Choosing a Paint Color for Your Bedroom

As with choosing a paint color for any other room, the main thing to keep in mind when choosing a paint color for the bedroom is how color affects our moods, senses and emotions. Different colors can trigger different things. For example, red is a color that excites and has been shown in clinical studies to actually increase appetite. As you can see, shades of red would be much more appropriate for a kitchen or dining room than for a bedroom.

Another consideration is the size of the room. If you have a small bedroom and want to make it appear larger, you would want to choose lighter shades of whatever color you decide to go with because lighter colors open up a room, reflect more light and actually make the room appear larger. Darker colors, on the other hand can make a room look smaller. If you have an older home with unusually high ceilings or simply have a monstrous bedroom, you might actually want to choose darker colors to make it appear smaller.

People who sleep during the day, such as those who work third shift, might want to choose a dark paint color regardless of the size of the bedroom simply because it does reflect less light. Less ambient light reflected off the walls would definitely be a bonus and help someone sleep better during the bright daylight hours.

If you're using your bedroom for sleep and relaxation, primarily, you'll want to go with colors that calm and soothe. Soft neutral shades are good choices and you can even add a few splashes of color if you don't like the dullness of the neutrals. More common choices are cool colors like blue and green. You've probably noticed that most hotels use lots of blues and greens in the color schemes of their rooms. This is because they are calming, soothing colors which actually help most people rest and sleep better.

If you just don't like blues and greens, there are still ways to apply the principals of cool, soothing colors. Say your favorite color is red and you're just determined to decorate your bedroom in red. Consider a compromise. Perhaps you could paint the walls in a more neutral shade of taupe or a cool tan and then add some bright red accessories like a red bedspread and pillow shams. Maybe even use red curtains.

You could also try to find a shade of red that is on the cooler side. In color terms, warm and cool refer to color families. Warm colors are primarily bright reds, oranges and yellows while cool colors are mostly blues and greens or colors that contain a lot of those colors.

You could try to find a red that has more blue in it, leaning more toward purple, instead of a red that has more yellow in in. This would be a "cooler" red. You'll find more shades of each color than you thought were possible when you visit your paint supplier. You can even ask them to recommend a cool shade of red. Any clerk who knows his job at all will know what you're talking about. 

The main thing to keep in mind is that the bedroom is yours and you should choose a color you like and are comfortable with. It's best to get some paint samples from your local paint store or home center and actually tape several to the walls in various places around the room. Don't make the mistake of just doing this during the day and choosing a color. Leave them there for a day or two and see how each color looks in different lighting. Odds are, a good part of your time in the bedroom will be at night. See how each of the paint samples reacts with the lighting in your bedroom at night. Some colors that look great in natural daylight look horrible with the soft lighting often used in bedrooms.

Finally, just go with what makes you feel good. If you find a paint color you absolutely love and it doesn't fit with any of the advice given in the decorating magazines, or even in this article, go for it. That's the great thing about paint. If you get the room done and decide you don't love it nearly as much as you thought you would, you can always repaint!