around Original Art
The easiest colorful bedroom ideas start above the bed. A painting over the headboard sets the palette for the whole room, and your bedding, lamps and pillows can repeat its colors. Below are 3 colorful bedrooms I styled around my own paintings: a warm white room with pops of red, a pink and green room, and a color-drenched blue room, with similar and inspired pieces linked so you can get the look. The rooms are styled mockups, so the pieces are close matches, and the paintings are real.
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1. Warm White With Pops of Red
If you want color without committing to a colored wall, keep the walls warm white and let red do the work. Here, red shows up 4 times: the pleated lampshades, the ticking stripe pillow, the gingham throw and the big coral-red flower in Tuned In. Blue and white lamps and a pink and green floral quilt keep it soft.
The 2 paintings hang as a pair, 3 inches apart, with a little under 8 inches of wall between the frames and the top of the headboard. Together they span about 2/3 of the headboard, which is a good rule of thumb for art over a bed. A wide mat in a warm maple frame makes 11×14 works on paper read larger on the wall.
Shop the look with similar and inspired pieces
Cream scalloped headboardSoft curves in linen.See it on Amazon
Blue and white ginger jar lampA classic base for a red shade.See it on Amazon
Red floral pleated shadeThe unexpected red.See it on Amazon
Red ticking stripe pillowRed and cream stripe.See it on Amazon
Red gingham throwTossed over the corner.See it on Amazon
Cream floral quiltPink and green florals.See it on Amazon
Cane 2-drawer nightstandWoven fronts by the bed.See it on Amazon
Woven rattan benchAt the foot of the bed.See it on Amazon2. A Pink and Green Bedroom
Pink and green is among the friendliest pairings for a bedroom because the 2 colors balance each other. Blush walls and a sage velvet headboard set the base, and the block print quilt repeats both. Instead of hanging the paintings side by side over the bed, the lilies sit over each lamp, and a round rattan flower mirror takes the center. The mix of shapes keeps the wall from feeling like a grid, and the lilies repeat the soft pink petals and leaves in several greens.
Gold frames warm up a pink wall, and a leopard bench at the foot of the bed adds a little edge so the room never feels too sweet. For more on why this pairing works, see my pink and green room ideas.
Shop the look with similar and inspired pieces
Rattan flower mirrorThe round moment over the bed.See it on Amazon
Camelback velvet headboardA soft arched shape.See it on Amazon
Pink and green floral quiltRuffled green edge.See it on Amazon
Pink ruffle shamsBlush with a ruffled edge.See it on Amazon
Green gingham pillowA crisp check in front.See it on Amazon
White faux bamboo nightstandClassic bamboo turned legs.See it on Amazon
Pink chinoiserie lampPink jar base, pleated shade.See it on Amazon
Leopard ottomanA little edge at the foot.See it on Amazon3. A Color-Drenched Blue Bedroom
Color drenching means painting the walls, trim, doors and even the ceiling the same color. It sounds bold, but in a soft shade like powder blue it feels calm and wrapped up, which is exactly what you want in a bedroom.
A drenched room needs warmth to keep it from feeling cold, so this room leans on honey wood, rattan and a terracotta quilt. A large painting with warm pinks and oranges, like Unexpected Blessings, gives the eye a focal point and keeps the blue from reading as flat.
More Colorful Bedroom Ideas
- Start with the art over the bed. Pull 2 or 3 colors from it and repeat them in your bedding, lamps and pillows.
- Size art to the headboard. Aim for about 2/3 of the headboard width, and hang it 6 to 10 inches above the top.
- Mix shapes. A round mirror over the bed with a painting over each lamp feels more collected than 2 frames in a row.
- Try a colored lampshade. A red, pink or green shade is an easy, low-commitment way to add color.
- Color drench in a soft shade. Powder blue, blush and sage all work well wall to ceiling.
- Add warm textures. Rattan, cane, wood and linen keep a colorful bedroom feeling restful.
For a single bold accent, see my post on the unexpected red theory, and for more rooms, my colorful living room ideas.
Frequently Asked Questions About Colorful Bedrooms
How do I make my bedroom more colorful without it feeling busy?
Choose 2 or 3 colors and repeat each a few times around the room. Keep the walls or the bedding calm so the color has somewhere to rest.
What size art goes over a bed?
About 2/3 of the headboard width is a good guide. Over a queen bed, that is about 40 inches across, either 1 large piece or a pair.
How high should art hang above a bed?
Leave about 6 to 10 inches between the top of the headboard and the bottom of the frame, so the art feels connected to the bed.
What colors are good for a colorful bedroom?
Soft pinks, sage green and powder blue are calm enough for sleep, while red, coral and kelly green work well as accents.
What is color drenching?
Color drenching means painting the walls, trim, doors and ceiling in the same color, so the room feels wrapped in it.
If you would like to see what might live above your bed, you can explore my original paintings, or browse Studio Steals for smaller pieces at a gentler price.