37 modern bedroom ideas packed with timeless style
While some designers favour frilly valances, matching fabrics and slipper chairs in a bedroom, we can completely sympathise with those who go for something a little more streamlined. The contemporary bedroom doesn't have to involve white walls and minimalist design – our favourite modern bedroom ideas incorporate some elements of colour, pattern or texture, and even antiques or styles inspired by antiques, but the key is that they do it with restraint. Think a very contemporary take on a four poster bed – try Pinch or Nix by Nicola Harding for that – a tightly controlled colour scheme, beautiful linens to add softness, and perhaps some cheerful pattern that still feels crisp and fresh. There are plenty of design ideas that feel just right for now and work really well for bedrooms – colour drenching, for example, which can create a wonderfully cocooning feel, or finding a beautiful graphic textile to hang over the bed. We've gathered some of our favourite examples of the modern bedroom, some highly restrained and serene, others warmer and full of life.
Our favourite modern bedroom ideas
Owen Gale1/36Using a Josef Frank design is a surefire way to add fresh, contemporary colour and pattern to any bedroom. His ‘Mirakel’ fabric from Svenskt Tenn covers the headboard in the main suite of the 8 Holland Street townhouse, the chocolatey brown colour an excellent foil for the off-white and blue paint scheme.
Photography: Read McKendree | Styling: Mieke ten Have2/36There is something about Frank's designs that sits beautifully in rustic cottages and cabins and lends them a fun, modern feel. In this interior designer's 18th-century house in Connecticut, there are plenty of his patterns, including the incredibly cheerful 'Varklocker' wallpaper in the bedroom, which sits well with an IKEA duvet cover and a vintage Hudson Bay blanket.
Mark Anthony Fox3/36This bedroom in a Georgian folly on the Petworth estate offers some clever ideas for using space, including shelves built into the wall behind the bed that offer space to display objects without the need for bedside tables.
Jasper Fry4/36The serene main bedroom of this London house by Rachel Aisling Walker features one of our favourite modern bedroom ideas, the non-traditional four poster bed. This version relies on a simple frame suspended from the ceiling with linen bed curtains (made up in ‘Italian Linen' in Siena Ivory from Gayle Warwick) falling softly to the floor. The walls are painted in Rose Uniacke's ‘Champagne’ hue, a gentle backdrop for the 1880 Swedish mahogany chest on the far wall.
Boz Gagovski5/36Taupe is certainly having a moment in interior design, especially when paired with stronger colours, as Anna Haines has done in this Hampstead family house. Using Little Greene's ‘Joanna’ on the walls of the main bedroom, she has layered tones of red on top, including woodwork in Argile Paints ‘Sienne Calcine’, and a headboard covered in an antique textile from Susan Deliss.
Helen Cathcart6/36This bedroom in a coastal house by Isabella Worsley neatly walks the line between traditional and modern, making use of a classic suzani motif on the fabric (Robert Kime's ‘Suzani Red’) of the headboard and curtains, but keeping the scheme very controlled, with only one main pattern, whose design is crisp and fresh, and a restricted colour scheme.
Michael Sinclair7/36In the main bedroom of this musician's house decorated by Beata Heuman, the contemporary Belgian wall hanging and a pair of bespoke red-stained bedside chests offset the paler shades of a headboard in Zak+ Fox's 'Flaneur' linen/ cotton, a luxurious green cashmere blanket from Saved New York and the Isamu Noguchi lantern.
MICHAEL SINCLAIR8/36The main bedroom of this Edwardian house by Alex Dauley features simple wooden furniture from Curio Corner and Soho Home's 'Joni Arc' floor lamp. Stripped original oak floorboards and walls in Bauwerk's 'Quiet' limewash provide a calm backdrop to the modern scheme.
Paul Massey9/36Ann Boyd decorated this modern house, choosing Les Indiennes’ ‘Esme’ in indigo on the headboard and valance, which is picked up by Melin Tregwynt’s ‘St David’s Cross’ wool throw. On top of the ‘Penelope’ three-drawer chest from West Elm is a ‘Crane’ lamp from Oka. The upholstered ‘Charlie II’ stool from The Odd Chair Company tones with curtains in Designers Guild ‘Brera Lino’ in platinum.
Michael Sinclair10/36In the main bedroom of our ‘Project of the Year’, a restored ice-cream factory by Russell and Oona Pinch, Pinch’s ‘Christo’ four-poster bed and ‘Yves’ desk – both in walnut – and ‘Avery’ oak and leather chair establish a classic contemporary feel. A Tobit Roche painting, a Pendleton blanket from Brooklyn flea market and a rug created as a sample for one of Russell’s designs for Crate & Barrel are eye-catching additions.
Michael Sinclair11/36In Benni Frowein's bedroom, curtains in Schumacher's Lisboa Velvet and picks up on a yellow 1958 Ring chair by Nanna and Jorgen Ditzel. There's a lot of colour in the room but against a neutral backdrop and simple shapes, which gives the room a modern feel.
