Master Bedroom Colors | 20 Paint Color Ideas - Making Manzanita (2024)

Struggling with what color to paint your master bedroom? Color is such an important aspect of interior design and it shouldn't be overlooked! Check out these 20 master bedroom paint color ideas for inspiration.

Your master bedroom may get overlooked when you are renovating or decorating your home because it’s likely not a room that many guests see. When we host and entertain, we tend to stick to the living room, kitchen, and outdoor areas, right?

So it is no wonder that when it comes time to create your renovation plan, the master bedroom often drops to the bottom of the priority list.

But if I may be so bold as to offer you some advice… don’t put off your bedroom makeover.

Remember this is the room where you relax and wind down from your busy days. The retreat that you escape to when you’re having a sick day. The sacred place where you end and begin every single day.

A bedroom makeover is usually fairly inexpensive when compared to the cost of a bathroom renovation or even more a kitchen renovation!

Although it varies from bedroom to bedroom, you typically will want to:

• Add some unique features (like a wood accent wall or two-tone walls like we have). There are so many things you can to a wall with just paint!
• Paint the room (which doesn’t cost a whole lot – check out the full cost to paint a room here)
• Replace the bedding and throw pillows
• Possibly replace furniture like buying a new bed (or even building a bed frame or reclaimed wood bed) or building a night stand
• Maybe do a sliding closet door makeover and build a barn door for a closet or bathroom door
• Refresh the decor to match your tastes, like a coastal vibe with navy and natural color tones or modern boho style

Master bedroom color options

When it comes to choosing your bedroom decor and color scheme, the choices are endless – which can be overwhelming! And your choice of paint color in the master bedroom is a big part of creating the mood of your space.

From light and bright rooms to dark and moody retreats – there’s a master bedroom paint color for everyone! Check out these master bedroom paint ideas for inspiration.

They are organized below from lightest to darkest colors so they are easy to scan and find your perfect shade of master bedroom paint color!

Master Bedroom Paint Ideas

Photo Credit:julieblanner.com

Greek Villa by HGTV Sherwin Williams (Lowe's)

For this master bedroom makeover, this blogger opted for an off-white creamy shade that is gorgeous! This room really looks light and bright and the colorful accents of the rug and decor contrast perfectly.

Photo Credit:repurposeandupcycle.com

Drift of Mist by Sherwin Williams

If you're craving a light and bright look in your master bedroom, this paint color is a great option. It's a soft and warm gray color that pairs great with dark wood and gray wood tones as shown in this room.

Photo Credit:www.makingitinthemountains.com

Cloud White by Benjamin Moore

This light and airy farmhouse master bedroom features two beautiful paint colors because there are two contrasting colors used on the stencil wall feature.

The lighter color is Cloud White by Benjamin Moore on the stencil wall is also used on the ceiling and other adjoining walls.

The darker griege color on the stencil patterned is Edgecomb Gray, also by Benjamin Moore.

Photo Credit:www.diybeautify.com

Bistro White by Valspar

Another pretty warm white paint color option that certainly lightens up the master bedroom without feeling stark! That faux brick wall features the same paint color with a 1:1 paint and water wash technique to seal the german schmear texture.

See Also

The graphic designer's guide to mastering color

Photo Credit:greenwithdecor.com

Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams

Agreeable Gray has been coined "everyone's favorite gray paint color" and it's definitely a popular choice among bloggers and designers, so I couldn't leave it off on this master bedroom paint color list! Learn more about the Agreeable Gray here, but to summarize it is a warm light gray paint color that doesn't look blue or green.

Photo Credit:renovatedfaith.com

Silver Strand by Sherwin Williams

This light gray paint color looks great in this bedroom. The article linked below gives a detailed overview of the color that is a great read if you're thinking about using Silver Strand paint color.

Photo Credit:www.practicalwhimsydesigns.com

Moon Beam by Dutch Boy

Here's another light gray option for a bedroom paint color that seems to be just a touch darker than Agreeable Gray (above) but still light and bright.

