Design Inspo: 6 Neutral and Serene Bedroom Retreats

If you have trouble drifting off to sleep at night, you might want to consider switching up your bedroom style—especially if your current look is filled with colour. Neutral tones such as white, cream, beige and grey are key to creating a tranquil space as they help minimize visual stimulation and promote rest.

Need some convincing (and designer inspo) to give it a try? Scroll through these looks from the WL archives to see what a neutral palette can do for your bedroom and your sleeping habits.

Light Touch

This Kelly Deck-designed home has not one but two primary suites—and they’re polar opposites of each other. While one is dark and moody, the other is light and bright thanks to the addition of ivory bedding, wood accents and a delicate touch of lavender on the oversized upholstered headboard. Peek inside this cozy Whistler residence.

Sleeping Beauty

As if the ocean views weren’t soothing enough, designer Andrea McLean finished this bedroom with custom Douglas fir millwork and sheer drapery. The neutral and organic materials help to create a peaceful, distraction-free sleeping environment. Check out the rest of this stunning home renovation.

Soft Spot

This bedroom may have some darker elements—the console table, the area rug—but that doesn’t make it any less serene. Designers Kelly Renolds and Chad Falkenberg incorporated a custom bed, a sculptural accent chair and a floral glass ceiling light to lend a feminine softness to the space. See the before and after renovation photos.

Welcome Matte

White oak walls, cream drapes, a chunky knit throw—everything in this bedroom has a neutral colour and a matte finish. “There’s really no shine to anything except the glass and lamp,” says Walker McKinley, principal of McKinley Studios. Explore this spectacular Whistler ski chalet.

Power Play Nap

The Evoke International Design team kept the interior palette of this Vancouver home simple, sticking almost exclusively to three materials: basalt floors, Douglas fir panelling and luxe Italian marble. Upstairs, that all comes together to create a cool, calm and comfortable primary suite—with incredible views to match. Tour NHL star Trevor Linden’s family home.

Cloud Over

With a vaulted ceiling, upholstered headboard and plush off-white rug, this primary bedroom looks as soft and airy as a cloud… or the sheep we count before drifting off to sleep. “[The homeowners] wanted it really cozy,” says designer Andrea Rodman of this 10,000-square-foot Oak Bay home. Read more about this textured, layered space.