Warming colours for your bedroom

In colder months we yearn for warmer tones. Why not dress your bedroom in toasty colours to help you get into that bundled-up, cosy mood?

It’s that time of year when we all want to bundle up inside, safe and cosy away from the cold and dark outdoors. Dressing gowns and slippers feel like a must, especially as we want to save a little here and there for the holidays ahead. Our homes can make us feel warm, and not just literally.

Colour psychology is a well-known and documented topic, but did you know you can apply it to your home? With clever use of warm tones and colours, you can feel roasty-toasty and happier in your bedroom as you drift off to sleep.

Looking for warm bedroom colours can seem a little daunting, but that’s what we’re here for. Let’s dive under the sheets and see why the colour of your bedroom matters, as well as four good choices to add a little heat without turning up the radiators.

Why does the bedroom’s colour matter?

Our minds are powerful. Let’s lead it to a warmer state of being.

We all want to bundle up and feel warm in the winter months, particularly if we can avoid blasting the heating. What if we told you it’s simple to trick your mind into feeling cosy? Together, we’ll help you create a space to bring all the warmth to your home.

While often cited on anecdotal evidence, studies have been carried out that scientifically demonstrated warm colours can make you perceive temperature differently. Appearance naturally has a bias on the brain, so warm tones make the mind believe it is in a warmer environment than it may actually be.

One great example from the study is that people reported a cup of coffee served in a red cup as being the warmest of the group. The psychological connection between red and warmth is well known, and while it won’t replace the need for heating systems, it gives us a good grounding to add these toastier tones to our bedrooms.

How to tell if a colour is warm or cool

Cooling in the summer, warming in the winter. Is this how it works? Or do the undertones do the talking?

It can be a little tricky at first to consciously see the difference between a warm and cool tone. We can be affected by a tone without understanding why, after all. One of the easiest ways to tell is by using the colour wheel.

Warm tones have red and yellow in them. This is because, when blended together to make new hues, red and yellow are the primary colours that give warmth and depth to them. Orange is the prime example of a warm secondary colour, but other tones we may not expect can have this toasty element to them as well.

A more simple layman’s way of testing if a tone is warm or cool is to hold a sample up next to something that’s pure white. It’s easier to tell when there’s no underlying tone in the contrasting piece.

Four warming colour choices

Let’s find the sweet spot and choose those tones to lead us to our happy place.

Now we’ve talked about the hows and whys behind warming colours, let’s dig into four great choices to add that cosy vibe to any bedroom space!

Terracotta orange

Old-world tones help bring the Mediterranean to our homes.

Terracotta is often associated with pottery of the same name. Where do we encounter this? On summer holidays, at tapas bars, or with snacks on the beach. Late nights out with family, friends, and loved ones. These happy, positive memories are warming on their own, but add in their Mediterranean backdrops and the association is clear.

The orange hues in terracotta make them a great playful fit for a room and can be used as the main event or an accent. Cream walls would contrast wonderfully with the Gallway 3-Seater Clic-Clac Sofa Bed in an office-turned-guestroom space, as one example. You can keep the theme going with matching rugs and artwork, or even pottery pieces scattered around the room.

Red pigments, dark or light

Mysterious or playful, with a heated undertone to keep the cold at bay.

There’s no denying red’s power as a warming colour. While not often considered when people look at the colour psychology for your bedroom, when used right the red hues make a great addition to a toasty space.

We’d advise against going full bright with red, and instead, recommend going for mixed shades to add that pleasant feel to your bedroom. Dusty pinks evoke summer sunsets, with dust spiralling into the sky. Deep reds bring that ember-like palette to a space, a perfect pairing with candles or a fireplace if you’re lucky enough to have one in the bedroom.

Sage green

Comforting, and almost regal, sage green gives you that touch of nature without that touch of cold.

Sometimes colour does more than simply add warmth. It adds a sense of calm and relaxation, bringing a zen-like feel to a bedroom. We’ve talked about adding the colours of zen to your bedroom before, but how does it work when it comes to warmth?

Imagine a mug of tea. Usually, it’s brown. But for many people, green tea is the go-to cuppa, and that warm green tone in the hands usually has sage-like properties to its hue. Ride on that feeling by adding chunky sage green blankets and throws to your bedroom, or even natural artwork that heavily features the tone.

Earthy browns

Let’s reground our homes and our minds as we head into colder times.

Imagine a forest in the autumn; brown hues are everywhere, from the leaves on the trees to the ground below your feet. Despite a bite to the air, there’s a warmth in you as you walk through the landscape, marvelling at the hues and the changing of seasons.

Earthy browns have the power to bring a grounding warmth to any space. They help give a cocoon-like feel and can be dramatic in their own right. Dark chocolate shades bring up steamy cups of cocoa, wood tones burning fires. Get inspired by our brown bed frames and bring that vibe to your bedroom.

How to use warming colours in the bedroom

Go all in on warming colours

Got a big bedroom you want to bring that warmth and cosiness into? Or, just want to go all out and deep-end into the colour scheme? Then go for it! Choosing all warm colours and tones for a room really emphasises the feel of that space.

If you’re not sure which colour to go for, why not choose some furniture and base everything around it? A sage green room, painted to match the TEMPUR Duke Velvet-Finish Ottoman Bed Frame and matched with an earthy-toned floor would make for a wonderfully warming and woodland-themed room. Add in some orange pillows and cushions, maybe a bench at the end of the bed, and you can imagine it being incredibly cosy on a dark and stormy night.

This is just one example, of course. You can go as big as you want with this style, and take as many angles as you want. Bring in the orange, make the room a deep red all over, or have it pop with rich pinks!

Warm accents to the room

A touch of warmth to an otherwise neutral space brings that toasty feel to any bedroom.

If the idea of draping your room entirely in one or two colours isn’t feasible, or something you want to tackle, consider accent notes instead. Whether that’s adding a feature wall painted a deep red, or bringing in brown accessories and furniture to a white-painted room, there are many ways to add warming tones without going all-in.

Use a lighter, more neutral tone on the walls and contrast with a sage green sofa. Add in some earthy blankets and cushions, and bring in some terracotta pots and vases to the bedroom. Change the bedsheets from a crisp white to a deep pink and add extra touches of pink around the room. Play around with different configurations to see what works best in the space you have – it’s yours, after all!