P.S. The darker accent paint on the painted wall stencil is Padlock Gray by Dutch Boy.

Photo Credit:www.thriftydecorchick.com

Westchester Gray by Sherwin Williams

This is a dark and cool gray, although it looks lighter in this bedroom than in other photos I've seen online. Maybe it is because this room has a lot of natural light.

It just goes to show you that you always need to test samples in your room before painting because paint colors and look different in different rooms depending on the amount of natural light.

Photo Credit:greenwithdecor.com

Camelback by Sherwin WIlliams

If you are craving more warmth in your bedroom, this tan paint color is a great choice. It's not too light, but not too dark either. It pairs well with other neutrals like white and gray shown here. Learn more about Camelback paint color here (with tons of additional photos!)

Fashion Gray by Behr

If you're craving a gray paint color that is a true gray and doesn't read white (like the lighter gray colors tend to do), this is a great option for you. It is a warm neutral gray. We painted our whole 1st fixer upper with this paint color and loved it!

Photo Credit:singlegirlsdiy.com

Flowering Cactus by Ralph Lauren

This blogger incorporated this light green paint color on just one wall of her master bedroom - like an accent wall. In fact, she found this paint color in the "oops" section at the hardware store, which is a great place to look for new paint colors. The other colors in the bedroom are mostly wood tones and neutrals, so this paint color really stands out as the focal point.

Photo Credit:www.anikasdiylife.com

Brooklyn by Behr

This paint color screams "fun" to me. It's a greenish-blue paint color with a lot of gray undertones. It is perfect in this master bedroom on this board and batten accent wall, don't you think?

Photo Credit:linenandlogs.com

Blossom Silhouette by Clark & Kensington

This dramatic green accent wall color behind the wood bed is so pretty! It goes well with the natural wood tones and the white bedding.

Since we opted for two tone walls in our master bedroom, we have two colors featured here - Falling Snow by Behr on the top and Meteorological by Behr on the bottom. I love the strong contrast between the two colors and how they complement each other.

Falling Snow is a cool, clean white shade that looks good in any room. See more pictures and our full review of Falling Snow here.

Meteorological is a dark and moody shade of teal that is dramatic and cozy. See more pictures and a detailed overview of Behr Meteorological here.

Photo Credit:www.atlaneandhigh.com

Smokey Blue by Sherwin Williams

This color is appropriately called 'Smokey Blue" because that is exactly how I would describe it. It's the perfect solution if you're looking for a moody color for your bedroom, but you don't want to go too dark. I also love the fun picture frame molding that she added to the walls. It adds so much texture to the otherwise flat walls.

Photo Credit:www.2thesunnyside.com

Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore

This paint color is a deep, dark blue with gray undertones and it looks amazing as a feature wall in this bedroom. Pairing perfectly with coastal washed wood tones and white, it brings in a level of sophistication to the room. This blogger also painted the dresser on the opposite wall the same color to tie everything together.

Photo Credit:handmade-haven.com

Black Bamboo by Behr

How gorgeous is this dark olive shade of green on this bedroom accent wall?

Although I've never used this color in a bedroom, I do have experience with this color and wrote all about Behr Black Bamboo here. It's a definite favorite of mine!

Photo Credit:theinspiredworkshop.com

Urban Bronze by Sherwin Williams

It's no wonder that Sherwin Williams chose Urban Bronze as their 2021 Color of the Year, it's a beat! A dark warm grayish-brown paint color that pairs beautifully with natural wood tones and contrasts well with white and other neutrals, as shown in this master bedroom.

Photo Credit:bloomintheblack.com

Polo Blue by Benjamin Moore

Here's another twist on the dark and moody bedroom, but this is a great option if you really want to go DARK. But she has a big window to bring in lots of natural light, so she can totally get away with the dark walls. I love the added detail of the shibori patterned stencil accent wall and the additional colors that she brought in through the area rug, bedding, and wall decor.

