One of the mistakes people make when designing bedrooms is not considering how the space feels when they spend time in it.
The ambience.
Restricting natural light and using harsh elements like dark colours, bulky furniture, cool light bulbs, and heavy curtains can sap your bedroom of positive energy, making it feel like you don’t belong there and need to get out.
A soft ambience is not something glossy brochures portray because it requires you to spend time in the space. It is a feeling of relaxation and belonging, where your bedroom has a calming effect on your mind and soul.
This article explores how to give your bedroom a soft ambience.
Soothing colours
Cool natural colors, like blues, greens, and browns, are the best options for a soothing bedroom. Colours that gently warm us, like pastel pinks and yellows, are another option if you want something to brighten your mood.
Avoid warm and dark colours because these will reduce the sense of space and strip your bedroom of positive energy.
White should be the primary colour, occupying 60% of your bedroom because it symbolises clarity, freshness, purity, and openness.
Pictured: Airy light bedroom, If the three colours of light can be mixed to produce white, they are called primary colors
Play with soft artificial lighting
The hallmark of any soft ambience bedroom is soft lighting. Soft lighting has few hard shadows with a smooth transition between light and dark, much like how light scatters through the leaves of a tree and strikes the floor.
This diffusion fills your bedroom with wraparound light and instils a sense of calm. You can achieve it with the following products:
- Downlights (ceiling spotlights)
- Flush light fittings
- Flat wall lights
- LED lighting strips behind furniture
Get dimmer switches for all your main lights, and you will have the perfect way to create a soft ambience day and night.
Eliminate harsh natural light with blinds
You can’t make the sun brighter or dimmer, but you can reflect and diffuse the natural light entering your bedroom with window blinds.
Even if you have curtains, window blinds let you play with natural light by adjusting the angle of the blades. This lets you eliminate harsh sunlight and shadows from buildings, so a soft, diffused stream of light floods your bedroom.
Here are your options:
- Perfect-fit blinds – these seamless blinds clip to the window with no screws or drilling and appear to be built-in. The downside is they eat into a bit of viewing space due to the plastic trim that clips to the window.
- Venetian blinds – this is the preferred option. They sit outside the window attached to the sill or wall and don’t eat up any viewing space. The downside is they rattle if you open a window and leave them down.
Pictured: Green is a gorgeous color. It’s usually associated with nature and all its freshness, Ideal for a calm relaxing Bedroom environment.
Lower the eye line
Lowering the eye line means bringing the level of furniture and design elements down a notch, making you sink into the room for a lounging vibe.
For example, a low bed frame and low seats (a beanbag is perfect) will soften your bedroom and give it a calming vibe that welcomes you.
Another benefit to lowering the eye line is it increases the sense of space in the bedroom – sitting lower means there is more height to the ceiling.
Integrate comforting textures
Pictured: Bedroom incorporating different textures, creating a cosy feel.
Soft microfibre, Sherpa fleece, knitted throws, faux fur, and crushed velvet are some of our favourite comforting textures for bedrooms.
Scratchy and rough textures – such as cushions embellished with beads, sequins, and embroidery – are the opposite of what you want. You want soft, subtle textures that make you happy inside when you touch them.
Extend these comforting textures to the floor with a rug and to your door with an overdoor hanger for a fluffy dressing gown – this will ensure you see and touch a comforting texture whenever you enter and exit your bedroom.
If you enjoyed this article about creating a soft bedroom ambience, check out our guide to planning a bedroom makeover to put all your ducks in a row.
