From four-poster beds to calming country retreats, breathe new life into your sleep space with our favourite bedroom design ideas.
Bedroom design ideas matter – perhaps more than in any other part of your home. With the average person spending a total of 33 years in the bedroom (according to bed retailer Dreams), either sleeping or trying to sleep, it’s a room that deserves time and attention when it comes to decor.
Although you could argue that because your eyes are often closed, it doesn’t really matter what the room looks like, we disagree.
These are not purely sleep zones and are worthy of a raft of bedroom design ideas. For some, including myself, a bedroom may also serve as a home office.
Others may cleverly combine a bedroom with a dressing room, while for many they are a snug-style sanctuary – a private space to curl up with a book, away from the noise and chaos of a busy family home.
And if you’re concerned that you find yourself frequently eyeing up new designs, don’t fret. According to Furniture123, we tend to decorate our bedroom every 29 months.
So, if you’ve got an itch that needs scratching, here’s some bedroom design ideas to satisfy your desires.
Use delicate florals for a fresh take on a traditional look
It’s impossible for your heart not to sing when you think of waking up in a bedroom like this.
It’s modern country at its finest. With a blend of delicate florals, sumptuously layered fabrics, floor-to-ceiling curtains and soft shades of countryside, it’s an effortlessly chic look that invites you to curl up and be cosy.
To ensure the look is calming rather than adrenaline pumping, choose a smaller floral pattern and limit it to a few selected walls.
On the remainder choose lighter shades and keep your curtains plain rather than patterned.
Pick a bed design that looks handmade with posts that could be hand-turned and a bedside table with similar decorative features.
Placing the bedside lights on the wall, either side of the posts and against the wallpaper ensures the bed is centre stage of this beautifully designed bedroom.
Make a bold but faux bedroom entrance
If you like the idea of zoning your bedroom, add two partition walls with an opening in the middle. This will create a fantastic focal point that frames your bed and creates a grander entrance to your sleeping space.
On a practical level, dividing walls also add extra wall space where you can place furniture or add feature lights and artwork.
If floorspace permits, you could add an open-plan dressing area, keeping your bedroom free for solely snoozing.
Treat yourself to a soothing soak before bedtime
Nothing says luxury more than a freestanding bath at the end of your bed. It’s the ultimate extravagance. What could be more relaxing and lead to a good night’s sleep than a warm soak in bubbles before snuggling down into soft and sumptuous bed sheets?
Banish any childhood memories of tin baths in front of the kitchen fire by choosing a sleek new tub in an elegant design and you’ll create a look that’s more boutique hotel bedroom than cold and cramped kitchen.
Use your bedroom as a gallery space for quirky treasured finds
If you’ve become the owner of an unplanned collection of charity shop treasures and vintage finds, why not create a gallery bedroom wall to display your collection?
Items such as mirrors, plates, tapestries or prints all work well when grouped together – but to avoid a muddled look, curate them under a theme such as colour, finish, pattern or shape.
We love this display of mirrors with their gilded finish and sunburst style edging. Other ideas for collections include blue-and-white china or woven seagrass platters and bowls. Just be mindful that, if you’re placing them directly above the headboard, there’s a danger they could be knocked, so make sure they are attached securely.
Continue the matching theme by adding matching pairs in other items like bedside tables, lights and cushions.
Command XL Picture Hanging Strips, Amazon, RRP £13.49
We asked award-winning interior designer, Karina Fisun, for her advice on how to achieve the best bedroom design. Her top tip? Don’t just stop at the basics.
When it comes to bedrooms, you’ll need to think of more than the bed. “It's about not stopping after putting a bed, a carpet and some wallpaper into the room,” she says. “It's about dressing the bed and investing in quality throws and bed sheets.
“Have beautiful curtains, flowers and books,” she adds. “The key to successful bedroom design is creating an ambience – a whole space that’s more than just the necessities.”
The roof apex provides the perfect space for two single beds
You may have planned your new loft conversion as the perfect master suite, away from the chaos of the rest of the house, but its structure can often better lend itself to a guest room or shared children’s room.
