What colours should you choose for a bedroom to rest better?

For a calm bedroom, choose soft, low-intensity colours: light blues and greens, beiges, warm greys and off-whites. Very strong or vivid colours tend to make a room feel more restless. But personal taste matters more than any rule. If a colour gives you peace, it is the right colour for you.

What makes a colour calm

Calm colours tend to be soft and low in saturation. This means they are slightly greyed or muted, rather than pure and vivid. In a bedroom, they help create a tranquil atmosphere.

There is no exact science saying which colour helps you sleep best. What experience shows is that calm surroundings without strong contrasts are easier to rest in.

Good options

Light blue or greyish blue: gives a feeling of calm and freshness.
Soft green, such as sage green: recalls nature and goes well with wood.
Beige and sand: cosy and easy to match.
Warm grey: modern, but not cold.
Warm white: clean and bright, great for small bedrooms.
Very pale pink or soft terracotta: add warmth without tiring the eye.

If the bedroom is small or has little light, go for the lighter versions of each colour.

Colours to use with care

Reds, strong oranges, bright yellows and intense purples are high-energy colours. They can be beautiful, but they become tiring if they cover all the walls of a bedroom.

If you like them, use them in small details: a cushion, a picture, a bedspread. Or on a single wall, the one behind the bed, in a deeper shade.

Dark colours, such as navy blue or bottle green, can also work in a bedroom. They create a snug atmosphere. But they need good artificial lighting and work best in bedrooms with some natural light.

Finish and light

In a bedroom, a matt finish is usually the most pleasant. It reflects little light, which gives a soft atmosphere and hides small flaws in the wall.

Look at the bedroom lighting too. A warm-light bulb makes colours feel cosier. A cool white light makes them look bluer. Change the bulb if the colour does not look the way you expected.

How to choose without mistakes

Pick two or three colours you like.
Paint large samples on the wall behind the bed and on the window wall.
Leave them for two or three days and look at them in the morning and at night.
Choose the one you still like.
Coordinate with the curtains, bed linen and furniture.

A useful tip is to think about how you want the bedroom to feel. Cosy? Fresh? Light? Choose the colour from that feeling.

Children's bedrooms

In children's bedrooms, you can use a soft shade on the walls and leave the strong colours for the toys and decoration. That way it is easier to change when the child grows up, without having to repaint the walls.

Choose a washable paint as well. The walls of a child's bedroom get marked sooner or later.

Tip: If you cannot decide between two shades, choose the lighter one. A colour always looks stronger when it covers four walls than in a small sample.