If you’re wondering how to create a calm bedroom vibe at your place, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: making your bedroom all-white is not the answer!
In fact, if you make the room all-white, you’re more likely to achieve a clinical space, not a calm one. Because it’s really not about stripping the room of colour and pattern, but about choosing tone and print combinations that work.
And that’s what we’re doing today; taking you though some great ideas to make your bedroom a soothing oasis you’ll want to escape to. And all without losing personality in the process. Scroll on and let’s get styling!
This post is produced in partnership with Lorraine Lea.
Above and below: the Vienna Quilt Cover Set is calm, yet visually interesting. The perfect balance.
1. Look to Soft Stripes in Bedding to Add Interest
Your bedding takes up a lot of visual real estate in your bedroom, so it’s one of the most impactful yet affordable ways to transform your space.
No wallpaper or painted walls needed here. Simply roll out a new quilt cover set and you’re on the road to a calm bedroom look without the big spend.
Bedding with a soft stripe through it is easy on the eye but not as basic as flat white bedding. You get a little visual interest and intrigue but by no means does it feel overwhelming.
Just ensure you keep the stripes pencil-thin like in this stunning Vienna Quilt Cover Set from Lorraine Lea. Keep the lines thin and subdued in colour and you’re onto a winner.
2. Introduce a Soothing Secondary Colour, Like Blue
As you already know, a calm bedroom can’t be all-white. You’ll want to introduce an accent colour on top of soothing neutrals that lifts the room without making it feel visually overwhelming.
My top tip is to bring in colours inspired by the ocean, namely green or blue. The blue is a no-brainer when it comes to keeping things calm because it reminds us of both a calm blue sky and a serene ocean scene (the Willow Throw above works perfectly).
Dusty blue tones are present in the stripe of the Vienna Quilt Cover Set you saw further above. But also in the nostalgic Kai Quilt Cover Set you see below.
Style Tip:
Pair these calm-but-colourful quilt cover sets with white fitted and flat sheets or silver fitted and flat sheets to ensure the top layer of your bed remains the hero.
You don’t want to have a patterned quilt cover set and a patterned sheet set. It creates way too much visual chaos and won’t feel relaxing at all.
Need help on the sheet front? Here’s our top tips on choosing the right sheets for your bed.
3. Embrace a Nostalgic Pattern for a Touch of Whimsy
Just because you want to create a calm bedroom doesn’t mean it can’t feel a little whimsical at the same time. You just want to bring in that sense of whimsy in one design moment, not multiple ones.
For example, leaving the rest of your space fairly white, with oak furniture, and then having bedding be your moment of fun would be the right approach.
You can see this concept at play above with the charming Kai Quilt Cover Set. It walks the line between calm and cute perfectly because the colour contrast is low.
The light blue and white is a great combo. If the blue was a darker navy, for example, it would bring more visual energy into the mix. But because the tone is rather muted, it keeps the space feeling peaceful.
4. Ramp Up Textures when Colour is Less Present
When looking to create a calm bedroom, of course the tones and patterns will be softer. You want the eye to feel quite relaxed as it travels across the room. Sight isn’t the only sense we’re looking to tap into either.
You want to focus on textures too, because the touch-factor is so important in creating a space that evokes rest and relaxation. That’s why you want bedding and other soft furnishings to be quite tactile.
The bedding above, the Phoebe Quilt Cover Set, is a good example of tactile materials. Notice the raised, boucle-style thread that dances across the top of the set? It’s the sort of thing you want to touch. It has a calming quality.
5. Pull Colours from the Bedding and Use Them Elsewhere
A bedroom that feels harmonious is one where the colours are repeated across multiple decor pieces in the room. What I mean by that is, don’t just put blue bedding on a white backdrop and call it a day.
Whether your quilt cover set features soft blues, greys, or even calming blush tones, you want to include some of those colours on bedside table vignettes or in cushions and throws. Doing this brings cohesion to the room.
Whichever way you do it, just ensure when you create a calm bedroom that you look to soothing colours and gentle patterns instead of a white on white approach, and you can’t go wrong.
Did these pointers and products help you create a calm bedroom design at your place? I’d love to know which of the bedding sets about is your fave. Drop me a comment below and share.
Hi Chris, I have noticed that the quilt cover is always lager in the pictures , how do I get that look? Is the bed a double bed, and the quilt cover a king? Thanks