To create a warm and welcoming guest room for visitors of all ages, make features such as windows and beams part of your design by using them as a focal point around which to locate your beds.
Layer pillows and cushions for a sumptuous sleep zone and make the space individual, yet also communal, by adding individual bedside lights and a shared chest of drawers.
Debbie Leigh, design manager of iLiv interior textiles, shares her tips on creating an inviting guest bedroom. “Prepare your bedrooms to welcome guests with a touch of warmth and comfort,” says Leigh.
“Start by layering your beds with cosy blankets, soft duvets and plush pillows to create a luxurious and inviting atmosphere."
“Don't forget about the lighting either,” she reminds us. “Use warm, soft lighting fixtures and bedside lamps to create a relaxing and inviting ambience. Adding some decorative touches like scented candles, a small vase of fresh flowers or plush guest towels can also contribute to a warm and welcoming atmosphere.”
To create a warm and soft lighting look, opt for bulbs that are categorised as 'warm' and choose fabric covered light shades to create a glowing light effect.
Philips 5W SES LED Non Dimmable Golf Ball Bulbs, Set of 2, Warm White, RRP £8.99
Cosy up with a contemporary corner fire
For a bedroom that needs to provide sanctuary from the chaos of everyday life, why not take inspiration from the living room and add a contemporary feature fireplace?
Embedded into the corner of a wall, this design can be enjoyed not only from the bed, but also leaves enough floor space to pull up an occasional chair to catch up on your latest read.
With blankets galore, footstools and textural rugs to soften the wooden floor, we’d happily find refuge in this bedroom sanctuary.
Opt for oak to match your beams and rafters
Wooden beams, ceilings and rafters are often a feature of country cottages and rural homes.
If you have a character property that contains these gems, don’t shy away from them. Instead, embrace them as the starting point for your overall bedroom design. Invest in bespoke wooden furniture and choose details such as hand-turned chair legs and button-back upholstery.
Combine with paler shades of blue and chalk white, and lay woven rugs on a simple wooden floor for a bedroom that oozes class and a touch of coastal bedroom design.
Winchcome Oiled Oak 3 Drawer Wide Bedside Table, RRP £399
Mix and match for a cosy retreat
If, like me, you’re a firm believer that you can never have too many cushions or throws, then the bedroom is the perfect place to fully unfurl your fetish.
But there can be a fine line between creating a luscious, layered look and unstructured chaos. Leigh explains how to get it right.
“Bedrooms offer a great opportunity to experiment with colour and pattern,” she says. “From the bedspread to the curtains and even the headboard, there’s so much to play with.
“As a starting point, work with three fabrics,” she suggests, adding that the key to getting it right is to vary the scale of the patterns.
“For example, if you pick a large-scale pattern as your main one, the second should be half the scale or size, such as a large floral paired with a plaid or geometric pattern.
“The third can then be similar to either of the first two,” she adds, “but use matching colours. When mixing two or three patterns, it’s a good idea to also break them up with the clever use of plains either as cushions, trims or borders.”
Create a plant-inspired peace palace
Fans of biophilic (nature-inspired) design may be tempted by the thought of always sleeping outdoors but, the reality is that we normally need to venture inside to sleep. Recreate the feeling by choosing from our green bedroom design ideas and add a wall mural with a bold forest image.
Choose luscious dark green fabrics, wicker and wood accessories, and bring your bedroom forest retreat to life with an array of real and faux green foliage.
Create separate spaces without losing light
It’s rare to come across a use of Crittall-style windows that we don’t like, and this bedroom design is no exception. Ideal for a multi-purpose bedroom where you need to create a division between a work and sleeping space without sacrificing light, these Crittall-style windows and doors are ideal.
The slim black frames add architectural detail and a sense of height and space to any bedroom.
Painting one wall in a deep shade of green also helps draw the eye towards the end of the room, increasing the feeling of length, while horizontally laid flooring ensures the room doesn’t appear too narrow.
But add drama through ombre design
With blue often quoted as the best bedroom colour for getting a good night’s sleep, we love blue bedroom ideas. From the softest pale blue through to deep and dark navy, this bedroom design ticks all the boxes with its variety of shades and deliciously textured feel.
