Choosing Bedroom Paint Colours and Finishes

Bedrooms are where colour choices matter most, because you see them first thing in the morning and last thing at night. A colour that looks calm on a paint chip can look cold, grey or yellow on your wall. A little process makes the choice much easier.

Start with the light in the room

The direction a window faces changes every colour in the room. In Toronto, north-facing bedrooms get cool, even light that makes colours look greyer and darker. South-facing rooms get warm, strong light that brightens colours and can make warm tones look yellow. East-facing rooms are bright in the morning and dim in the evening; west-facing rooms are the opposite.

• North-facing: warmer whites, soft beiges and warm greys keep the room from feeling cold.
• South-facing: cooler whites, muted blues and greens stay calm in strong light.
• East or west: test colours at the time of day you use the room most.

Look at the undertone

Most neutral colours lean slightly towards a colour: pink, yellow, green, blue or violet. That undertone shows up next to your floors, bedding and furniture. Hold paint samples against the things that stay in the room, such as the floor and the headboard, and the undertone becomes easy to spot.

Always test on the wall

Paint a sample patch of each colour on two different walls, about the size of a sheet of paper or larger, and look at them in the morning, afternoon and evening with the lights on. Small chips under shop lighting are not a reliable guide.

At a Lumen Painting estimate we can bring samples and paint test patches in your room, so you can decide in your own light.

Choosing the finish

• Matte or flat: hides small wall imperfections and keeps light from glaring. Good for adult bedrooms and ceilings.
• Eggshell: a soft sheen that is easier to wipe. A good all-round choice.
• Satin: more washable, good for kids' rooms.
• Semi-gloss: for trim and doors, which get handled more.

Accent walls and ceilings

A deeper colour on the wall behind the bed adds depth without making the room feel small. Painting the ceiling a very light tint of the wall colour, rather than stark white, can make a room feel finished and calm. Keep the number of colours to two or three so the room stays restful.

Nurseries and kids' rooms

Plan nursery painting weeks before the baby arrives, so the room has time to air out, and ventilate well. Low-odour paints help. For kids' rooms, a washable eggshell or satin finish makes fingerprints and crayon easier to clean, and a colour you can live with for a few years saves repainting every time tastes change.

Popular bedroom colour families

• Warm whites and creams: bright and calm, and easy to pair with any bedding.
• Greige: a mix of grey and beige that suits both warm and cool light.
• Muted greens: soft sage and olive tones feel natural and restful.
• Dusty blues: calm in south-facing rooms; can feel cool in north-facing ones.
• Deep accents: charcoal, navy or forest green on one wall adds depth behind a bed.

Small bedrooms

Light colours make small rooms feel larger, but so does keeping contrast low. Painting the trim the same colour as the walls, or only a shade lighter, blurs the edges of the room. A slightly lighter ceiling than the walls keeps the room from feeling boxed in.

Sleeping in a freshly painted room

With today's low-odour interior paints and good ventilation, many bedrooms can be used the same evening. Open the windows during the day, keep the door open while the paint dries and run a fan if you can. If anyone in the household is sensitive to smells, plan the bedroom early in the week so it has a few days to air out.

Ready for a new bedroom colour? See our bedroom painting service or book a free estimate.

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