James McDonald12/36The main bedroom of this house by Kate Guinness has walls and woodwork in Edward Bulmer's Sea Green, while the bed is upholstered in ‘Mende Bhutan’ by Namay Samay, from Tissus d’Helene, with a bedspread from Guinevere. It's a colourful way to do a modern bedroom.
Paul Massey13/36Pure & Original’s ‘Calm’ was chosen for the walls in this Nicola Harding scheme, establishing a restful mood and showcasing the headboard in ‘Charlton’ charcoal blue corduroy from Tissus d’Hélène. The Vaughan lamp on the chest of drawers and the stool at the foot of the bed in Peter Dunham Textiles’ ‘Mica’ stripe in indigo pick up on the blues of the dressing room next door.
Simon Brown14/36A bespoke Beata Heuman bench, covered in the company's Dappled Velvet, sits at the end of the bed, with vintage bedside chests on either side in this London apartment by the Swedish designer. Above these hang artworks, which were commissioned from artist Molly van Amerongen; she requested a collection of personal photographs from the clients as the starting points for the pieces, which were painted as a pair with this location in mind and so are very sentimental.
Tim Williams15/36CFA Voysey’s ‘Passion Flower’ on the headboard is balanced by geometric patterned bedding from Leontine Linens in this 1950s ranch house in South Carolina. A vintage bouclé chair partners a mid-century cabinet with a Søholm Stentøj lamp.
Line T Klein16/36In the main bedroom in Michael Dansk's cool Copenhagen apartment, a bed by Rye Sleep is spread with a cover from Tekla. The ceiling is painted with Son of Mr Green by File Under Pop and the walls with Stones & Bones. The large rice paper lamp is by Isamu Noguchi, whose lamps Michael collects.
Jan Baldwin17/36In the bedroom of a once-drab Victorian brookside house revivified by a former House & Garden editor, Thibaut’s woven paper wallcovering contrasts with the headboard and chair seat in Manuel Canovas’ ‘Bordeaux’ in ciel, from Colefax and Fowler.
James McDonald18/36Decorator Chloe Willis' own London house is not just a showcase of her skills, but a marvel in creating a comfortable country feel in the heart of the city. In the main bedroom, the antique Sumbanese Ikat weave, bought from John Gillow, was the starting point for the room. The kilim is from Seref Ozen in Istanbul; the headboard and valance are made from Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler’s Zig Zag print. To the left of the ladder hangs a linocut of Chelsea by her great grandmother Agnes Reeve; above the chest of drawers an Indian Pichwai textile, painted for a festival of cows, was bought back from Udaipur. The indigo throw is from the Chapel Collection. The blue Chinese indigo cushions are from Penny Worrall. The long bolster cushion is made from Santander by Rosa Bernal.
Alexander James19/36The bespoke headboard in the second bedroom in this Notting Hill pied-à-terre by Studio Peake is in Wicklewood on Rustic Col: Dark Pink from Blithfield, which sits prettily against Gayle Warwick bed linen. The wall lights above are the Carter wall lights by Pooky.
Owen Gale20/36When photographer Laura Muthesius and her wife, stylist Nora Eisermann, acquired a neglected former schoolhouse in the north German countryside, it took a gut renovation to transform it into the calmly beautiful retreat it now is. The main bedroom, with a bed from Matri by Fennobed. The rug is from Sera Helsinki. The bed linen is from By Mölle with a linen blanket from Tekla.
STEPHAN JULLIARD21/36Take inspiration from Marianne Evennou’s creative use of colour and choice of flexible furniture to enhance the proportions and maximise space in this Paris apartment. A striped blanket and decorative ‘Raana’ cushions in rooibos from Caravane give a graphic flair to the bedroom.
Anne Nyblaeus22/36In Cathy Nordstrom’s bedroom, the wallpaper is William Morris. “I pinned a picture with a bedroom from, I think, Soho House Barcelona and knew I wanted to use that wallpaper one day.” The headboard is her own ‘Gingham’ in Lemon. “It complements it so well, and I just love spending time here.” The chest of drawers is a flea market find and the quilt is an antique American quilt. “This is one of my favourites; it’s super soft and delicate so it has to be treated gently.” The throw cushions are in Cathy’s ‘Spotty’ fabric in Sage. The lamps are hand-painted by Vicke Lindstrand for “another iconic Swedish ceramic factory, Upsala-Ekeby. Vicke is one of my absolute favourite Swedish designers. The shades are, again, Pooky.”
Christopher Horwood23/36Re-using their old bed from the previous flat in the spare room, Lucy Williams and her husband “breathed life into it” by adding a vintage wall light and a big cushion by Howe. The quilt is a Toast piece. The rattan bedside drawers are vintage and display a Zara Home lamp atop them. The painted carafe is Petra Palumbo.
Simon Brown24/36Interior designer Kerri Lipsitz has always been drawn to calm, serene interiors, and her own house in London combines this tranquil mood with a luxurious, sophisticated aesthetic. In the bedroom on the raised ground floor, the walls are painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Smoked Trout’. The simple curtains are in Romo's ‘Alana’ fabric in alabaster. The wall lights are by Rose Uniacke.
