Posted by Shane Cousins
on June 04, 2025
When it comes to choosing the perfect bed, most people focus on size, shape, or material. Colour is just as important. The shade you select for your bed frame can influence the atmosphere of your room, adding warmth, contrast, or calm depending on your choice. Whether you are buying a new bed or refreshing an existing one, colour plays a vital role in defining your bedroom’s style and overall feel.
From calming neutrals to statement tones, today’s custom bed colours offer more creative freedom than ever. Painted bed frames are not just functional. They can become a design feature that either blends into your décor or creates a focal point that sets the tone for the whole space.
This flexibility makes colour selection especially appealing for anyone exploring personalised finishes or investing in a custom built bed. Whether you are starting from scratch or giving your current frame a new lease of life, the right colour choice can bring the room together in a way that feels intentional and lasting.
Exploring a specific colour? This guide looks at how colour choice influences beds and bedrooms as a whole. If you already have a particular shade in mind, you will find dedicated colour guides listed further down the page, each exploring mood, styling, and design considerations in more detail.
The Power of Colour in Bedroom Design
Mood and Comfort, How Colour Supports the Bedroom
The colours we live with can subtly influence how a space feels. In a bedroom, that matters because the room should support rest, relaxation, and comfort. Bed colour plays a part in that experience because the bed is often the most visually dominant piece of furniture in the room.
Instead of thinking in terms of one “best” colour, it is usually more useful to think in terms of the mood you want to reinforce. Lighter tones can help a room feel open and airy, which can suit smaller spaces or rooms with limited natural light. Deeper tones can create a more cocooning feel, which can work well in larger rooms or spaces you want to feel more intimate. Neutral shades often sit between the two, offering calm structure without pulling focus.
If you are deciding between specific colours, it can help to explore dedicated colour guides that go deeper into how individual tones tend to behave in bedrooms, including styling ideas and the kind of atmosphere they create.
Style Matching and Interior Direction
Colour is not only about mood. It also shapes the style of a room. The right bed colour can anchor your aesthetic, tying together walls, flooring, and furniture into a cohesive space. A soft neutral finish can complement minimalist or Scandinavian schemes, while richer shades can suit more dramatic, layered interiors.
Recent design direction has leaned towards nature inspired and mineral tones, alongside timeless off whites and warm neutrals. These shades can add depth without overwhelming the room, especially when balanced with natural textures and bedding. If you are choosing a colour with longevity in mind, it often helps to prioritise shades that work with your existing materials, such as wood flooring, painted walls, and soft furnishings, rather than chasing trends alone.
Choosing a Colour for a New Bed Frame
Classic Neutrals, Timeless and Versatile
Neutral tones such as white, beige, soft greys, and natural wood finishes remain enduring favourites in bedroom design. They suit a wide range of styles, from modern and minimal to traditional and cosy. A neutral bed finish also makes it easier to refresh your bedroom over time because you can change bedding, artwork, or accent colours without needing to rethink the bed frame itself.
For adult bedrooms and guest spaces, neutrals often create a calm, understated look. They can also help a room feel brighter and more spacious, especially where natural light is limited. If you want a finish that will not feel dated quickly, neutrals are usually a safe, design led choice.
Statement Colours, Adding Depth and Personality
If you want your bed to act as a focal point, a deeper or bolder colour can add instant character. Statement finishes are often most effective when the rest of the room is relatively calm, allowing the bed to stand out without making the space feel busy.
This approach can work particularly well in rooms with simple wall colours and pared back furniture, where the bed finish provides the main visual interest. In children’s and teen bedrooms, bolder colours can also help a room feel more personal and expressive, especially when paired with thoughtful accessories rather than competing patterns.
Choosing a statement shade is easier when you have a clear direction for the room. Think about whether you want contrast, harmony, or a tonal look, then select a finish that supports that outcome.
Coordinating with the Rest of the Room
When choosing a bed frame colour, consider how it interacts with the other elements in your bedroom. Walls, flooring, curtains, lighting, and artwork all influence how a colour looks in real life. The goal is balance, either through harmony or through controlled contrast.
A light bed finish can lift a room with darker walls, while a deeper finish can add structure in a pale space. If you already have accent colours you love, you can also use the bed finish to support them. Sometimes that means matching an existing tone, and sometimes it means choosing a neutral finish that lets those accents do the work.
If you are unsure, test your shortlist in the room. Look at the colours in daylight and in evening lighting, and consider how they sit next to your bedding and any large furniture pieces.
Refreshing an Existing Bed with a New Colour
Can I Paint My Bed Frame?
In many cases, yes. Painting can be an effective way to refresh a bed frame that still has good structure but no longer suits your style. The best approach depends on the material and the condition of the frame.
Wooden frames are often the simplest to update, provided the surface is properly prepared. Metal frames can also be repainted, but they typically require the right products and preparation to ensure the finish is durable. If you are aiming for a smooth, consistent result, or you want a specific shade that is difficult to achieve at home, professional refinishing or a custom finish service can be a more reliable route.
Why Repaint Instead of Replace?
Repainting can be more sustainable and cost effective than replacing a bed, particularly if the existing frame fits your room well and still performs as it should. A colour update can modernise the look of the bed and help it work with new décor choices without changing the frame itself.
It can also be a practical choice when a bed has sentimental value, or when you have a layout where the frame dimensions are ideal. If the structure is right, a new finish can deliver a meaningful transformation without unnecessary waste.
DIY Versus Custom Finish Services
DIY painting can be a rewarding project, particularly for simple colour updates on straightforward frames. However, achieving a professional looking finish usually depends on preparation, patience, and the right materials.
If you want a flawless look, a specialist finish, or a colour matched result, commissioning a custom finish can be the better option. It can save time and reduce the risk of uneven texture, visible brush marks, or wear issues over time. For a bed you intend to keep for years, a professionally applied finish can be a worthwhile part of the investment.
Choosing the Right Finish, Gloss, Satin, or Matte?
Once you have chosen your colour, the finish you select can change how that colour reads in the room. Finish affects reflectivity, texture, and day to day practicality, so it is worth treating it as a design choice rather than a technical detail.
Gloss finishes reflect more light and can feel crisp and modern. They are often easier to wipe clean, which can be helpful in busy homes. Satin finishes offer a softer sheen, giving a balanced look that suits a wide range of interiors. Matte finishes reduce reflection and can create a calmer, more understated presence, particularly in rooms where you want a softer visual feel.
When choosing a finish, consider the room’s lighting, how much wear the bed is likely to face, and whether you prefer a sharper or softer overall look.
Shane Cousins
Marketing Executive
For the past five years, Shane has been a valued member of the Endurance Beds team, drawing on his degree and background in consumer insight research to shape engaging, design-focused content. He loves helping customers spark their own creativity, from colour matching to discovering new stylistic approaches for their bedrooms. "Working for a bed company taught me so much more than just product details. It introduced me to the science of sleep, the art of product matching, and how small choices can transform rest. I’ve since developed into a bit of a sleep expert, using what I’ve learned to share honest, practical advice through my content."
