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Woman & Home
Woman & Home
Lifestyle
Emily Smith

Kelly Hoppen shares her 'halo effect' paint trick to make bedrooms feel cosier this season

Picture of bed with side table and blue statement wall .

Whilst painting your walls in one carefully selected colour is an easy way to achieve a sleek and refined look, your bedroom can begin to feel rather bland and uninviting when there's no variation in colour. So if you're looking for ways to warm up the space, interior designer Kelly Hoppen CBE has just the trick.

The famous interior designer believes the right paint application is the key to making a bedroom feel cosy. Whether or not you stay up to date with interior paint colour trends, keeping your bedroom the same colour for years is too easy to do. And whilst most bedroom paint colours are universally likeable, too much sameness can take away the warmth and character of a room.

You might have considered adding an accent wall, as a way to try a new bedroom trend without overhauling your space. However, Kelly Hoppen has shared an even more inventive and fun way of breathing a little life into the room.

Kelly Hoppen's 'Halo effect' paint trick

Appearing on This Morning, Kelly Hoppen is tasked with helping viewers find solutions for their interior design challenges. The first is a bedroom that despite being well decorated still lacked character and warmth.

Aside from adhering to bedroom layout rules, Kelly advises the viewer to paint a 'halo effect' across the room. She says, "If you paint the back wall behind your headboard the same width and then take it up over the ceiling and back down over the other side you're actually sort of creating like a halo effect."

This may sound a little too much like some maximalist trend, but Kelly explains that it needn't be a loud or bold colour, just one that complements the paint on your other walls.

Looking at the viewer's light grey room she says, "You could choose any colour so it could be a darker grey it could be lilac, it could be blue because the greys are very neutral that way you create almost like a sort of fake canopy over your bed that will immediately make it feel warmer."

If you don't mind something a little bolder you could choose a happy paint colour that suits any room and it would immediately brighten up the space.

Kelly simply points out that it has to offer a little contrast to the preexisting colour in the room. She explains, "I could choose any colour but it really has to be darker than the grey that you've got but it could be any colour that goes with grey. It could be any of the pinks the blues the lilacs, for me I would go with a slightly darker grey."

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Of course, simply painting the room isn't enough, it's important to accessorise with soft furnishings too. Kelly recommends adding some cushions and throws on the bed which will add a whole new level of cosiness to the bedroom.

This is the perfect excuse to check out the exclusive new M&S x Kelly Hoppen collection. It offers an abundance of neutral affordable decor to elevate your space and make your bedroom look expensive on a budget.

Shop the M&S X Kelly Hoppen collection


As we find ourselves creeping into the colder months trying out some autumn decor ideas is a great way to make the most of the changing seasons to make a home cosy.

Kelly says, "Just like you'd change over your clothes after summer, you can change your home and that can be changing cushions, putting a thicker curtain up or putting a rug down. Just moving things around so it gets more cosy."

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