Looking to shake up your bedroom decor this year? My recent visits to several spectacular trade shows uncovered design trends for every room in the home, with the bedroom no exception. Whether you want a complete overhaul or just a fun new twist, you’ll find fresh ideas here for updating your sanctuary.
1. Curves. The bedroom is a place we expect to be peaceful and restful. It’s where we start and end our day, and if we’re lucky to have time for the occasional nap, it’s an escape from our hectic schedules.
Adding some curvaceous shapes goes a long way toward bringing a sense of welcoming softness, which in turn creates a peaceful air.
This can be as basic as adding a rounded or arched headboard, a curved side table or bombé chest, or a rounded lamp.
Don’t be afraid to also mix in more straight and rectangular shapes to create a subtle interplay of form. It will give the space interest without making it appear busy.
2. Statement beds. What better way to make a design statement in your bedroom than with your most important piece of furniture?
Whether in traditional or modern spaces, the classic four-poster or canopy bed is turning up everywhere these days, along with large upholstered headboards and other big design choices to make the bed itself feel like the focal point.
3. Channel tufting. A subtrend of the statement bed is the channel-tufted headboard, which essentially means an upholstered headboard that is tufted in vertical or horizontal sections (called channels) rather than in the more typical square or diamond pattern.
The look carries a sense of traditional richness but in a simpler and more modern form, making it work well for traditional, modern and especially transitional spaces with an eclectic sensibility.
4. Gallery walls. The casually mix-and-matched art wall isn’t a new trend, but a more recent development has been to move this look from foyers and living rooms to the most intimate and personal of spaces: the bedroom.
Displaying family photos, mementos or some favorites from your art collection makes your bedroom feel even more personal, distinguishing it from any hotel room. It’s also a great way to fill in the space above a headboard to complete the look of your statement bed and to give the entire room a focal wall to draw you in.
Caution: If placing framed works on a wall beside the bed, be sure to attach them securely — and consider a different location if you live in earthquake country.
5. Green. With Greenery being Pantone’s 2017 Color of the Year, we can expect to see this hue continue to work its way deeper into the home.
The near-neutral quality of subdued greens like sage, mint and forest make them perfect for a bedroom, as they’re able to work with other accent hues or stand on their own to give the space personality without shouting for attention.
Modern fans: Look to heritage hues with hints of gray to bring a mature air and a traditional twist that pairs beautifully even with more contemporary furnishings.
6. Velvet. Velvet is a strong trend this year for all rooms in the home. Bringing in this sumptuous texture through smaller accents such as pillows or a side chair gives a bedroom a sense of luxury. Just make sure to include some classic white bedding to keep the look balanced and practical.
7. Moody lighting. In some rooms you want the lighting to be highly functional, to brighten the space but also to help with tasks. In a bedroom, one of the main tasks is falling asleep, so except for the occasional reading light, you can allow the lighting to be more shadowed or subdued, or at least make sure you have the option for it. Including dimmer switches, wall washes and asymmetrical or clustered lights will ensure the overall lighting scheme isn’t too perfectly even and bright, thus creating a more intimate mood to lull you to sleep.
8. Pendants and sconces. Speaking of lighting, while there are endless numbers of beautiful table lamps to choose from, we’re seeing more and more designers select pendant lights and sconces to go above the nightstands.
This style of light can be quite practical, as it frees up space on the nightstand for other items (such as your electronics or a carafe of water). It also makes a style statement that feels unique and high-end, even with a simple fixture in a geometric shape such as a classic white globe.
Don’t want to open the walls to add a hard-wired fixture? Plug-in sconces and pendants can create a similar effect, making the casual elegance of a draped wire wrapped around a post or decorative bracket part of the charm.
9. Black, white and gray. For those who eschew bold colors, a gorgeous bedroom can be created with a simple palette of black, white and gray.
This timeless combination gives a room an instant sense of maturity and sophistication, but it can also be warm and welcoming if you make sure to include strong doses of texture and pattern. Use patterned pillows and wallpapers, art, textural fabrics and hints of wood and plant life to make sure the space feels complex and inviting to the touch.
10. Charging stations. Despite our best intentions, our glowing devices often work their way into the bedroom. But even if your cellphone is also your alarm clock, you don’t have to let the clutter of wires and adaptors ruin your decor.
Including cleverly hidden charging stations in your nightstand will give you a dedicated place to stash your devices, so you always know where they are but don’t have to always see them. Look for furniture pieces with integrated charging shelves or cubbies, or use furniture pieces with an open back or center shelf placed in front of a low outlet to keep the clutter at bay.
11. Pixelation. There are some beautiful things to be found in the digital era, and one of them is colorful, pixelated motifs and prints.
Whether you go for a large, lively dose of pixelated pattern on a wallpaper or a smaller piece of artwork, this modern look brings a fun twist to your space that can complement more traditional pieces and textures.
