50 Shades of Grey : Spice Up Your Bedroom

In recent months grey has gone from drab, to fab to mainstream and now some how back to a staple colour that shows no signs of fading away. The biggest problem however, with using such a hue is making sure its not a wash out especially in the sanctuary of a bedroom where most people want to feel both relaxed and inspired.

There’s a lot to be said on the psychology of bedroom colour pallets and the effects a shade can have on an individuals mood.

Red being so intense tends to raise a room’s energy levels; great for extra curricular activity but, not so great for winding down after a stressful day.

Yellow the colour of sunshine and friendship is often related to feelings of happiness. Despite its ability to energise studies show that people are more likely to lose their temper in a yellow interior and babies also seem to cry more in yellow rooms. Go figure!

Blue is said to bring down blood pressure and slow respiration and heart rate. That is why it is considered calming, relaxing and serene, and it is often recommended for bedrooms and bathrooms. However, it is easy to mistranslate blue, too light and it can feel cold, too dark and it can become almost black and over powering.

Neutrals & Grey are basic to the decorator’s tool kit. Add colour to liven things up; subtract it to calm things down.

When using a neutral such as grey, which would normally be used just as an accent the above chart is key to help balance the tone of colours you use to compliment your chosen colour of grey.

Here are some examples of grey bedrooms with colour splashes…

Another great way to avoid the intensity of colour and not over committing to a shade is to use a pattern or print. For a child’s room bold, simple prints such as stars and chevrons tend to be easy to work and great for covering a feature wall with a light splash of colour that can incorporate a collection of themes. Large floral prints can offer both a soft and dominant effect for an adults bedroom.

Heres a selection of this seasons fabric swatches to pin and save for your own future projects: