The simplest way to design a color combination for the bedroom is to choose a dominant color, a second color to complement it, and a third color to use sparingly to accent the main colors. Selecting a neutral color as one of the main bedroom colors offers an easy way to design a contemporary bedroom that you can update without going to great expense. For example, if you paint the walls cream, tan, gray or taupe and put in matching carpet, you can change your bedding and accessory colors as often as you want without clashing.
Bedroom color combinations are largely a matter of taste, and trends change often. A general guideline is to create a soothing color scheme that promotes relaxation. Although you can use bright or bold colors in the bedroom, they aren't the most restful choices. Relaxing color schemes include any of the light neutral colors, including white, cream, gray, taupe and tan. Pale shades of pink, rose, peach, yellow and gold help to make a room seem warmer and larger. They work well for small or dark bedrooms. Green, blue and lavender can create a cooler color scheme for the bedroom, although some shades of lavender can be difficult to match.
A monochrome color combination, which means using different shades of one color, provides a foolproof bedroom color scheme. A bedroom with cream walls, cream bedding and cream carpet offers a lush and restful look. Varying the textures in the carpet and textiles adds interest. If you want intense colors, using them as an accent color for accessories allows you to create splashes of bright color. For example, create an ocean-theme bedroom with pale sea-green walls and bedding and sand-colored carpet. Add a blast of color with window treatments, lamps and accent pillows in sunset orange. Black can work in the bedroom. Black drapes or wall hangings can create the optical illusion of more space.
Black and other dark-colored carpet can be impractical for household with small children or pets, or for homes subject to debris being tracked indoors. Light-colored carpets also show soiling. Neutral carpets and carpets woven with more than one color help camouflage soil or pet hair in the bedroom. Putting in a salt-and-pepper carpet, brown, dark gold, rust or a medium shade of your dominant color, such as medium blue instead of dark blue will keep the carpet from showing every speck or pet hair that gets on it. Matching the carpet to the pet can also help, if your pet spends a lot of time in the bedroom.