Sweet Dreams: Styling A Statement Bedroom

SOURCE: Sotheby’s

The audacious use of paint, textiles and eye-catching furniture can create a sense of sanctuary that is as personal as it is impactful, writes Francesca Perry

Of all the rooms in a house, the bedroom is arguably where design choices can be most personal—and, perhaps, boldest. Some homeowners opt for serene, pared-back decor to set a calm mood, but for others, the bedroom’s role as sanctuary comes to life with more expressive choices. 

Since the pandemic, there has been an increased focus on the role of design in supporting wellness—and for those working from home, the need for distinct spaces of relaxation and work, each with their own character. A statement bedroom, sometimes counterintuitively, can give that sense of escape from the rest of the house. From bold color choices to impactful furniture and textiles, there are plenty of options for creating the ideal space.

“Deep tones lend themselves to bedrooms,” says Georgina Wood, founder and creative director of London-based interiors firm Studio Clementine. “Used correctly, they can be much more restful than stark whites or lighter tones. If you’re looking to use bolder colors, opt for naturally restful shades such as blue and green. This creates a cocooning effect.” 

Wood took this approach when working on the bedroom in a London apartment for the British-American fashion designer Harris Reed and his husband. Here, the walls, ceiling and bedspread are all in a deep kingfisher blue, with decorative red detailing matching a luxurious crimson carpet. The wallpaper, designed by Wood in collaboration with Reed and wallcovering specialist Fromental, depicts a “botanical paradise” on moiré silk. “The lagoon background creates a mystical backdrop to the vivid embroidered design,” says Wood. “The goal was to create an all-encompassing room fit for a fabulously fashionable couple.”

The immersive hue of Reed’s London bedroom displays an approach known as “color drenching”—a key interiors trend of 2025, according to Vogue—where a dominant shade is chosen for the decor, extending across walls, ceilings, fixtures and furnishings. The effect can be striking, enveloping the inhabitant in a visually cohesive experience. 

New York-based interiors studio and design gallery Somerset House used the technique for a master bedroom of a townhouse in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Again, a deep blue was chosen, used across the walls, ceiling and millwork for a strong yet soothing aesthetic. The effect is complemented by a bespoke velvet bed in dark green, with a rippling headboard extending the width of an entire wall. 

Wow-factor headboards or entire beds are a key way that designers can create statements in bedroom interiors. British appliqué artist Natasha Hulse recently collaborated with furniture brand Lorfords Contemporary on a collection of headboards, including “Rose,” a tall, decorative piece with a curling silhouette, covered in red roses. It immediately draws the eye, turning any bed into an artistic flourish in the center of a room. 

For the guest bedroom of a house in Montecito, California, Henriette von Stockhausen of VSP Interiors chose a decorative antique bed from British designer and antiques dealer Robert Kime. The elaborately embroidered canopy, in yellow, turquoise and red, evokes a palatial bedroom, fit for royalty. “Kime’s beds are beautiful, timeless and have presence and history. They immediately make you feel part of a story when you climb into them,” says von Stockhausen. “Beds should never be an afterthought: they are, after all, the most important pieces of furniture in the house.”

In the master bedroom, meanwhile, von Stockhausen collaborated with her client to design a wooden four-poster bed, crafted by fine furniture maker Nicholas Walton. “I get a lot of requests for special beds these days,” says von Stockhausen, whose passion for four-posters has seeded her own collection, inspired by antique examples, and set to launch with Oficina Inglesa in 2026.

“People are craving comfort and sanctuary more than ever, and a four-poster or canopy bed immediately offers that, giving a sense of enclosure and intimacy that feels incredibly nurturing,” she says. “Clients are also becoming more confident in wanting something with presence—a bed that isn’t just functional but also makes a statement and sets the tone for the entire room.”

The four-poster in the Montecito project is set against an intricately painted golden antique screen, reflective of von Stockhausen’s design approach. “I want bedrooms to feel layered, inviting and deeply connected to history,” she says. “Antiques are essential: they bring warmth, depth and that sense of permanence which immediately makes a room feel as though it has evolved over time.”

The architecture of a bedroom can also be used to create an impact. For a project in West Orange, New Jersey, interior designer Beth Diana Smith looked to “embrace the beauty” of the master bedroom’s vaulted ceiling, highlighting it with a patterned wallpaper. 

“This creates a striking focal point that the client can enjoy both when entering the room and while lying in bed,” says Smith. To balance the drama overhead, she color-drenched the walls in an immersive purple-brown, which provides both contrast and warmth. According to Smith, this brings “a sense of luxury and intimacy”, a combination that perfectly encapsulates the ideal for anyone seeking to create their own private oasis.

SOURCE: Sotheby’s