The bedroom is where comfort matters most — the place we return to at the end of the day and start again each morning. While the foundations of a welcoming bedroom remain timeless — layered textures, thoughtful lighting, and smart storage — how we approach them continues to evolve. For 2026, designers are rethinking these essentials in more personal, flexible ways. Below are a few expert-inspired ideas to refresh the basics and make your bedroom feel current without losing its sense of calm.
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1-Creamy Colors
For those looking for calmness in their bedrooms, neutral colors are always a reliable and risk free choice, this year however there’s a shift towards creamy, taupe colors rather than light grays, these colors invoke more warmth, and create tranquil restful spaces.
2-Reading Spaces
Sleep experts often emphasize the importance of a consistent evening ritual, and as screen-free evenings continue to gain traction, reading is naturally reclaiming its place as a favorite pre-bed activity. That shift has brought renewed interest in reading nooks — calm, dedicated spots designed for unwinding with a book. The setup doesn’t need to be elaborate. A comfortable chair, a footstool, and a warm light source are often all it takes to turn a quiet corner into one of the most inviting spaces in your home.
3-More Than a Headboard
As personal expression becomes more central to bedroom design, headboards have evolved into true focal points. Designers are experimenting with scale, color, and materials, turning headboards into intentional design moments rather than afterthoughts. Despite the creative freedom, their role remains the same — offering comfort, support, and a sense of grounding in the space.
4-Create Intimacy With Curtains
Curtains are no longer exclusive to windows, recently they emerged as a creative way to have a soft and colorful separation in your space. With vast options in fabrics, designs and colors, there is a curtain for every taste. What helped boost their popularity is the way they add a functional layer to your overall textures, and keep your room feeling fluid and airy during the day, and cocoon like at night time.
5-More Carpet Ideas
Carpets haven’t disappeared — they’ve simply become more intentional. Rather than acting as background pieces, they’re now being used to add style, texture, and comfort in a more considered way. In the bedroom, a carpet is often the first thing you step onto in the morning, making it both a tactile and visual anchor for the space. Depending on what it’s layered over, it can play a key role in creating cohesion. This year, there’s a noticeable shift toward earthy tones and layered shades of brown, while floral motifs and vintage-inspired patterns continue to hold their place.
6-Introduce Texture
Similar to curtains and carpets, other forms of textures are equally rising in popularity, as people use them to create more personal warm spaces and often without spending high prices. Materials such as linens, clay and wood will continue to be in high demand, due to their organic and natural feel, and ease of inclusion in any space.
7-Canopy and Wallpaper (When Possible)
A canopy bed gives instant architecture to a space — even if your ceilings aren’t mansion height — creating a sense of structure and presence that grounds the room. Paired with wallpaper, it becomes even more impactful, layering in personality through pattern, texture, and a sense of story. Together, they turn the bedroom into something more immersive, making it feel considered and expressive rather than purely functional.
“As a designer, I’ll always stand by this pairing. It’s classic, cozy, and guaranteed to make your bedroom feel like a boutique hotel you never want to check out of.” says Interior Design Kathy Kuo.
8-Framed or Hanged Fabrics
Framed textiles are an often-overlooked alternative to traditional wall art, but they offer distinct advantages. Interior designers highlight their ability to bring softness, texture, and depth to a space — qualities that paintings or photographs behind glass can’t easily achieve. Displayed without glass, textiles add a layered, tactile quality to walls, making them especially effective for creating warmth and visual richness beyond children’s rooms and throughout the home.
9-Expressive Storage
Closets and built-in storage offer an often-overlooked opportunity to bring personality into the bedroom, whether through color, design, or materials. This approach has become more noticeable recently, especially in smaller spaces, where people are taking a bolder approach with how their storage looks rather than treating it as purely functional. From choosing complementary colors to working with deeper shades or softer tints, thoughtful choices can make built-ins feel intentional, personal, and fully integrated into the room’s design.
10-Tucked Away Beds for Small Spaces
Small spaces and practical constraints often push designers and architects to think more creatively, with every square inch carefully considered. Bed nooks have gained popularity as a smart, space-saving solution, especially in guest bedrooms or as a playful alternative to bunk beds in children’s rooms. Often designed with built-in storage and shelving, they do more than provide a place to sleep. Bed nooks can double as reading corners, creating a cozy, cocoon-like feel that’s especially inviting during the colder months.
‘A bed nook is probably the most perfect way to make an ordinary room more multifunctional (extra weekend guest anyone?) and definitely a nice way to add a little charm to a space. My favorites are built into an existing closet, made up with clever fabric usage, feature shelves for books and a storage drawer (or two!) or are just simply tucked into an existing window niche. These smart bed solutions work just as well in small or grand spaces too. 🛌’ Says BENJAMIN REYNAERT elledecor author
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