And why not? We spend around a third of our lives in bed, so it makes sense that we should make sure that we’re giving ourselves the best experience, and highest quality rest we can. And you can do this by creating a luxury bedroom that caters to all your needs, from inviting materials to comforting colors. Nearly every element is involved in creating bedroom ideas that will turn your space into something from a top tier hotel.
Luxury bedroom ideas
If you are looking for main bedroom ideas, or even guest bedroom ideas, with a focus on luxury, making these changes will not only make you feel like you’re on vacation (yes, even on a Sunday evening with a tough week looming), but you’ll find it easier to unwind and drift off into the deep sleep your body requires to truly rest and recover. If you’ve ever wondered ‘how can I make my bedroom look stylish?’ then this is the advice for you. Below, with the help of interior designers and hoteliers, we bring you the best luxury bedroom ideas.
1. Make the bed the focus
This fabulous luxury bedroom is in the Gleneagles Townhouse (opens in new tab) in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is a fine example of how expert bedroom styling can make a space feel special, particularly if the focus are on your bed ideas. ‘The upholstery focuses on contemporary takes on traditional pieces, both in the shapes of the furniture and on the patterns and colors in the fabric,’ says Charlie North, the designer behind the Gleneagles’ interiors, and Vice President of Interior Design at Ennismore. ‘We love the canopy which helps give a sense of grandeur to the bed, but without needing a four-poster frame in the room. Again, we’ve used contemporary fabrics so the canopy doesn’t feel dated or twee. It reads like a confident statement.’
2. Put architecture into a square space
‘If your bedroom doesn’t have stand-out architecture, you may find it hard to add a luxurious feel with just a few light touches. However, you can add faux architectural elements to your space to make it feel more unique and layered,’ says Lucy Searle, Editor in Chief, Homes & Gardens. ‘Here, one of our favorite international designers, Charu Gandhi at Elicyon (opens in new tab), has created architectural detailing with a dropped ceiling and wall panel-cum-mammoth headboard. The headboard in particular is very achievable and translatable, and shows how to design a bedroom with a feeling of grandeur.’
3. Screen off a workspace
It’s likely in today’s world that you may have to work from home, and the only space available might be your bedroom. If this is the case, you might be looking at bedroom layouts ideas with a desk as part of the floorplan. This, of course, isn’t necessarily conducive to a luxury bedroom, especially as it’s hard to divide off a work space from a sleep space if square footage is a problem. However, perhaps you can do so with drapery? Here, a double-sided curtain glides neatly back and forwards at night to ensure the room feels like a sleep-only space; you can use clever joinery with trim to hide the curtain track in the ceiling.
4. Match the ceiling to the floor
Jay Jeffers (opens in new tab) is a California-based designer who created the interiors for The Madrona, a boutique hotel in the Sonoma County wine country. ‘Cozy, clean, chic. These are the three words that came to mind when I was thinking of how I wanted a guest room at The Madrona to feel. The cool tones combined with the chunky knit throws and stools completely sets the perfect tone to a relaxing weekend.’ Note how ceiling ideas in this space include a textured wallpaper that matches the tones in the flooring below, cleverly creating a cocooning feel in a space that is decorated in cool colors.
5. Go overboard with fabrics and layering
A simple way to create a luxury bedroom is to invest in plenty of ways to use different but complementing fabrics and patterns within the space. Here, Henriette von Stockhausen of VSP Interiors (opens in new tab) gives a masterclass in country bedroom decorating. ‘I personally like to compound the feeling of coziness and comfort by using darker colors on the inside of the beds as it helps create that womb like experience and a feeling of security that one craves after a long day at work,’ says Henriette. ‘One tip to keep the budget down is to choose a cheaper fabric for the inside as it needs a lot of meterage and choose the more expensive fabric on the outside where less is needed, especially if the bed only has back and side curtains at the head end.
