As designer Katie Bromley says, the bedroom shouldn’t be an afterthought. “It’s worthy of all the same care and attention as the more public spaces in your home. Having a beautiful and enveloping bedroom creates joy, fosters creativity and supports rest and relaxation.” Here, Bromley and seven other pros share bedrooms they recently refreshed with thoughtful details like soothing colors, hand-painted wallcoverings, custom lighting and durable performance fabrics.
Designer: Katie Bromley of Spaces by Katie
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Size: 224 square feet (21 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “This southeast-facing bedroom gets amazing light, which begged for a wow color,” designer Katie Bromley says. “While pink isn’t always an easy sell, pink is a universally flattering color — when done right — and would create a mood and ambiance perfect for a bedroom at any time of day: cheerful and energizing in the morning while warm and cozy in the evening. It feels like sunset in the room at dusk.”
Special features. “Benjamin Moore Odessa Pink covers the walls and is enhanced with Cole & Son’s Nuvole mural in Pearl on the ceiling, creating a dynamic and unexpected space,” Bromley says. “The leaning mirror, mother-of-pearl bedside lamps and Lulu & Georgia Lockwood bed covered in a rich olive linen keeps the room relaxed and inviting.”
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Designer: Rachel Mehl of Mehl Home Designs
Location: Dallas
Size: 95 square feet (8.8 square meters); 9½ by 10 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This particular client loves to host out-of-town family and needed a space that out-of-towners could feel comfortable in for a small weekend stay,” designer Rachel Mehl says. “An unused office space-turned-storage room begged us for a little facelift. I suggested we close off the adjoining larger office space and create a small closet area for additional storage by borrowing space from the adjoining room. As we were clearing away some of the clutter, I noticed an antique cabinet hidden under Christmas decorations. The client told me the story behind this little gem and how it housed an early-edition collection of Dickens’ novels. We ended up using this as our inspiration for the room makeover and went with an ‘English equestrian escape’ as our theme.”
Special features. “We designed a unique armoire-style closet made from mahogany wood to mimic the antique book cabinet housed in the room to bring warmth into the space,” Mehl says. “Due to the room’s smaller size, we opted for a soft white on the walls (Sherwin-Williams Alabaster) with contrasting trim (Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black). To create a more English feel, we went with a paneled wall behind the bed to add texture to the space and paired that with oversized, dramatic sconces from Regina Andrew in place of bedside lamps.”
Designer tip. “To create a more dramatic look in a smaller room — or any room for that matter — paint your walls a lighter color than your trim,” Mehl says. “Don’t be afraid to paint trim a deep, moody color. It creates an elevated, refined touch without much effort.”
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Designer: Dora Dmitriev Design
Location: New York City
Size: 190 square feet (18 square meters)
Homeowner’s request. “The client wanted his bedroom to echo the luxurious European hotels he stays at during his travels,” designer Dora Dmitriev says. “Additionally he wanted a beautiful backdrop to display his books and art collection.”
Special features. “The apartment was originally painted in a stark white and had harsh lighting, so we repainted and added a dark, moody wallpaper so that it would feel cozy and luxurious,” Dmitriev says. “We added layered lighting with an incredible silk pendant as well as vintage floor lamps and nightstand lamps. The custom bed’s vibrant red silk fabric picks up the red flowers in the wallpaper, making it pop. We mixed vintage elements with luxurious silk and velvet fabrics to complement the historic building. A variety of wood tones and metals bring interest to the space, while antique rugs and textiles add a layer of visual interest that complements the wallpaper without competing with it.”
Designer tip. “To elevate a plain room, adding a darker wallpaper can drastically transform the mood of a space,” Dmitriev says. “Using layered lighting will create a more luxurious feel to any space. And always make sure that all your lights are on dimmers.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The apartment is located in an old historic building, so the walls had many years of caked-on white paint,” Dmitriev says. “The walls of the entire apartment required heavy-duty sanding and smoothing out to allow the doors and windows to close properly and to access the electrical outlets. Wiring the pendant light took a very experienced electrician due to the old wires of the building and an incredibly shallow junction box.”
Wallpaper: Les Baobabs Amoureux, Zak + Fox; pendant light: Scheherazade 2 tiers Silk lamp Geometric, Fortuny; headboard fabric: Damask Pierre in red, Brunschwig & Fils
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Designer: Michelle Miller Design
Location: Tampa, Florida
Size: 785 square feet (73 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “Coming from New York to Florida, they requested an exotic tropical feel in the space,” designer Michelle Miller says. “They wanted items that were durable and that they didn’t need to worry about when laying around in bathing suits, etc. We used all performance fabrics and had several of our vendors add a protective finish coat to the case-good tops for water stains from glassware.”
Special features. “Keeping the space light and neutral, our contrast was in the darker wood finishes of the beams and furniture frames,” Miller says. “We used a dark walnut stain on the furniture frames, layered with performance fabrics in boucle, linen, wool, flannel and cotton. When you enter the space, the room is impactful immediately. However, it does not detract from the amazing views of the water and beach.
“The drapes are sheer with subtle threads of dark and neutral beiges and browns running through them. The headboard wall is a paper that is an oversized ivory-on-ivory palm dimensional print. It’s very subtle but makes a strong impact. The two oversized pendants really set the tone for the spaces.”
Designer tip. “I really like pendants over nightstands,” Miller says. “They allow you to utilize the entire top of the nightstand for space and look nice and balanced with a higher headboard.”
