Check out our latest magazine... Read Online

Amazing Bedrooms

Is your bedroom crying out for a makeover? Take a little inspiration from the latest design trends, as Hanna Prince finds out

It’s the first thing you see when you wake up – so why is bedroom decor so often an after-thought when it comes to home design? This is the one area of the house where you can really give your creativity full reign. Bedroom furnishings needn’t be hardwearing, easy to clean or super functional. In other words, forget compromise and let your imagination take wing. Need a little inspiration? From cosy Nordic style to flamboyant expressionism, here’s our pick of the top up and coming bedroom trends.

MIDCENTURY MODERN

The obsession with simple, clean home designs from the 1950s and 60s shows no signs of abating. Vintage midcentury pieces are hard to come by, but there are some beautiful contemporary reproductions out there. Think minimalist wooden furniture and parquet floors paired with shaggy printed rugs and opulent bed linen. Midcentury modern styles tend to display best against a white backdrop, but you could always mix modes and experiment with another top bedroom trend: 70s-style feature walls.

50 SHADES OF GREY

Grey is the new white when it comes to bedroom design. Don’t be afraid to mix and match shades of grey, picking slightly different tints for curtains, bed linen, headboards and floors. It’s a trend that works well with the industrial look – slim-legged metallic furniture, factory-style lighting and concrete walls or floors. Use pictures or even pot plants to add a final touch of colour.

NORDIC RETREAT

‘Hygge’ might have had its day, but Nordic design remains in the spotlight. Cosiness is the key to this look, which is what makes it so perfect for bedrooms. Use textures instead of colours to add interest, draping soft furnishings with sheepskin rugs, woollen blankets, cotton throws and cushions. Opt for a warm, neutral palette, adding impact with a dark accent colour. Finally, ramp up the cosiness with soft lighting and candles.

ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM

The antithesis of Nordic comfort, this style takes its cue from the abstract expressionist art movement of the 1940s. It’s all about geometrics and bold colours – if you want your bedroom to be fun and flamboyant rather than understated, this is the look for you. Go with punchy colour combinations (red and navy or yellow and mauve) and make a statement with geometric shapes on cushions, duvet covers, rugs and wallpaper.

JAPANDI

Blend elegant Japanese design with the calm and clean Scandi mode and you get Japandi – the interior design trend that’s set to dominate home style this year. Clean lines, functionality and simplicity are key. When it comes to bedrooms, that means stripping out nick nacks and opting for hard floors, futon-style beds and zero clutter. Bringing nature indoors with pot plants, climbing greenery or bonsai trees will also help create a Japandi feel. Try organising your space according to the principles of kanso, the Japanese equivalent of feng shui, to complete the aesthetic.

PERFECT PRINTS

Statement wallpaper and fabric prints are making a splash this season. Botanical wallpaper is set to be particularly popular – but it has to be bright and bold. Use it to create a feature wall or spruce up an en-suite bathroom. The aim is to bring nature indoors with tropical leaves, painted palms or zingy flower designs. Scared to commit? Stick-on wallpaper is a great way of experimenting with bold colours without any pressure. If a full wall of florals seems like too much, consider a nod to the botanical trend with printed cushions, blankets or bed linen.

MOODY BLUES

The 2020 Pantone Colour of the Year is Classic Blue – a clear sign that blue tones are enjoying a renaissance. Paired with white accents, navy works on bed throws, walls, cushions and bedside tables. Introducing navy into your bedroom could also be the key to getting more sleep. Researchers have named it the world’s most relaxing colour, making it perfect for bedrooms. Luxurious textiles, soft lighting and a clutter-free minimalist style can also help to create a peaceful, serene bedroom environment.

More from Homes and Gardens

  • Blooming Times: Winter Wonders

    Flowering in the coldest months may seem counter- intuitive, but from a plant’s perspective, there is a distinct advantage – a lack of competition. Flo Whitaker picks six of the best winter- scented shrubs

  • Blooming Times: The Answer Lies in the Soil

    Soil is the gardener’s greatest asset. Understand it, look after it – and many of your horticultural problems will resolve themselves, writes Flo Whitaker

  • Blooming Times: Heavenly Hyacinths

    Versatile, easy-going hyacinths bring colour and scent indoors and out, writes Flo Whitaker

  • Legendary Builds with Phoenix Construction Services

    Phoenix Construction Services has worked on everything from A-list homes to museum conversions – now the company is turning its attention to local projects. Hanna Prince meets director Mark Woods to find out more

  • Blooming Times: Know Your Enemy

    Plagued with Vine Weevils? Enraged by Lily Beetles? Despairing of Box Caterpillars? Flo Whitaker investigates three of the most troublesome gardening pests

  • Bespoke Dreams from Eridge Green Kitchens

    Rob Wheeler’s passion for inspired carpentry and woodwork is unmistakable and instigated the creation of Eridge Green Kitchens. With a new showroom on the way and business flourishing, Robert Veitch went to visit the workshop

  • 10 Hot Years: iFit Fires & Flues

    iFit Fires & Flues Ltd are celebrating 10 years of successful business. The warm and genuine couple behind the name, Paul and Jo, share the secrets of with Sara Whatley

  • Home Style: Bold Type

    Textile designer Zoe Davis and her husband James have transformed a Grade-II listed farmhouse with a vibrant pallet and vintage finds

  • Blooming Times: The Sky's the Limit

    The clematis family offers flowers in a wide array of colours and shapes, and there are varieties for nearly every month of the year, says Flo Whitaker

  • Home Style: A Better Way of Life

    When Catherine and her late husband Dr Brian Sack left London for a more rural lifestyle. They bought a 16th century cottage and created a home full of modern artwork and stylish vintage French finds

  • Homes Extra: Shed Space

    Are you thinking of a new shed, greenhouse or garden room? Sara Whatley gives you some food for thought on all three

  • Blooming Times: Top of the Pots

    How are your patio pots? Show-stopping, or lacklustre? Time to try some different planting combinations, suggests Flo Whitaker

  • Kids Zone: Get the Kids Growing

    Read on for some green fingered ideas to get the kids involved in the garden from Sara Whatley

  • Home Style: Pastures New

    The grass really was greener for this family, who left behind their recently remodelled London house for a new life in the country

  • Homes Extra: Let There Be Light

    Read on for the latest in home and garden lighting ideas for a bright and up to date space, says Sara Whatley

  • Blooming Times: Wisteria Hysteria

    With its exquisitely fragrant, show-stopping blooms, wisteria is the queen of spring climbers – yet it can be frustratingly sulky and thuggish. Flo Whitaker offers a quick troubleshooting guide to floral success

  • Home Style: Home on Wheels

    A plot on the family farm with stunning marshland views was the ideal spot for Freddie Pack and Katie McNie to build their new home – a cabin on wheels

  • Home Style: Modern Outlook

    Downsizing couple Pauline and Bill chose practicality over space, but didn’t compromise on their love of mid-century style

  • Blooming Times: Dahlia Mania

    Inexpensive, hardworking plants with blooms in a vast array of colours and shapes - no flower is perfect, but dahlias come pretty close, says Flo Whitaker

  • Home Style: Time to Heal

    After losing her husband, Tracy Nors threw all her energies into renovating a period terrace in the pretty town of Rye