6. Furnish a luxury bedroom with antique finds
Decorating with antiques is a fail-safe way to create a luxury bedroom. This space is one of the many bedrooms in one of the many Pig Hotels (opens in new tab), and it shows how rustic bedroom ideas can feel luxurious. Owner and founder Judy Hutson, who along with her husband hotelier Robin, put individual room at the heart of their bedrooms, shares that including older pieces in a room is vital to it feeling luxury. ‘It helps give it an enveloped look and is so intrinsic to our ethos. We buy our antiques and vintage pieces from lots of sources in the UK and abroad.’ Whether you incorporate a cherished family heirloom, or bring in a classic copper bath, great for master bedroom ideas with bath, these finishing touches can add inviting character and personality to the space.
7. Bring a bathtub into a bedroom
Combining luxury bedroom ideas with luxury bathroom ideas makes sense if you want the boutique feel but don’t have the space for an ensuite. Here, in Louisiana’s chic hotel The Chloe (opens in new tab), bath ideas are comfortably combined into the bedroom. Designed by Sara Ruffin Costello (opens in new tab), the rooms follow the hotel’s dusty sapphire and blushing rosé color scheme – and its accentuated Victorian original features for an indisputable nod to luxury. This unconventional bedroom furnishing may have its practical assets, but it is also an exquisite focal point that will steal the limelight and add hints of regency into any space.
8. Go for a pared-back feel that’s still luxurious
Luxury bedrooms needn’t be opulent or overtly what might traditionally be called ‘feminine’. In fact it’s easy to create a luxurious feel for women who prefer a pared-back look or anyone looking for bedroom ideas for men. Interior designer Kelly Wearstler shows how in this boutique space she designed at The Proper (opens in new tab). Kelly’s creative vision for the rooms seamlessly blends past and present with compelling design, vintage influence, local art and, of course, attention to detail, seen in her selection and combination of fabrics for bedding and upholstery.
9. Step back into nature
Painting both walls and ceiling in the same color can create a cocooning feel, particularly in cozy small bedrooms. Soft greens were used in this garden-inspired room, and adding leafy patterns and florals works well as they’re all based on the same color palette. The Colefax and Fowler (opens in new tab) bedroom curtain ideas tie in nicely with the headboard, covered in Rapture & Wright (opens in new tab)’s Walled Garden fabric. It shows how accessories can help bring the design to life – including the Wisteria lamps with Empire shades in Cloud Chevrons by Pooky (opens in new tab).
10. Center a scheme around one color palette
Picking bedroom color ideas in one core shade and using different tones of it is a way to be bold without incidentally clashing. Wendi Wolf Lewitt (opens in new tab) designed this cocooning pink bedroom as such, with built-in open shelving, too, so personal belongings can be displayed.
11. Play with panelling
Wall paneling ideas are a popular way to add character to your walls in luxury bedrooms, and there are plenty of techniques to try. Consider cladding half or three-quarters of the height of your walls and painting the wood in a contrasting color. Test out the shades in your room before committing, to see what they look like in different lights. The woodwork here is finished in Paint & Paper Library (opens in new tab)’s Blue Gum, which looks much brighter as light floods the space, complementing the headboard and drapes. The tongue and groove design not only adds an interesting visual element but is practical, too. It allows the wiring of the light and touchscreen below to be hidden and has created a shelf for pictures above – perfect if you are looking for hard-working yet luxurious bedroom ideas.
12. Give antique furniture a refresh
A bold paint job is often all it takes to give antique furniture a new lease of life, which interior designer Elizabeth Hay has done with these two locally found beds. The deep red makes a bold statement, so paler tones were applied to the walls for balance. This mix of bright colors and eclectic patterns is perfect inspiration when considering bohemian bedroom ideas.
