Calming Bedroom Ideas: Refresh the Bedroom with Relaxed Chic Decor

In this post: Looking for relaxing bedroom ideas? If you want to refresh your space for a serene fresh start, you’ll love these calming bedroom ideas.⇒

Finding the right balance between “decorated” and relaxed is a never-ending dance.

While I love beautiful things, I hate a room that looks uptight.

But too casual is not right either. I want my rooms to be welcoming and lovely, and tranquility is particularly important when it comes to styling the bedroom.

At the same time, I enjoy a mix of new with vintage, for a fresh updated look that is peppered with a dose of unique patina. Balance and harmony is always the goal and knowing when a favorite room is getting a bit stale is the secret to staying up-to-date.

Calming Bedroom Ideas

Such was my challenge in our blue and white guest room.

It was originally decorated with a cottage feel in mind (you can see that look HERE), and then I updated it by adding sleek white bedding (seen HERE). The chinoiserie pieces were quite lovely, but the room had begun to look a little too precious.

Given that my style has been veering away from tailored, I realized the room would benefit by a bit of rustic chic. There was no need to change the furniture, nor the paint or carpet, as what I already owned works with this new breezy direction.

And yet with a few decorative tweaks it looks completely different.

Out With the Old, In With the New

The first thing I did was pull out all the chinoiserie. For the porcelain lovers out there, fear not! I’m not getting rid of these pieces. They’re just on a little vacation. They may even still work in this very room, but they are, in large part, what was making it look so formal.

In their place I infused the room with an organic look, using natural materials and a subdued color palette. Still blue and white, but with natural added in, and a whole lot more texture.

Tell a Story with Textiles

In a bedroom, the essence of your decor story can be featured on the bed. It’s the heart of the room and the place where all design begins.

I this case I worked with my existing foundation of white bedding and added decorative pillows that are the centerpiece of the new look. My color story is comprised of shades of white, natural, and indigo and my textile choices are nubby and textured. It says homespun and relaxed, yet designed and coordinated.

I started with a base of white euro shams and a French linen sheet set, then layered in a row of natural throw pillows with a dimensional tonal stripe. Next came a rugged pair of indigo toss pillows and at the very front is a coarse weave lumbar with fringed edges.

They sit invitingly on a quilted blanket with a lush duvet at the foot of the bed, and the whole enterprise is topped off with a lovely windowpane throw.

Mirror Your Concept on Additional Seating

Across from the bed I have a loveseat for additional seating, but the same concept could be achieved with a chair or ottoman bench. The key is to use these pieces to extend your design concept to other parts of the room. The textiles on my settee mirror the aesthetic story begun on the bed, with a pattern mix of textured pillows and a cozy throw.

There’s a nubby khaki pillow and a sweater knit one in ivory, and a diminutive burlap piece is like the icing on the cake.

Add Organic Accents and Decorative Pieces

What really drives the point home are the decorative accents sprinkled throughout the space in organic materials like rattan, stone and wood.

A rattan vase on the writing desk serves up fresh flowers, while a burlap lampshade brings the look to the other side of the room. A water hyacinth serving tray is placed temptingly on the bed, while vessels in varied materials are scattered around both singularly and in clusters. All of these details contribute to the casual relaxed vibe.

Include Homey Comforts

Whether the room is a guest room or your own primary bedroom, equipping the space with some luxurious comforts is what makes it inviting. A breakfast tray for morning coffee and a pastry, a carafe of water on the nightstand and an aromatic candle all provide a note of hospitality.

Additional Tips and Ideas

• Use pale tranquil colors like blue and green to pair with organic neutrals
• Laundered fabrics, particularly cotton and linen, promote a relaxed look
• Rattan and seagrass baskets can be used for storage and to enhance the organic feel
• Try a rustic dough bowl or other aged-look pieces to embellish a dresser
• A jute pouf adds casual seating to a tight space
• Drape a wood bead garland over books or a bowl to forward a sense of tranquility

The update of our guest room goes a long way toward removing the buttoned-up look that remains in some of my rooms, and bringing it closer to my vision of a rustic chic home. It’s serene and tranquil, yet refined and refreshed.

Using neutrals and natural materials is the key to this style, which is becoming a signature look in my updated vintage-style home.

Yep, you can have vintage and modern in the same space!