If you’re searching for a relaxing and restful effect for the wall color in your bedroom, then navy blue, gray and white may make it happen. These light, light and dark hues naturally create variety and interest, while evoking a mood of cool peace of mind. Together with the bed the room’s focal point, its color relationship with the wall behind the headboard becomes key to this room’s scheme. Pattern — repeated decorative designs — generates interest when balanced by calmer solid color areas. Use light resources, room dimensions and furnishings style to help you choose where to use patterns and seams and fashion an ideal design strategy for your own space.
Headboard Accent Wall
Paint dark grey or navy blue behind the headboard to create a dramatic accent wall. Any grey tone harmonizes with the warm tones of finely finished wood, while navy blue provides powerful contrast against a white headboard. For an understated headboard, a well-framed work of art above the bed adds both style and color. If you prefer a softer, lighter effect, use light gray or white behind the bed and also maintain the room’s baseboard, window and door trim white too.
Special Effect Patterns
Upholster a headboard in a pattern that harmonizes with your personality — for instance, a bold, contemporary zigzag pattern in navy blue and white, or even utilize a subtle stripe-on-stripe in vibrant grey. Wallpaper the headboard wall at a dark blue-on-white toile pattern to offset a French country-style headboard, or utilize off-white grass cloth to contribute textural interest to a minimalist contemporary bed. For ultimate luxury, upholster the headboard wall with a solid or patterned fabric. Depending on your style, use fabric with rich texture for a good color, go for an ethnic ikat pattern in navy, gray and white, or even a delicate Jacobean floral. Seam together lengths of yardage and staple into place. Hide staples with a wood trim frame.
The Surrounding Walls
Paint the surrounding walls navy blue to coordinate with the headboard wall for an intimate, cozy feeling. But while you paint white trim and baseboards, the deep color looks clean and sharp. All-gray walls enclose the room, making a quiet, secure feeling. You could also couple a dark gray headboard wall with varied tones of gray on the surrounding walls to make the room seem larger, and also to achieve an urban, sophisticated and modern look. White woodwork with grey walls highlights the architectural structure of this room — a desirable effect in a larger space. Contrast a dark-toned characteristic wall with white surrounding walls to give the room an open, airy feeling.
Floors and Fabrics With Flair
Manage the light in the room by plugging a dark, medium or light carpet tone to this massive color area. A high contrast layout — white linear circles on navy — brings focus to the floor and adds energy to the room. A subdued layout — little camel squares on gray — adds textural interest but visually remains in the background. On bare floors, area rugs in solids or patterns that feature the three major colors ties the floors to the room’s color scheme. A patterned bedspread may also establish the style and color scheme of the room. Bold, large navy-on-white patterns derived from ethnic ikat cloths or Moroccan trellis layouts update traditional furniture and mix handsomely with contemporary pieces. Repeat a fabric layout in draperies, seating upholstery or pillows to accomplish unity. If you upholstered a wall with patterned fabric, repeat this pattern at other locations round the room.