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Pale hues may be the reigning palette of choice among most of our bedrooms, but lately we've been studying some inspiring examples of sleep spaces that pull off bold saturated hues while still preserving an overall feeling of peaceful relaxation. What's the secret formula?

Wood tones! Well, that and a few other things such as a neutral backdrop and the use of only one dominant color for accent pieces. A bright color on a pale neutral canvas alone often makes for a bedroom that's usually one notch too peppy for the color wary. However, when tempered with a few touches of natural wood even the most saturated of lively citrus hues have a chance of preserving the peace. Let's take a look...

• 1 & 2. It's hard to go wrong with a nature inspired palette, so it's not surprising to find bright apple and olive greens looking quite soothing when paired with expanses of airy cloud white and natural wood tone accents.
• 3, 4 & 5. Without the punches of yellow these rooms may border on anemic, but the carefully placed punches of yellow infuse the rooms with life while still managing to retain the serene vibe.

In general I think a room with only one primary accent color can look a tad sterile, but in the bedroom, especially where a few wooden accents are mixed in, the one color punch does wonders for the calm factor.

What's your take?

(Images: 1: Rachel Whiting, 2: Nuevo Estilo, 3: Leah Moss, 4: Margot Austin, 5: Martha Stewart)