How to introduce a bold colour palette into your bedroom

Although experimenting with colour can be challenging, when done well, bold colour combinations can turn your bedroom from drab to fab.

With trending tones moving away from the cold greys towards bolder hues, it’s time to inject some life into your bedroom. Here's how to add a burst of colour to your design scheme in 2024.

Choose your colours

Examining the shades housed on trendy colour charts can intimidate interior designers, never mind the average colour-shy homeowner. But choosing your bedroom colour palette is the first step on your colourful journey.

While we've moved away from grey in recent years if you want to still play it a little safer, stick to stormy shades. Purple has catapulted onto the interior design scene, taking inspiration from regal colour schemes. If you don't want to commit to the warmer royal hues, opt for a soft lilac or lavender.

For a jolly colour scheme, consider a vibrant yellow. While it's not usually the go-to bedroom colour palette, adding a burst of sprightly sunshine yellow or a warming ochre can help you create a bedroom that exudes happiness, excitement and confidence.

Still want more? Enter the red theory.

The ‘unexpected red theory’ has caused a bit of a stir in the world of interior design this year. This theory suggests that adding red to any design scheme can help the space feel more cohesive. Some people even dare to class red as a timeless neutral!

If you want to start adding pops of colour, a simple red vase, a Moroccan-style rug or a few red scatter cushions can be your gateway. You need only look at vintage design schemes to see how red was used in so many coastal homes and mid-century sanctuaries.

If you love bold, brazen interior schemes, choose a siren shade. But if you'd like to keep your bedroom feeling cosy, choose a warm burgundy.

Offset with neutrals

Being brave with colour combinations can pay dividends. If you're daring enough, as well as choosing a bright wall colour, add some contrasting colours into the mix. This is a sure-fire way to create a dramatic, confident interior scheme. For example, bright blue walls with orange and pink table lamps can maximise the impact.

If this sounds too overstimulating in the bedroom, you can tone things down with neutrals. Pastel pinks can be neutralised with ochre and yellow tones. Warm honeyed tones can be paired with bolder shades to keep your bedroom feeling zen. Taupe and beige are anything but boring when paired with vibrant greens and bold reds.

Be selective

Bold, deep hues are normally used in larger spaces to help the room feel cosier. While we'd all love to have bedrooms that wouldn't look out of place on the set of Bridgerton, most of us have slightly more modest spaces.

If your bedroom is on the smaller side, think about the overall layout of the room before you start incorporating colour.

Bold colours on bedroom walls work well – but can be overstimulating in compact rooms. If your bedroom is pint-sized, neutral walls will keep the space feeling airy. If you're determined to paint the walls a bright shade, try colour drenching (painting the walls, ceiling and woodwork in one colour) to create the illusion of space.

Make a statement

While we're all for bold colour combinations, too many colours in one space can be chaotic. To keep your bedroom feeling harmonious, choose one or two statement pieces and let them do all the talking. This could mean choosing bold built-in bedroom wardrobes and a neutral wall colour.

If painting the walls seems too risky, play around with colour by using intriguing curtains or brighter bedding.

Mix and match

Move over "matchy-matchy" interior schemes. It's time for bold bedroom colour palettes to have their turn. Why choose just one pop of colour when you can choose two? Sunshine yellow can complement pretty lavenders while emeralds and sapphires can add drama to your bedroom.

Before you commit, try mixing a few colour combinations so you can see which works best in your room.

Refine your bedroom colour palette with Hammonds

Ready to add a pop of colour to your bedroom? Book a free design visit with one of our interior design specialists today. They'll give you some bold colour palette ideas and help you create a harmonious bedroom that's anything but boring – all without compromising on practicality.