Here are five simple tips to creating a great color palette for your bedroom decoration.

Tip#1 - Decide what mood you want to create in this space. Color selection has a great influence on how the area looks and feels. Some will say they want a quiet, serene mood; others may want a bold, bright punch of color to add excitement to the space. So make that decision before you purchase and paint or accessorize, because you don't want to find yourself backtracking with paint on the walls. It can get expensive!

Tip #2 - Be aware of how your color selections will influence the room's size. If the bedroom colors you are selecting are for a room that is 10 ft. x 11 ft., the overall size is limited. You are probably not going to put a bold color on the walls, particularly if the mood you want to create is quiet and restful!

A small bedroom decorating project usually works most successfully if the larger blocks of colors such as walls and bed coverings are kept in neutral tones. Bring in the accent colors on the small pieces, like pillows, artwork, lighting, etc.

What are some 'restful' colors for bedroom decorating? Soft shades of blue, green any shade of off-white (there are literally hundreds), very soft shades of peach or rose.

Neutrals in the brown family can also work well, just remember that a little tiny paint chip that you see gets much, much larger and to some extent, bolder, on the walls.

Tip #3 - Consider the colors you are using, or have used, in other rooms of your home. When you see unique, interesting homes in magazines or on TV and they look great, do you know what a lot of that is about? A consistent color palette used throughout the home.

For example, you may want a beautiful, soft shade of lavender on the walls of your bedroom. And, lavender doesn't appear anywhere else in your home. Problem? Not really. Just bring in accent colors that exist somewhere else in your home, to tie everything together. You may have used shades of green in your living area...soft green is a great compliment to lavender. The key is to find a consistent color that looks great with the color you are introducing in your bedroom decorating.

Just take a little time to think this through, and you'll be happier with the end results.

Tip #4 - Select three colors that will form your primary bedroom colors palette. You may use another shade or two in accents, but three overall is enough. You don't want to get so much color going that the occupants can't get any rest for all of the 'color activity'.

For example, you may decide that you want to use lighter shades of brown, aqua and cream for your bedroom colors. If you are the adventerous sort and the room is spacious AND has good natural lighting, go ahead and use a soft, light brown on the walls. Select a shade that has depth and drama, to some extent, but not dark and dreary.

For those who may select the same color palette but aren't such risk takers, stick with the cream on the walls, and use shades of brown and aqua as accents. That will present a more subtle and restful mood for the room.

Use accent colors in bed coverings, artwork, accessories, area rugs, window treatments and such to create a cohesive space. Many of the clients I work with struggle in this area. They know what they like, but don't know how to put everything together.

(I created a simple guide that shows you step by step how to create a beautifully decorated home. If you want all the scoop, read this.)

I can safely say that for most bedroom decorating projects, including bedroom color selection, that you want to err to the conservative. You can always add an accessory, paint an accent wall, bring in a small side chair, etc.

Start with the basic bedroom colors selection, follow these simple tips, and you'll create a beautiful bedroom!

Here are some additional pages on this site that you might find helpful:

Color Personality -what do the colors you select say about you?

Color Trends - what is happening in the world of color and design?