Painting & Pattern Ideas for a Bedroom

Look to paint to liven up your bedroom or tone it down

By Stevie Donald

Photo by iStockphoto.com

A bedroom is one of the most personal spaces in your home. Use paint to set a mood and patterns to match your tastes and interests. Get even more creative with faux painting and stenciling.

Considerations

Make choices on color, pattern and decor depending on whose bedroom it is. Children often like clear, bright colors. Your own bedroom is your personal space: Make it tranquil or dramatic depending on your tastes.

Effects

Color can affect mood. Greens and soft blues are generally restful colors, while primary reds and yellows are energizing and uplifting. Consider colors in both daylight and artificial light.

Matching Comforter

Get inspiration for wall colors and patterns from your comforter or other fabrics in the room. Pick a base color from the fabric, and make a stencil repeating one of the patterns and repeat it in a wall border or over the bed.

Size

Multiple small patterns in a variety of colors can make a small bedroom seem busy and cluttered. Large bedrooms look cool and stark painted all white: Choose rich, warm colors to make it feel cozier.

Faux Painting

Faux painting and specialty paints, such as suede or sand-textured ones, personalize a bedroom. Introduce patterns and overlays of colors with faux techniques, or use wallpaper or wallpaper borders to create depth and texture to your walls or ceiling.