Photo Credit:www.loveandrenovations.com

Ink Black by Behr

Although it has black in the color name, Ink Black is actually a dark gray with blue undertones. It's perfect if you're wanting a dark and moody vibe for your master bedroom (hello COZY!). Paired with this picture frame molding, it has such a beautiful texture with a traditional feel.

What to consider when choosing your master bedroom colors

There’s more to it than just choosing the inspiration photo that you like that bedroom. Here are some other things that you need to consider when you are choosing your master bedroom colors.

Color Psychology

The psychology of color is real and scientific, friends! It has been proven that certain colors make humans feel certain ways. So this shouldn’t be overlooked when you’re selecting the paint color for the bedroom.

There is SO much that goes into the science of color psychology, but here’s a quick 101.

• Red – love, passion, energy, signifies danger, increases respritation rate and blood pressure
• Green – nature, health, freshness, productivity, gentle and relaxing, beneficial to the mind and body, tranquility and calm (do you understand why we chose this green paint color for our bedroom?)
• Blue – calm, serenity, lowers heart rate, sincere, peaceful, authentic
• Brown – serious, stability, wisdom, safe, reserved, mature
• Orange – rejuvenation, positivism, joy, happiness, success, determination
• Yellow – fresh and creative, enhance mental activity and energy levels, morning time, attention-getter, fun fact: babies cry more in yellow rooms (what?)
• Pink – gentle, tenderness, calming, hope, innocence
• Purple – luxury and power, relaxation and stability, extravagance, creativity, magic
• White – purity, new beginnings, serenity, freedom, invites reflection, comfort, cleanliness
• Black – elegant, mysterious, power, strength and authority, formal and elegant (but can also be associated with negative conntations like grief and evil). When used in interiors, however, black can be cozy and modern.

What are the best colors for a master bedroom?

After learning more about the psychology of color, it should come as no surprise that most of the master bedroom paint ideas featured above were white, greens, blues, and black because those are colors that are calming and relaxing.

However, black may not be for you! I think that black feels cozy and modern but some find it too depressing to be used as a wall paint color. If you’re on the fence – maybe consider adding a feature wall of black shiplap to try it out.

What are the worst paint colors for a bedroom?

Because most of us are wanting to create a relaxing master bedroom to retreat to, I would recommend staying away from red and yellow.

Size of your room

If you have a small bedroom, you may be looking for ways to make it feel larger. Here are my favorite 7 tips for making a small room look bigger:

1. Lighten up your color scheme. Lighter and brighter spaces feel larger.
2. Hang your curtains all the way up to the ceiling and down to the floor. This helps elongate the room height and makes it feel taller
3. Add a accent wall or wall treatment or even a shiplap ceiling, which gives your eye somewhere interesting to focus on.
4. Emphasize and increase natural light by getting rid of heavy blinds and making your bedroom curtains easy to open every morning.
5. Incorporate large-scale art and get creative with how you decorate over the bed.
6. Add a mirror, which helps bounce the light around the room and boosts the amount of natural light in the space.
7. Add smart storage to avoid clutter

Amount of natural light

The amount and direction that your natural light comes into play when you are choosing paint colors. Before you go buy all the paint, be sure to grab some samples and test them on multiple walls around your bedroom.

Then observe the colors throughout the day to see how the natural light impacts the color! You’ll be shocked how much different rooms with different lighting change the paint color.

Furniture and decor

If you’re planning to keep your existing furniture and decor after you paint the room, consider how it would look next to your new paint color.

For example, if you have dark wood furniture and white paint color would offer good contrast.

Or if you have a gray fabric bed, you may not want to paint the walls gray so that things don’t feel too bland.

There are so many unique and fun options for master bedroom colors. And now hopefully you’ll understand just how important color selection is for a room!

With these inspiration paint colors and advice for what to consider when choosing your master bedroom, our hope is that you feel ready and capable to move forward with your bedroom design.

Whatever you choose, light and bright color palette or a dark and moody one, best sure to give the master bedroom the thought and care it deserves! It is one of the most important rooms in our home.

Let us know in the comments below!