Paul Massey25/36The walls in this eighteenth-century house in Bath are painted in Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Slate III’ and the floor is painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Slipper Satin’. A delicate metal four-poster bed is hung with antique mangle-cloth drapes, with cushions covered in vintage Swedish ticking and antique flags, all from Howe. The two striped rugs are Turkish, circa 1950. A French tôle peinte helmet wall light is above the twentieth-century Indian teak folding table, which probably came from an old civic building. A mid-century brass-framed oval Swedish mirror hangs by the window.
Paul Massey26/36A subtle palette of Farrow & Ball paints and a headboard and bench covered in alpaca wool create a relaxed mood in the bedroom of Ochre director Solenne de la Fouchardiere. Ochre’s ‘Beach Pebble’ pendant casts a soft light.
Romain Ricard27/36In the main bedroom of a London house by Maria Speake, cushions on a bedcover from Antiques by Design echo the colours of a headboard, upholstered in a mix of fabrics including hand-dyed velvet by Kirsten Hecktermann. An antique chandelier from Schmid McDonagh picks up on vintage Italian bedside tables with ‘Trafalgar’ lamps by Pooky. The carpet by Jacaranda balances Farrow & Ball’s rich ‘Green Smoke’ paint on the walls.
Jérôme Galland28/36This pared-back bedroom is in Pierre Yovanovitch's château in the South of France. The bench is by Jan de Swart, circa 1955; bedside table by T. H. RobsjohnGibbings, circa 1950; wall lamp, twentieth century, Austria; Maori fabric wall hangings by Fortuny; PY bed.
Christopher Horwood29/36The main bedroom in this Georgian townhouse has a variety of textures in the same serene family of neutral tones. Even the light above the bed from Pinch Design is soft and textured, satisfyingly matching the light linen curtains. The interesting lamp in the corner is a midcentury design with a bespoke shade from A Shade Above. There are several plinths throughout the house, but this one in the bedroom feels more sculptural and less minimalist.
Milo Brown30/36For this eaves bedroom in a Holland Park house, Lonika Chande and her team chose to paint the entire space - ceiling included - in Little Greene’s Mister David, “Painting the ceiling the same colour as the walls gives a lovely cocooning and cosy feel and avoids the eye being drawn to any awkward corners,” says Lonika. The headboard, covered in Guy Goodfellow’s olive sacking in Peacock, was bespoke. Lonika cleverly added a “little cubby hole” in the side of the joinery “as the space was too tight for a pair of bedsides”. The inside of the joinery is hand painted in Turquoise from Edward Bulmer. The Penny Worrall pillow in Swat Marriage adds a pop of colour to the space, as does the silk velvet panel above the bed, which was sourced by Nushka from Uzbekistan.
31/36This elegant London flat has a glorious terrace overlooking Kensington Gardens. Inside it is decorated in with layered and sophisticated ease. The bedroom features walls in C&C Milano’s ‘Volterra’ linen in dust, which are the backdrop for a headboard in ‘Verdi’ mohair velvet by Janet Yonaty. A vintage brass Bergbom table lamp from Studio Schalling sits on a bedside table designed by Laurence.
Boz Gagovski32/36This spare bedroom in a Notting Hill townhouse belonging to Stella Weatherall has walls covered in Phillip Jeffries' ‘Manila Hemp Pomegranate’ grasscloth. The headboard fabric is Christopher Farr Cloth's ‘Lost and Found in Indigo’. The large lumbar cushion is ‘Tansy’ fabric by Robert Kime. The bedspread is Anthropologie and the bedside lamps are Pooky.
Kensington Leverne33/36Cushions in Brook Perdigon Textiles’ brick ‘Staccato Stripe’ and a bedcover from Soho Home contrast with a headboard in Pierre Frey mohair and Innovations grasscloth wallcovering in this Sophie Ashby south London project.
Michael Sinclair34/36Tactile surfaces in the main bedroom of a London house designed by Shalini Misra include a leather floor, tiled wall and a wooden-slatted ceiling. On the floor, Shalini used the ‘Tan Brogue Border Briquettes’ leather floor tiles from De Ferranti, which are supplied on a marine ply base (from £900 a square metre). ‘We wanted to use something really plush and these are so beautiful to walk on,’ she says. She also called upon De Ferranti, a specialist in floor and wall surfaces, for the 3D ceramic ‘Deco’ tiles that line a wall of this room.
Ngoc Minh Ngo35/36This bedroom can be found in a newbuild in California and is decorated by David Bentheim. A modern iron four poster bed is draped with a linen-covered duvet, wool blanket and monogrammed cushions. The colour scheme is kept calm and bright with white walls and painted panelled ceiling, Crittall-style french doors and window are both covered with soft grey roman blinds. A crystal chandelier adds the slightest touch of glam.
Lucas Allen36/36The neat attic bedroom of designer Hugh Leslie's Chelsea studio is partially clad in horizontal tongue-and-groove boarding. This is a good trick to visually widen a small room. Try the Georgian range from The English Panelling Company, which would create a similar effect.
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