13. Focus on the details
Hotel-inspired luxury bedroom ideas are all in the details. ‘Fabrics are a really effortless way to add a decorative element to a bedroom,’ says Hayley McAfee, design director of Villa Nova (opens in new tab). ‘Upholstered pieces, such as a headboard or chair, can act as a starting point for the rest of the room. Consider different bedroom layout ideas, too. Could you reposition your bed to comfortably cater for an armchair or two? Doing so can heighten the feeling of luxury.
14. Pick your palette
‘The bedroom is somewhere you want to relax, unwind and switch off from the everyday. Tranquil blue tones and calming neutrals not only look luxurious, but are known for their relaxing and regenerative powers,’ explains Zoffany designer Peter Gomez – like in this soothing all-blue bedroom. ‘Using muted, pared-back hues will create a sophisticated and soothing space. If you want something a bit warmer, a shade like pewter will help to create a cozy, cocooning environment where you can wrap yourself up and escape from it all.’
15. Enhance a focal point
While we may envy the cool bedroom ideas of five-star hotels, we must remember that bedrooms are deeply personal spaces and should be decorated accordingly. ‘If you are tempted to have a bedroom accent wall or wallpaper, then it is best to use the wall behind the bed to ground the room,’ says Joe Studholme, Farrow & Ball (opens in new tab)’s color curator. ‘But if you are feeling daring you might consider extending your bedroom wallpaper ideas to the ceiling – you will spend a lot of time admiring it from the bed!’ Putting bedroom mirror ideas on the headboard wall is another way to create a luxury appeal, and reflect light to enhance the space, too.
16. Invest in stylish storage
Are you looking for luxury bedroom ideas that will recreate the high-end aesthetic of a hotel room? Then bespoke storage is the most stylish option for you. ‘Bespoke fitted furniture allows you to create a tailored storage solution that not only maximizes use of the space, but is also designed to suit what you want to put away and what you want to display,’ says Roselind Wilson, owner and director of Roselind Wilson Design (opens in new tab). Fitted furniture created bespoke is a useful option if you’re struggling for small bedroom storage ideas, too. ‘It’s also the perfect opportunity to create a statement design that is as individual as you are. You can specify materials and colors to match your room scheme or existing items of furniture, and a style that suits your taste and type of property.’
17. Play with pattern
‘Mixing patterns is one of the most enjoyable parts of a design scheme,‘ says textile designer Bethie Tricks (opens in new tab). ‘I tend to use the rule of three as a starting point – pulling together patterns that share a similar color or design element to ensure they echo each other subtly while adding variety and a sense of continuity. ‘Using the biggest pattern on the floor in the form of a rug helps to anchor a space. Apply another on one of the main pieces of furniture, such as a headboard or armchair, and finish with either patterned wall decor for your bedroom or drapes. ‘You can pick out colors from these patterns to finish the scheme when choosing your bedding and other decorative accessories.’
18. Opt for pure artistry with a mural
Choose the right design for your space and follow the latest bedroom trends to take a feature wall to the next level with wall mural ideas. From hand-blocked panels to digitally printed vistas, murals of picturesque landscapes are an expressive way to bring epic scale and romance to a scheme In luxury bedroom ideas you want to use calm colors that evoke the pace and tranquility of far away shores.
19. Incorporate decorative panelling
Panelling is a simple way to bring architectural shape to featureless rooms, while protecting walls from the general wear and tear of family life. Intricate fretwork, simple rustic boards and traditional panels all offer their own distinctive style – and add a luxurious finish to any space. Available in a wide range of mouldings, from subtle tongue and groove to grand period designs, or more modern design statements like the feature wall above, there’s a panelling style to suit every bedroom.
20. Size it up
The headboard you choose will set the tone in luxury bedroom ideas, and opting for an oversized statement style can help anchor the space. For your own scheme, consider creating a headboard with your favorite fabric for a finish that feels personal. Go for wall-mounted headboard ideas that also sit on the floor for support, and finish with stud work or a contrasting pipework for luxurious hotel-style look.
