When it comes to comfort, there is arguably no room in the house more important than the bedroom. No matter your style, we’re all looking for cozy bedroom ideas that warm, calm and cocoon us. And while a plush duvet and plenty of throws definitely helps, capturing the feeling isn’t always quite so straightforward.
“Coziness is a bit of dance,” says Denine Jackson, owner and principal designer of New York-based studio Denine Jackson Interiors. “You know it when you feel it, and having elements that create movement in the space can help you get that cozy feeling you’re after.”
We’re talking texture, layers, carpets, low lighting, and gentle tones. The Danish word ‘hygge’ captures its essence, describing the feeling of contentment you get in a space that’s both inviting and comfortable — a feeling that all bedroom ideas should embrace.
How do I make my bedroom cozy?
The quickest and easiest way to make a bedroom feel cozy is to introduce plenty of different textures and layers. This is something that can be achieved in any interior style, through throws, pillows and tactile finishes. Think sheepskin, faux fur, boucle, and velvet, layered with natural materials like jute, rattan, and wood.
Lighting is important, too. Keep it soft and low, and make sure you have plenty of different sources, so that the light is gently diffused around the room rather than focused on one particular area.
To help you get the feeling just right — and to introduce some unexpected elements — we asked a number of designers to share their best cozy bedroom ideas, which you'll find below.
12 Cozy Bedroom Ideas
1. Layer up textures
By now it should come as no surprise: the key to creating a cozy bedroom is texture. Throw in a fluffy sheepskin rug, a boucle accent chair and a pillow or two (or three, or four) and you'll quickly see your bedroom start to become more warm and welcoming.
"Texture is what makes a home and can be achieved by adding a soft bedroom rug underfoot, layering different types of pillows on your bed, having a beautiful linen duvet and mixing it with a luxe velvet king sham," suggests interior designer Marie Flanigan. "Have fun and play with how these materials interact together."
2. Use an upholstered headboard
But when it comes to texture, it's not just about what's on the bed, but includes the bed itself. While going sans headboard has been seen as quite the style statement over the last few years, Laura Morris, co-founder of Mindful Design School and co-author or Mindful Living: A Guide to the Everyday Magic of Feng Shui, stresses the significance of a headboard when creating a cozy bedroom.
"In Feng Shui, a good headboard is like a mountain behind you, supporting and protecting you while you sleep," she says, adding: "You can make it super cozy by having an upholstered headboard with soft curved lines."
3. Choose cozy paint colors
When it comes to selecting cozy paint colors, you want to choose a shade that makes you feel relaxed. Interestingly, architectural color consultant Amy Krane says that the shades we find soothing can actually be highly personalized.
"While blue is the world's favorite color, there is still a subset of people who find it cold or melancholy," she explains. "Having said that, cool colors like blue and green are often associated with creating a soothing environment. This is why bedrooms, spas, and nursing homes are often painted in these colors. Light colors, like pastels and muted colors, are also more soothing to most people."
Key takeaway: pick a color that makes you feel relaxed, and run with it.
4. Create a cocooning space by color drenching
Once you've picked a color for your bedroom, the space shown above demonstrates how color drenching the entire space in the one shade can further amp up the cozy factor.
"Using a wraparound pinky-taupe color across the walls and ceilings helps to blur the lines between the different surfaces and gives the room a really cozy and cocooning feel," explains founder of design studio A New Day, Andrew Griffiths.
5. Choose a textured paint to add movement
If the key to cozy bedrooms lies with its texture, why not introduce more through your choice of paint? There are a number of textured finishes, including limewash paint and Roman clay that bring a whole new element of movement and coziness to a bedroom.
"We chose to do this boy's bedroom in an all-over blue limewash," explains Susana Simonpietri, creative director of Chango, referencing the space shown above. "The method has a real calming effect, adds dimension to the room, and will beautifully transition the space as he grows older."
6. Pick soft lighting
Aside from textures, your bedroom lighting is perhaps the second most important element in creating a cozy bedroom scheme. You can layer as many throws as you like, but once you switch on a harsh, overhead light, the feeling is gone. The key is keep all your lighting soft, avoid any exposed bulbs, and keep them all in a warm temperature.
"I suggest setting the mood for a cozy bedroom with soft ambient lighting or a candle," says interior designer Denine Jackson, founder of Buffalo-based studio Denine Jackson Interiors, who also recommends using a combination of bedside lamps and dimmable overhead lighting to "help the room feel intimate and serene."
