Beds tend to be large and sometimes forgotten items in a bedroom when it comes to decoration. Perhaps this is because it can seem difficult or simply down-prioritised below other things to do. But there is nothing more welcoming and soothing than arriving to a welcoming bed after a long day, be it your own bed or for a guests bedroom.
Here is some inspirational to help you decorate a white bed and make it look fantastic.
Start with understanding your main colour
Before you do anything to the room or even buy in any items, you need to understand what kind of colours you what to include. Start with the main colour you want to add to the white bed. It can be any colour, from soft pink to black. Any colour is possible to add to a white bed, but you have to be aware that different colours will set different tones or ambience to the room. Black will make the room feel harder, while soft colours like pastels will make the look seem more soft. I would recommend to go for softer colours since a bedroom is best with soothing, relaxing colours since this is a place you want to slow down and rest. It could be a soft blue, soft pink, soft yellow or even just a soft grey.
Transition colour
After having picked your main colour that your want to decorate your bed with, you need to understand which colours you can use to transition from the main colour to the white on the bed.
There are two main ways you can add transition colours, the first way to find a transition colour is to take the main decorative colour of the bed and add the same colour in a different shade. For example, with a blue bed, you are looking for a paler blue to provide a transition.
Other ways to create a transition could be to use naturals colours with white design in them. This could include grey, beige and other shades of white. If you have blue, I would recommend picking grey, since both are normally colder colours. If your main colour is yellow, I would recommend to go more towards beige, as they provide complimentary warmer tones.
Assent colour (optional)
If you want to add a bit more complexity and depth to the white bed, you can also add an accent colour in addition to the main colour. This will be a colour that you will use in smaller degree than the main colour, like with a smaller pillow or a pattern on a pillow containing this colour. My recommendation is that your accent colour is either a complimentary colour (read more about complimentary colours in my blog post here) or adding a harmonious colour (read about harmonious colours in my blog post here). If you want to be fancy, you can also try a split complimentary colour (read about slit complimentary colours in my blog post here).
Laying with Pillows
After understanding which colours you want to use with your white bed with, it’s time to focus on the pillows. On a double bed, you should aim to have between 4 to 9 decorative pillows, depending on the size of the pillows.
When finding the right pillows, start with two pillows of your main colours, for example blue. They should preferably be in the midsize range. Then find two or three larger and smaller pillows in your transition colour. I would recommend that half of them are plain and without pattern and half of them are with some form of pattern in transition colour. It’s even better if you can find pillows with patterns that include both your main colour, your transition colour and some whites. For example, a patterned pillow with blue also lighter blue and some white. This will soften the transition of the colours going from blue to white.
If you have added an accent colour to the mix, I would recommend that you use this colour in a patterned pillow that also contains the main colours you have chosen and if possible some white. For example, a pillow with blue (main) pattern and green (accent) stitching on a white pillow.
When decorating the pillows, try to use different sizes and shapes. Place the biggest and tallest at the back and the smallest in the front. When placing the pillows based on colour, think of a rainbow – your goal is for the pillows to transition from white to solid blue in a gradual way.
Bedspread and blankets
To soften a white bed, I would also recommend adding a bedspread. The most attractive way to make a bedspread look cosy and comfortable on a white bed, is use multiple bedspreads layered. When it comes to the bedspread, I would recommend to go for a transition colour you have picked since a bedspread is larger than a pillow and more in contact with the white on the bed. Layer the bedspreads by placing the colours that are closest to the white on the bedsheet first.
Another tip with adding bedspreads is to use different textures. Try to mix quilt, thick wool, thin wool and also linen – it will give you a more luxurious feel. The same approach can also be applied to your pillows.
How will you decorate your white bed?
Do you like to see more of what’s going on in my life, my latest IKEA favorites and decorating my coastal Scandinavian home? Check out my Instagram page where I post about interior, home decor and small magical moments from my life between Norway and England.