21. Swap out your sheets
We’ve all been in a luxury hotel and come away dreaming about how soft and luxurious the sheets on the bed felt. However, as Lucy Ackroyd, head of design at Christy (opens in new tab) notes, ‘it’s incredibly easy to replicate this feeling in your own home simply by ensuring you have the best bedding for the job.’ Take inspiration from the exquisite bedding in this inviting gray bedroom idea. ‘Crisp, clean sheets give an instant feeling of luxury,’ says Lucy. ‘Opt for pure cotton, high thread count linen which will help regulate temperature and moisture levels. Plus, they will feel much smoother against the skin than synthetic offerings.’
22. Dress for success
The simple act of styling a bed properly will make your bedroom feel extra special and luxurious, or set the perfect tone for impressive luxury bedroom ideas. In theory, there are myriad ways to dress your bed, but if you’re looking for that chic, luxury hotel room look, there are a few tips to take into account that will elevate your bed both in terms of style and comfort. ‘On a double bed, go for two pillows on each side and invest in a couple of pillow shams to match your bedding,’ says Lucy. ‘Place the pillow shams on top of your usual pillows to hide them behind a more elegantly coordinated facade.’ ‘Next comes the cushions,’ explains Lucy. ‘Go for somewhere between three and six cushions depending on the width of your bed, and group them together by size, with the largest at the back. For the finishing touch, a statement throw (or two!) is essential for a luxe, beautifully dressed bed.’
23. Consider your materials
No matter how pretty you’ve made your luxury bedroom ideas look by styling the bed to the nines, remember that what’s on the inside counts, too. Lucy suggests: ‘Opt for good quality, filled inner bedding that will stand the test of time and maintain that plush feeling after every wash. Plus, make sure to fluff up pillows and duvets every time you dress your bed for that full, cozy, “can’t wait to dive in” feeling.’
24. Add serenity with scent
Smell is one of our most powerful senses, and can completely change your mood, as well as transport you somewhere else. It’s no surprise, then, that the right scents can put your body into relaxation and sleep mode – making scent layering a must for luxury bedroom ideas that exude calm and tranquility. ‘Lavender has long been known as a popular sleep aid, and for good reason, as research highlights the calming effect is has on the nervous system,’ says Lucy. ‘To really engage the senses, layer your scents throughout the room – a diffuser will ensure your choice of aroma hits you every time you enter the room, while candles will provide additional ambience whilst also giving a glorious hit of fragrance.’ Do remember, however, to always keep candles at a safe distance from your sheets and extinguish well before you think you’ll nod off.
25. Create calm with color
The color palette you choose for your bedroom can have a surprisingly big impact on your sleep. When selecting your color scheme, consider the feeling and mood you want in the room and see which colors evoke these in you. ‘White bedrooms are known for feeling bright and airy, and can help provide a sense of cleanliness – particularly useful if you have been working from home and are feeling trapped within the four walls,’ advises Lucy. Blue and green bedrooms are both calming, as these colors evoke the feeling of being outdoors. However, make sure to avoid colors like red or orange, which are stimulating and could diminish the all important wind-down before sleep.’
How can I make my bedroom luxurious?
If you are after simple ways to add a touch of luxury to your bedroom, look no further than decorative elements. Decoration is all about accessories. A quick way to incorporate more detail into your scheme is with cushions, throws and lampshades. You can switch these out easily, season to season, or as your mood changes.
How can I make my room look expensive?
An easy way to create expensive looking luxury bedroom ideas is with a decorative mural or wallpaper. ‘Beyond just decoration, the transportive effects of a scenic wallpaper within a bedroom creates expansive surroundings at an intimate scale,’ says Claud Cecil Gurney, founder of de Gournay (opens in new tab). Another way to add grandeur is to introduce art to your space. ‘Bedrooms are our private inner sanctuaries and, given that artwork is such a personal choice, it can be used to elevate schemes and provide a sense of identity,’ says Roslyn Keet, associate director of David Collins Studio (opens in new tab).