7. Add tactile lamp shades
A perhaps overlooked way to further soften your lighting scheme is through the light fittings themselves, and particularly their shades. "To introduce inherent warmth, opt for lighting enveloped by natural materials," suggests Suzanne Duin, founder of homewares brand Maison Maison. "A dose of warm amber seagrass or the cool blondness of water hyacinth can instantly create a calm, cohesive, and sophisticated look. These tactile materials add comfort and interest to a space, lending it a sense of reassuring, warm tactility."
8. And plenty of different light sources
And finally, when it comes to cozy bedroom ideas, it's best to create a layered lighting scheme. You don't want any harsh, direct pools of light, but rather a soft, diffused all-over glow in the space. The easiest way to achieve that is by using a number of different light sources at different levels throughout the space: think table lamps, wall sconces, floor lamps and dimmable bulbs.
"Create a conversation with your lighting using different heights with side lamps as well as floor standing and ceiling lights too," says Martin Waller, founder of designer furniture and luxury interiors studio Andrew Martin. "Why limit yourself to a single dimmer switch when you can be surrounded by warmth? Good lighting is imperative to creating an ambiance, a cove of coziness and intimacy."
9. Don't be afraid to introduce patterns
A lot of cozy bedroom ideas openly embrace pattern. When you think about it, plaid and tweed prints have become somewhat synonymous with cozy fall-inspired schemes. Pattern adds a richness and depth to a space, further layering its many textures and tones.
The bedroom by Kit Kemp, shown above, replicates a matching pattern across the headboard, pillows and an ottoman at the end of the bed, perfectly tiptoeing the line between modern and traditional interior styles. It's bold without overpowering the space, and the added warm hues add to the coziness of the room.
10. Soften a space with a bed canopy
Touching back on texture, big swathes of fabric draped across your bedroom are, of course, going to make the space feel instantly more cozy and intimate. Canopy bed ideas are an easy and effective way to add softness to a room, no matter your style — whether you're more into neutral, warm tones, or are looking for ways to introduce a pop of color or pattern, as seen in the bedroom above, designed by boutique London studio, Howark Design.
"It can be challenging to create a cozy feel when a room has hard surfaces like the original tiled floor and wooden beds," explains designer James Arkoulis, "so we added custom-made block-printed canopies behind the twin beds, bespoke striped pillows, and natural accessories to add comfort and softness to the space."
11. Make it soft underfoot by layering rugs
A rug is a quick way to add layers of coziness. It's an easy and often affordable update that adds that all-important texture to the space. "And don't stop at just one rug," says Martin Waller, who suggests layering rugs "for added interest as well as warmth."
If you want to take the coziness one step further, to really create that sink-into-it feeling, you could opt for bedroom carpet. While carpet seems to have fallen out of favor in the last few years, Kate Watson-Smyth (who goes by 'Mad About The House') says: "If you are going to have carpet anywhere, the bedroom is the place. It's the room where you are most likely to be barefoot and where you start and end the day, so it makes sense to have something soft and cozy underfoot."
12. Make your bed the focal point
The bed is a focal point of any cozy bedroom, so it's wise to give it the attention it deserves. "A well-made bed with high-quality bedding, a luxurious throw and decorative pillows will soften the space and make the overall scheme feel cozier," says Jen and Mar, founders of design studio Interior Fox.
"However, when planning your soft furnishings think about how much time you want to spend making the bed in the morning," they add. "If the answer is 'not too long', then you don't need to overdo it on the throw pillows. We recommend a less-is-more approach, a soft textured throw at the foot of the bed will introduce texture, whilst an edited selection of pillows in a contrasting patter will finish the look effortlessly."
"Throws are cozy couture for your bedroom — always a decorating do," adds famed designer Jonathan Adler. "Our hand-loomed baby alpaca throws have become an instant decorating classic."
FAQs
What colors suit a cozy bedroom?
"For cozy bedrooms, you can't go wrong with romantic pinks, those that aren't too shouty, something more nuanced like 'Setting Plaster' or its grown-up sibling 'Dead Salmon' and definitely choose an empathetic white to avoid sharp contrast — 'White Tie' or 'Slipper Satin' will do the trick," says color expert and Farrow & Ball ambassador, Patrick O'Donnell.
We also asked some other designers for their favorite cozy paint colors, if you're interested in finding out more.
