Popular Colours for Bedrooms - What Colour Will You Decorate Yours?
Lauren JaquesA wide range of eclectic (and at times, questionable) interior design styles for bedrooms have come and gone over the years.
We've seen it all, from the bold and busy Chintz patterns of the 80s to the Friends' inspired purple walls of the 90s and the shabby chic obsession of the early noughties.
But what's happening in the world of bedroom interiors right now?
We surveyed 1000 people to find out the current bedroom trends happening across the UK in 2022.
Popular bedroom colour palettes
The results of our survey revealed white to be the most popular bedroom colour choice, with 39% of the vote (a). Many people also reported they don’t have just one main feature colour in their bedroom (b), preferring instead to have many different shades, such as pale pink, cream, white, brown, and beige. Grey was also a very popular choice, particularly among women (c). When we asked why people would choose white for their bedrooms, the responses given were that white gives ‘peace vibes’ and helps to ‘clear the mind’. White is also a fantastic way to create the illusion of a larger room, which is particularly helpful for smaller bedrooms.
Brown was also regularly mentioned as a shade that people like to mix with other colours. Brown is currently very popular in the interior design world and is a colour we often see in nature, which could explain why people may choose this colour for a bedroom, to help ground them and connect them to their natural environment (1).
According to the Architectural Digest , colours tend to become popular when they reflect the consumer's current situation. For example, living through the COVID19 pandemic has been a period of uncertainty and anxiety for many people, which could explain why people are choosing more earthy, calming bedroom colours commonly associated with feelings of peace, calmness, and serenity.
The controversial bedroom colour choice
Although softer and more muted shades came out as the most popular, black also featured significantly across the demographics we surveyed. It was a particular favourite of the younger generation, with just over 16% of 16 to 24-year-olds saying they had black as their main bedroom colour, compared with just over 1% of adults over the age of 55 (d).
When we asked our respondents to give their opinions on how colours can impact mood, several comments were made about darker colours such as black being ‘morbid’, ‘depressing’ and even ‘claustrophobic’. However, black continues to appear in many interior design trends this year.
Black is a bold statement to make in a bedroom, but it can add a luxurious contemporary feel. To soften and add depth, you may want to pair it with pastel colours of white, grey, pale pinks or beige. Adding natural linens and a mixture of textures and patterns can help break up the black and add a beautiful contrast to such a solid colour (2).
Colours and our mood
Brighter colours can be seen as "more cheerful"
We were curious to find out if people’s colour choices were affected by how they believe colour makes them feel. Over 50% said they do feel colours affected their mood (e). When we asked them to explain how they think colours influence us, the responses given were that people felt brighter colours were more ‘cheerful’ and helped them feel ‘happy’ and ‘positive’.
Despite people associating brighter colours with happiness, shades of orange, red and yellow ranked the lowest in popularity. Only 1% of those surveyed reported having orange as their main bedroom colour, this was closely followed by red at just over 2% and yellow at 3% (f). As brighter colours are often more vivid and vibrant, it could be they are too jarring to have in a room where you need to get a restful night’s sleep. We explored this a little further in our recent article, looking at which colours help us to sleep best.
When asked about lighter colours, those we surveyed often used words ‘calming’, ‘soothing’ and ‘relaxing’ to describe how these shades make them feel. Soft and more pastel colours, such as pale greens and blues, are strongly associated with calmness and serenity and are colours we often see in nature in the form of beautiful blue skies and luscious green fields (3). Therefore it's not surprising we often see these colours in yoga studios or health spas, and why they would work perfectly in a bedroom.
Looking to the future
The Jackson Wooden Bed Frame contains recycled wood
Of the 1000 people we surveyed, just over 75% said they wouldn’t want to change the current colour of their bedroom (g). When asked why, the most common reasons were affordability, that they had recently redecorated, or simply that they liked its current colour.
Those who did want to change the colour of their bedroom said their primary motivation was to make the space more ‘relaxing’, ‘restful’ ‘cosy’ in order to ‘help them sleep better.’ Whites, greys and light blues continued to be the most popular shades when asked what colour they would choose (h).
According to the National Design Academy, when predicting interior designs beyond 2022, we should be looking at social media. They say colour and design trends are now usually seen first through social media influencers which have a significant impact on the decisions consumers make. When we look at platforms such as Instagram and see the crisp clean aesthetics that so often accompany the interiors of popular influencers, it’s easy to see why whites, creams and neutral palettes continue to be favoured over darker, bolder colours.
Sustainability is also likely to be a predominant theme in the interior design space over the next few years. It’s likely we’ll see even more natural textures, organic fabrics, and soft colours to help us feel calmer, grounded and more connected to nature (4).
Customise your bed with Bensons for Beds
If you’re looking to stay on trend but don’t want a total bedroom makeover, at Bensons for Beds we offer a range of customisable beds, which can be a great way to add a dash of personality to your room without changing the room entirely. Benson’s your bed, your way® service allows you to choose the headboard, base and fabric you want to create the perfect cosy bedroom. Choose colours such as French blue, linen beige, blush pink or pastel grey for a more muted palette or go bold with ink blue, linen charcoal or graphite grey.
Research:
(a)394 out of 1000 respondents said ‘white’ when asked ‘What is the main colour palette of your bedroom, if any?’
(b)168 out of 1000 respondents said ‘there isn’t any main colour’ when asked ‘What is the main colour palette of your bedroom, if any?’
(c)100 out of 1000 respondents said ‘grey’ when asked ‘What is the main colour palette of your bedroom, if any?’ 14.96% of women responded ‘grey’ compared to 4.88% of men.
(d)21 out of 131 respondents aged 16-24 said ‘black’ when asked ‘What is the main colour palette of your bedroom, if any?’ 4 out of 384 respondents aged 55+ said ‘black’ when asked ‘What is the main colour palette of your bedroom, if any?’
(e)502 of 1000 respondents said, ‘Yes’ when asked ‘In your opinion, do you feel the colour you choose for interior design can have an impact on your mood?’
(f)When asked ‘What is the main colour palette of your bedroom, if any?’, of the 1000 respondents, 11 said orange, 28 said red and 30 said yellow.
(g)757 out of 1000 people said ‘no’ when asked ‘would you like to change the colour of your bedroom’?
(h)When asked ‘If you were to change the colour of your bedroom, which colour would you choose, if any?’ 173 of 1000 respondents answered ‘white’. 94 of 1000 respondents answered ‘grey’ and 82 of 1000 respondents answered ‘blue’.
Sources
(1) Why Brown Is the Home Decor Color of 2022 | Vogue
(3) The best and worst colours to paint your bedroom
(4) Interior design trends 2022: Sustainability, biophilia and the Colours of the Year | Luxury London