Real-Life Colorful Bedrooms

One of the easiest ways to get a colorful bedroom is to start with colorful bedding and build your color scheme from there. Pull out one color for the walls and other colors for accessories, but don't feel like you need to color everything. Here, billowy, white curtains ensure the bright bedroom is still livable.

To add restrained color in your bedroom (or any space), look for neutrals that have colorful undertones, such as this purplish gray. Wisteria purple colors the walls, draperies, and lampshade. With a colorful-yet-neutral base established, play with color in the form of accents. A rosy pink afghan and darling patterned throw pillows pop against the cool background, as does dark furniture. A transparent nightstand and lamp complete the elegant, uptown look.

Mint green walls and teal accents make for a fresh and playful color palette. Since both colors are so bright, white is used to create visual relief. The black-blue stripes in a zebra print rug work to ground the room with a darker color, and hints of coral add warm contrast to the cool colors.

The celadon wall and olive bedspread in this bedroom may both be green, but the shades are different enough to yield a bold statement. Green can also be found in the patterned comforter and throw pillows, but it is balanced out with white and brown. The white accents of the nightstand table and hanging pendants also work to lighten up the space and provide stronger contrast.

Even in small doses, orange and blue have a captive effect on the eye because they are complementary colors. In this bedroom, white walls, floors, and other furnishings tone down the vivid cerulean and pumpkin color scheme. The room still makes a bold colorful statement but feels relaxed due to the simple addition of white.

Take a chance with reupholstering vintage furniture. The dark wood floors and Victorian bed frame in this room set a regal tone, but a surprising hot pink love seat at the foot of the bed gives the space a playful feature.

If you find a bold bedspread with lots of colors, keep your walls neutral for a modern, not over-the-top statement. In this bedroom, clean, white walls, cabinetry, and flooring draw the eye to the statement-making bedding and temper the primary hues. To maintain the sleek look but still provide balance, be sure to use color in small doses elsewhere in the room, but stick to one shade. Here, blue pulled from the bedding crops up in the artwork and shelf accessories.

Want to make a truly striking statement? Pick one color, and one color only, and don't stray from it. Here, the same shade of robin's egg blue colors the curtains, the furniture, and the bedding. When taking the one-color approach, start with your fabrics. Paint colors are virtually endless and can easily be matched, but fabrics are finite. Vary how you use the color, too. In one or two elements, choose a pattern where your star color isn't dominate. Here, the rug uses blue sparingly but picks up on other neutrals used in the room.

Use a menagerie of patterns in your bedroom without the circus effect by using these smart tricks. Vary the scale of patterns and include a pattern that reads as neutral. Although the bedspread is patterned, its black and white color scheme serves as a visual break from the colorful pillows, throw, and artwork. It also has the largest pattern, so it dominates, and the smaller patterns on the pillows balance it out. Look for color commonalities between the patterns you use and you'll have a look that's eclectic, yet collected.

Various shades of blue bring life into this otherwise neutral bedroom. Toile patterned bedding sets the color palette, while sky blue curtains, a navy blue striped rug, and a watercolor throw pillow introduce nautical influences. Shades of sand make the blues feel even more serene.

Don't be afraid of bold bedroom wall colors, but do be prepared to counteract with lighter furnishings. In this bedroom, saphire blue walls are balanced with classic white furnishings. Different shades of blue in the bedding and curtains pull the look together, while a coral lamp and rug add a little something unexpected.

If you want to use multiple colors in your bedroom but want the mood to be more serene, build a palette of grayed colors. Sage green, not mint or apple green, walls evoke a calm mood, while burnt orange and chalky blue accents add an essential punch of color. Other neutrals, like the chocolate comforter and beige rug, bring additional color to the room but do not compete with the sage and orange.

A white bedspread and headboard contrast against pale blue walls that bring a light and cheerful tone to the room. Most pieces in the room, like the rug, throw, and a few accent pillows, are blue as well but have pattern to add visual interest. Carefully placed pink accents draw the eye in as well.

Barely-there gray walls add the perfect amount of dimension to this bedroom. White bedding is a slight contrast to the walls and provides a perfect backdrop to yellow and navy patterned pillows. The dark wood bed stands out against the rest of the room and is the main focal point of the bedroom.

A crisp white room gets life from pops of bright pink. By sticking to just one shade of a strong color, you can afford to use it in large swaths, such as on drapes and bedding. For a smaller dose of color, tone it down and use a shade that's just a bit lighter, such as the dusty pink on the throw pillows.

Blue and green are a no-fail color combination, since they are next to each other on the color wheel. Play with intensity to create a palette that's unique. In this bedroom, soft blue walls pick up the subtle hints of blue in the patterned headboard. A rich, intense Kelly green on the headboard adds depth to the color palette, but using a lighter version on the bedskirt and rug creates an overall look that's light and airy.

While a complementary color scheme can be bold, you can tone it down for a more classic look by using warm neutrals and muted versions of your chosen hues. Burnt orange and pale colonial blue are offset by timeless beige in this bedroom. Timeless patterns and solid bedding also enhance the traditional vibe of the room.

A paneled wall stands out even more with a coat of apple green paint. The wall complements a coral throw, blue patterned pillows, and a yellow rug. When you use a strong wall color, balance the hue by using white bedding and neutral furniture.

To add splashes of color to a white room, use colorful furniture. This light turquoise bed frame is the statement piece in this bedroom, and color choices for the cheerful bedding and the artwork reflect its hue. In a soothing, yet playful room like this one, introduce accent colors that are variations on the room's featured color. In this space, celadon green shams and a green crystal light fixture pick up on the green tones in the turquoise.

Sail away to your very own beach house haven by combining sunny yellows and seaglass greens and blues. A crisp white duvet and armoire stand out against the light yellow walls. Several wicker baskets and a montage of beach memories in distressed frames contribute to the casual summer feel of the room.

Use a favorite piece of art to inspire a bedroom's color scheme. Here, a powder blue and sunny yellow palette takes its cue from the tropical flower painting above the bed. Consider choosing a less dominate color from the art piece to be the starring color in your room. And if you're painting your walls a bright color, continue color on the ceiling in a hue that's a few shades lighter.

Even a monochromatic scheme can appear colorful. In this bedroom, yellow is virtually the only color, but by using shade varying from ochre to butter, the space sings. Darker yellows and a yellow-orange in the rug anchors the room, while a pale yellow comforter and walls make the small room feel light. Small touches of chocolate and burnt orange bring just the right hint of new color to the space, but because they have yellow undertones, they help maintain the monochromatic objective of the palette.

With white walls and neutral accessories, lavender is an ideal hue to impart serenity while still being vibrant. Here, a lavender duvet is offset with mustard pillows. Yellow and purple are on opposite sides of the color wheel, which means together they create a pleasant contrast. There is enough difference in color to be noticed, but not steal attention from the beautiful textures and materials showcased in the bedroom.

Don't be afraid to introduce a single hint of color to a sophisticated neutral room. Here, watermelon bedding does the trick. Barely-gray walls, a beige rug and nightstand, and a chocolate headboard paint a neutral picture but are varied enough to keep the room feeling modern and lively.