Bed: Vanguard Furniture; chairs and ottomans: Rowe Furniture
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Designer: Heather Hilliard Design
Location: Gramercy Park neighborhood of New York City
Homeowners’ request. “The clients are based in California and I designed their primary home in Hillsborough years ago,” designer Heather Hilliard says. “They travel to New York City a couple of weeks each month for work, and now that their kids are grown, they decided that having a second home in Manhattan would mark a new chapter and adventure in their lives. Since they had nothing to bring to the new place, it was a dream project and a blank slate for my team and me. They wanted something more edgy, metropolitan, colorful and distinctly different from their California residence. We incorporated many unique, handmade and vintage pieces to add a sense of softness and soul to the space.”
Special features. “Our goal was to create a space that felt fun and inviting,” Hilliard says. “The custom Capitan bed from Lawson-Fenning is upholstered in a Rose Tarlow fabric, which provides a warm, tactile anchor to the room. We paired it with Hanks nightstands from Crump and Kwash, topped with Studio Dunn’s Linden table lamps. To introduce a graphic element, we wrapped the walls in a Porter Teleo hand-painted wallcovering, creating a striking backdrop. The handmade rug grounds the room, softening the space underfoot. The sculptural ceiling light by Lambert & Fils adds playful geometry overhead. A vintage sculptural lounge chair reupholstered in Rogers & Goffigon fabric introduces both comfort and a sense of individuality.”
Designer tip. “We layered lighting at different levels, including a sculptural ceiling fixture paired with bedside lamps and a floor lamp,” Hilliard says. “This approach creates flexibility and atmosphere, ensuring the room feels warm and welcoming whether a guest is reading in bed or relaxing.”
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Designer: Pamela Sandler Architect
Location: West Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Size: 263 square feet (24 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The clients wanted a restful yet inspiring bedroom,” architect Pamela Sandler says. “The house is nestled in the verdant Berkshire mountains, so they asked that their bedroom be open to the lush views. They wanted to be able to see the sun rise and set from their bed. They requested the furnishings be comfortable, relaxed and have some curves to soften the linear architecture of the room.”
Special features. “We painted the walls and trim a custom mixed green with just a hint of gray to make it feel ethereal and calming,” Sandler says. “We kept the wood tones light and the window treatments simple and practical. The intent was that the outside views would inspire the interior materials and color selections.”
Designer tip. “We played with the scale of the furniture and lighting,” Sandler says. “Deciding to use just a few pieces to furnish the room, we wanted to make the selections bold but proportionate. Nothing too refined or fussy.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “We first installed a much larger paper lantern,” Sandler says. “So large that the clients hit it when they were getting in and out of bed. Whoops.”
Bed: Wyller, Arhaus; nightstands: Alora, RH; lamps: Gaios, Visual Comfort; paper lantern: Akari, Noguchi; rug: Cambridge Season, Rugs Direct
Designer: Diane Bianchini of Dream Interiors NY
Location: Quogue, New York
Size: 275 square feet (26 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “The original bedroom felt dated and lacked both style and function,” designer Diane Bianchini says. “The client envisioned something entirely different — a space that felt like a coastal chic retreat with the relaxed comfort of a high-end resort. Our goal was to reimagine the room with a more thoughtful layout, furnishings that balanced scale and functionality and design details that brought in an airy, sophisticated coastal vibe.”
Special features. “The walls were refreshed in a crisp Benjamin Moore Feather Gray, perfectly balanced by Sherwin-Williams Snowbound on the trim for a clean, coastal contrast,” Bianchini says. “To elevate the overall look and add depth, the vaulted ceiling was painted Benjamin Moore Pike’s Peak Gray, creating a subtle yet dramatic backdrop. A wooden accent bench introduced warmth and texture, softening the cooler tones of the palette.”
Designer tip. “By relocating the bed to a larger wall, we were able to introduce more substantial and functional nightstands — a simple change that immediately improved both the layout and usability of the space,” Bianchini says. “This adjustment not only created better symmetry but also allowed the room to feel more open and thoughtfully designed.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “Moving the bed area in front of an offset window presented a challenge, which we mitigated by adding draperies behind the bed, thus mimicking a ‘wall,’” Bianchini says.
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Designer: Laurie DeCredico of DeCredico Design
Location: Dawsonville, Georgia
Size: 270 square feet (25 square meters); 15 by 18 feet
Homeowners’ request. “They wanted a modern, peaceful retreat with neutral colors to highlight the view,” designer Laurie DeCredico says. “After years living in a Craftsman-style home in the city, with dark wood furniture, they wanted a light, airy, sleek space. It was a complete fresh start, except for paint color. I needed to keep the current paint from the previous owner.”
Special features. Oversize oak wood hoop chandelier. Custom-made textured fabric Roman shades. Gray leather upholstered bed. Blue velvet chair.
Designer tip. “Have someone lay out the room for you so that items are to scale and fit together properly,” DeCredico says. “Many people call me after they have made purchases they regret and can’t return that don’t fit the style or size of the space or the look that they are trying to achieve.”
Rug: Tibetan collection in ivory, beige and silver, Safavieh; nightstands: Axiom collection, Bernhardt; bed: Morgan leather shelter bed in Smoke, king size, Bernhardt; chandelier: Baum in brushed oak, Four Hands; bench: Tribecca, Pasargad
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