Eye Candy: Calm Palette Bedrooms

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when lime green, sunny yellow, and tangerine orange seemed like appealing bedroom colors. Nothing like a jolt of colored energy first thing in the morning, right? Well, colors that seem vibrant and cheery when painting them on midday can turn garish at night and jarring in the AM. One too many early morning headaches have made us consider more serene dream schemes. Enjoy the calm emanating form these quiet, neutral spaces...

• 1 As refreshing Taupes, layers of white, and hints of dusty aqua create a soothing oasis.

• 2 The neutral scheme of whites and creams provide a gentle backdrop for the sepia photo and spunky, eye-catching light fixture.

• 3 Birds egg blues are a lovely way to introduce color into a neutral space while still allowing the spirit of calm to reign. Here, the Tiffany boxes and touches of blue in the painting are enough to enliven the otherwise spare room.

• 4 This is one of the bedrooms from Ina Garten's (aka the Barefoot Contessa) beautiful barn. Simplicity, a variety of whites, and understated details like the tone on tone pillowcase borders make this neutral room, designed by Robert Stilin, soothing rather than bland.

• 5 Ok, the bed alone is gorgeous, but the touches of calm blues bring the white scheme to life.

(Images: 1: Homes and Gardens, 2: Domino, 3, 5: Living Etc., 4: House Beautiful)

Comments (15)

my bedroom has similar tones and recently i took off my duvet cover, leaving a very white and bleached out aesthetic. i awoke to a VERY bright room when the mornings got sunny, it was blinding. That's the trade-off for a color palette like this, reflects light like you wouldn't believe.

posted by ljh on May 13th 2009 at 2:19pm
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I went from a bright bedroom:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/visualingual/2387697216/in/set-72157594505190197/

To a really soothing one, with just some simple changes:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/visualingual/2544389767/in/set-72157594505190197/

I love the calm, neutral colors!

posted by visualingual on May 13th 2009 at 2:20pm
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There is something to be said for simplicity. Very peaceful.

posted by sfteri on May 13th 2009 at 2:21pm
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Can anyone recommend a paint colour that would be similar to the gorgeous taupe in the first pic? Thank you.

posted by vasanticosmetics on May 13th 2009 at 3:06pm
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the first and third photos look very much like my bedroom... white with washed-out browns, grays and blue/greens sooths at night, and reflects a lot of light in the morning... works for me!

posted by sunan on May 13th 2009 at 4:13pm
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visualingual - I love how your kitty managed to squeeze him/her self into both the before and after shots!

posted by missmouse on May 13th 2009 at 4:54pm
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@vasanticosmetics... maybe the aura colors line from Benjamin Moore. They are very soothing colors.

posted by sfteri on May 13th 2009 at 4:59pm
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missmouse, cats are pros at strategic positioning!

posted by visualingual on May 13th 2009 at 5:57pm
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Where can I get that headboard?

posted by chrystiepher on May 13th 2009 at 6:49pm
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I just did my bedroom in greys and blues...I would have NEVER imagined myself having blue in the house, but I have never been happier with my bedroom! It's so soothing, I can't imagine it any other way.

posted by Erin Lang Norris/Yellow Canoe on May 13th 2009 at 9:14pm
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One thing I worry about is that you perhaps need really good light for these styles to look good? My bedroom is in these sorts of colours and it looks anaemic-but on a bright day it looks lovely. I don't know where to strike the balance.

posted by Sian on May 14th 2009 at 5:53am
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Love calm palette bedrooms, calm palette bathrooms, calm palette living rooms.

A loud kitchen is Ok.

posted by bromeliad on May 14th 2009 at 10:29am
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Serenity, NOW!!

posted by Seaside on May 14th 2009 at 1:33pm
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Where can I get that headboard in the first pic?

posted by grtdrg on May 17th 2009 at 8:08pm
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These are my kind of bedrooms. I redecorated my bedroom a couple years ago, going from bright blue walls with orange and brown accessories to dove grey walls with whites, light blues, and a hint of bottle green, and some nights I still find myself sitting in bed at night admiring everything and feeling very calm and peaceful. Before, I hated being in my bedroom at night because it was bright and unsettling, even with the lights off!

posted by KatieEve on July 7th 2009 at 9:02pm
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