Minimal in content but moody in nature, it’s a great example of the adage less is more.
Although terracotta tones have been used as an accent colour, you could also use dark pink as another way of adding more warmth through colour.
Add an eye-catching design that you can DIY
With the trend for wall panelling growing in popularity as an easy weekend DIY project, buck the trend for natural wall panels or traditional rectangular designs by using a combination of diagonal and straight lines.
Used in this instance on a dividing wall, it can also remove the need to add a separate headboard.
Providing anchor points for bedside lights and drenched in green, it’s a look that you can achieve at home with the right tools.
Hobby Wood Paint, Earthborn Paints, RRP £57.50
Design idea
If space permits, why not make the wooden strips bigger so that they are deep enough to hold books?
In certain section of the panelling, add small upright strips to the diagonal sections and horizontal strips to the vertical sections to create a bookcase, headboard and dividing wall all in one.
Use easy-to-apply wall murals for dramatic effect
Although sleekly styled matching bedroom furniture in shades of cream and taupe can create an elegant and contemporary bedroom design that screams ‘luxury hotel’, it’s also a great blank canvas on which to make your mark.
Break up the light shades by adding a dramatic wallpaper mural behind your bed. It will add enough drama to the room to elevate it from bland to bedazzling.
Rasmus Photographic Misty Forest Wallpaper Mural, Bobbi Beck, RRP £36 per sqm
It will have more impact than pushing it against a wall
Large bedroom? Then place your bed in the middle and avoid the frustration of having to squeeze down the side of your bed to get the duvet hanging just right.
Being able to freely walk around the bed means you’ll never again feel like you’re on an episode of The Krypton Factor when it comes to the challenge of making it.
You can indulge in your fancy for cushions and throws to your heart’s content.
Pick bedside table ideas that meet your needs rather than your space, and never again worry about how to clean underneath the bed. It’s all within your reach with the joy of a centrally placed bed.
Add an easy access dressing area
If you’re a highly organised and like to choose your outfit the night before, add a simple dressing space to one wall of your bedroom.
Combine a slimline storage system with mirrors and a chair, and you’ll find getting ready in the morning a breeze.
Add the right amount of shelving and power points and you could also treat yourself to a coffee machine or kettle and have a quick cuppa in bed before you start the day.
This bedroom design idea is great for a guest room, as it mimics the experience of a fancy hotel. And if they get up earlier than you, they can make themselves a coffee without having to rifle through your kitchen cupboards.
For an alternative design in white, Ikea has an open plan shelving system that you can mix and match to create your own open-plan dressing area.
JONAXEL Wardrobe combination, white, RRP £213
Bring serenity to your bedroom with a white-out design
Far from sterile, a white bedroom can be calm, soothing and even sumptuous when you get the combination of shades, textures and accent colours just right.
Start by choosing a bed with a winged, textured headboard that wraps you in a welcoming hug. Add crisp white bed linen and soften the look with off-white or light grey velvet cushions.
Fold soft blankets or throws on the lower half of the bed and add an extra patterned cushion for contrast.
Adding greenery, such as eucalyptus with its silvery green leaves, helps bring nature into the room without losing the quiet and soft feel of your white oasis.
If white is a step too far, you could also adopt the same method for a grey bedroom idea.
Madison Bouclé Ottoman Storage Bed - Off White, RRP £539
Surround a simple bed frame with rich colours and tones
Four-poster beds – the epitome of luxury with their regal connotations and sense of grandeur. Once swathed in fabrics to retain warmth, they were practically a room in their own right.
Thankfully, more simple structures are now available that retain the sense of style but reduce the need for a bedroom that’s twice the size.
We love this elegant, black metal bed frame that’s been placed against the perfect backdrop – neatly panelled walls decorated in a soft shade of blue.
Comfort is added in the form of a padded orange-fabric headboard, layers of bed linen and a material-covered ottoman.
Rich, dark red and mahogany wooden furniture complete this classic-meets-contemporary bedroom design.
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