Still on the fence about painting our bedroom and bath. While it’s a neutral, moody, dark-for-me color, it can feel sad when it’s gloomy outside like today. If you’re on the fence about something design-wise, it’s helpful to reconnect with inspiration and designs you love. So it’s time to visit an eclectic range of romantic tranquil bedrooms as well as paint color ideas.
Romantic Tranquil Bedrooms to Inspire
Personal Bedroom Renovation Journey
Last year we finally addressed ours! It wasn’t just cosmetic either. Framing, drywall, closet remodel, and full gut of the primary bath! Here’s a view when we framed a new wall between the sitting room and bedroom.
Seven windows meant the elements and light outside were an issue for temperature regulation and optimal sleep. I decided we needed an exterior door and an arch to soften the expanse of wall:
My husband was very resistant to this design idea of mine. This level of construction is not his idea of “romance for the bedroom.” 🙂 And I’m not sure I could have convinced him were it not for my suggestion that he could incorporate an antique exterior door he collected years ago.
Our bedroom and bath are full of angles and fussy aspects so I think it seemed illogical to him to add more architectural elements. But a new wall subdued the fussy-ness of the turret’s angles and all of its windows…the curved doorway softened the overall feel.
Painting all of the trim and doors in the bedroom also softened it and helped it feel more tranquil.
It’s a good thing there’s no video footage of me painting the trim on the 11 windows in our suite because 6 coats of primer and enamel on those babies to arrive at ‘romantic and tranquil’ was not the most tranquil of times.
Thank goodness I only had one day of painting for our closet before my husband installed the new modules and custom details that serve us daily.
You’ve got to love when a project surpasses your expectations.
We’re so pleased with the transformation.
I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.
Romantic Tranquil Bedrooms to Admire
I think you’ll be surprised at the diversity here!
Because while there are certainly some common denominators for timeless and tranquil bedroom design (restful, gentle colors on the walls, no jolting contrasts), there are countless ways to create a retreat that will feel relevant for years to come. The restraint of a Rose Uniacke designed bedroom is key to the serenity and timelessness. Does a bedroom need to stimulate your appetite or reflect your art interests or show off personal collections? Because I want my bedroom to feel like a restful womb. I don’t need it to show off and appeal to others.
But we’re all so different. Lots of designers think seriously about the color story for a bedroom so that clients feel they look optimally attractive in them. So much psychology to consider if you’re into such exploration.
I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.
Minimalistic California Luxe
Is it my favorite style? Probably! I never seem to tire of the work of the Giannettis. They understand nature and tranquility so well and their taste is just…
well it’s exquisite. Here’s another iteration of their former Patina Farm bedroom…
When you’re after romance for an interior, you often turn to history and antiques or vintage pieces. But which antiques? French and Gustavian pieces work so well and feel so interesting when the bones and context are modern, lofty, and airy.
Amber Lewis is another California designer who strikes just the right earthy balance!
Three Designers, One Bedroom
English Countryside Romance
I fell in love with the look of the bedrooms at Heckfield Place, a magical property that feels like the perfect home away from home.
The walls in the bedroom above remind me a bit of how ours feel currently: muddy and masculine. How does the mood change when the color is softer:
Or when the undertones of the paint contain less brown and more green:
You can sense the organic feel of this sage color above…it looks like Lichen:
and I can imagine it being a great choice in an urban setting where there aren’t many trees around. My own setting includes an expanse of green grass and trees…does a green-gray make more or less sense? How does the tension created from a cool color influence the overall mood?
Cool Blues for a Bedroom
Blue can be so calming, uplifting, tranquil and inspiring. If you have worked with blue paint colors, then you probably know. The best blues tend to be cool grays:
How do you feel about the traditional look of a repetitive pattern? Would this be too overstimulating for your taste?
Because rooms can be romantic but not necessarily tranquil. Nature-themed wallcoverings evoke different emotions for different people. If a floral pattern reminds you of your grandmother’s house and stirs up nostalgia, does that make it a wise option for your bedroom?
There are so many tranquil wallpaper options, and it’s a big decision to take your time with. Sample, sample, sample! Live with samples before pulling the trigger.
Muted Palettes for Peaceful Interiors
Even if you narrow it down to white or a neutral hue, be prepared to devote time to choosing the RIGHT white for your boudoir.
Depending on the light a bedroom receives, cool or warm undertones in the white color can make all the difference.
A restrained color palette is often calming and easy to live with through the seasons. Which reminds me of a point I don’t often see discussed within interiors blogging. Choosing the best color palettes must consider geography and whether there are changing seasons. The same white here in Northern Illinois can be all wrong for a home in the Southwest.
I’m beginning to wonder if my discontent with our bedroom wall color is about the changing seasons. The color is experienced in a different way according to the season. So I’m wondering if there’s a better option that will convey as tranquil and lovely across the seasons…when the trees are bare, when the winter light has a serene pinkness, when the summer sunshine is streaming.
I find it so interesting that so many people fear that by practicing restraint in their color stories or design in general, somehow they will be perceived as boring.
If you are decorating for others, then perhaps that makes sense. But if you are designing and choosing to please yourself, it matters not how your choices will be perceived. What constitutes “taking a risk” for one person may be “playing it safe” for another. We’re all so different with varying needs, personalities, and comfort levels.
Modern Rustic Restful
If your ceiling is low, there’s an opportunity to bring everything lower in the bedroom:
And doesn’t an earthy direction make sense for such low living?
Here’s another inspiring idea to add earthy elegance to a romantic bedroom. Hang a collected tapestry as a headboard and focal point drawing the eye upward.
I love seeing the work of Brooke Giannetti in their new residence which has a completely different quality of light than their West Coast homes!
Can you capture a Zen feel with country style?
Oh, yeahhhhh. Earth tones and unfussy, casual, rustic style feel calming and livable.
Elegant Chic Sanctuaries that Sing
If a Stockholm apartment be thy fantasy, by all means HAVE THY FANTASY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!
Ya know? Even if the rest of your home is very specific in style or color story. You are allowed to diverge from the whole if it fills your heart with wonder. Maybe it’s not Stockholm that captures your imagination as much as Hollywood Regency style…
As for me, the fantasy is anything the beyond lovely designer Jill Egan would choose for her own home…
The level of thoughtfulness and taste is so poetic that one feels inspired to start from scratch, peeling away all of the unnecessary until raw beauty begins to shimmer.
Minimal Belgian style and Scandinavian influences also appear in the work of Desiree Ashworth. She’s ever seeking raw authenticity, storied pieces, and pared down simplicity.
Does an airy light mood make sense for what you constitute as tranquil, timeless, and romantic?
These are questions to ponder as you peruse these examples of beautiful bedrooms.
Casual, Livable Calm Bedrooms
I hope these ideas for calm bedrooms have inspired fresh ideas and fresh questions. After all, design is so subjective, and the range of possibilities is terribly wide.
If I could encourage you to do one thing more than all of the others, it would be to spend as much time as possible getting to know yourself. The best designs will flow from this self-awareness. And the best designers will be skilled in reading your spirit and maybe understanding your deep desires more than even you!
Because it is truly astounding that so many of us move through our lives in a sort of trance, rarely taking the time to consider what we desire, what satisfaction looks like, or how we want our lives to feel rather than how we want our lives to look.
I hope these reflections help you organize your dreams and schemes, and I’m always willing to listen if you have questions. (If you subscribe, simply hit reply to the post in your email to chat.)
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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