Habitat plus - bedrooms

Needs and wants

Before you start getting carried away with what a bedroom should look like, consider some of the practicalities and what those who are using the bedroom might need... more

Sleep well

If your bedroom isn't set up to soothe, it can be harder to drift off. An ideal bedroom will provide an environment for rest, positivity and relaxation... more

Best bedroom colours

Blues are washing through our bedrooms and greens are flourishing. Earthy tones ground us, and blush pinks are great for creating soothing, womb-like spaces. Soft whites and neutrals allow us to change up the bedlinen, and misty greys give a restful backdrop... more

Wonderful wallpaper

Wallpaper can fill your bedroom with colour, character and personality. Today’s wallpapers are more diverse than ever so whether you’re after a classic design to match your heritage home or a playful animal pattern for your modern apartment, there’s something to suit everyone in the Resene Wallpaper Collection... more

Styles and themes

Do you want the bedroom to be an extension of the style of the rest of the house? Or is it a room where you feel you can be more adventurous with your decorating, and inject personality or use a strong thematic approach?... more

Shared spaces

It would be a rare couple that agreed entirely on exactly how to decorate so deciding on a space that appeals to both can be tricky... more

Small bedrooms

Bedrooms can often be small rooms. They are, after all, places many of us just go to sleep. We don’t hang out in them, so they remain quite functionary. There are ways to make smaller bedrooms feel less cramped... more

Bedhead and feature walls

Whether your bed has a bedhead or not, making a feature of the wall against which the bed sits is a popular decorating strategy. Creating a feature wall helps to frame the bed and visually anchor it into the room. It means the bed looks less like it has just been plonked into the room... more

Ensuites

Don’t think of your ensuite as a separate entity to your bedroom, by designing these spaces at the same time you can create cohesion and a sense of harmony... more

Painting techniques

Bedrooms are relatively easy places to paint yourself – they’re self-contained spaces and aren't too big. If the wall is new, ensure it is clean and dust free and has been sealed with either Resene Broadwall Waterborne Wallboard Sealer or Resene Sureseal... more

Get creative

Your bedroom is one of the most personal places in your home so what better place to unleash your inner artist. A colourful bedroom is not only a way to create a space filled with personality but the act of painting itself can be relaxing... more

Storage

Make the most of what you have by installing fitted wardrobe kits into an existing wardrobe. These are cleverly designed and often modular, enabling you to fit as much as possible into the space you have... more

Take a stand

A bedside table is essential for placing reading lamps, alarm clocks and books. But while its function is practical it doesn't mean its colour scheme has to be boring... more

Let there be light

Of course, windows are the best source of general light but given a bedroom is more often used in the evening and at night, the lighting you choose is important... more

A word on windows

How to dress and cover your bedroom window takes a bit of consideration. The need for privacy and light control means you may have a combination of options... more

Styling

The practicalities of bedroom life can look superb if you style them right. For example, a clock, table lamp, books, a small dish for jewellery and a vase of flowers neatly arranged on a bedside table add the finishing touches... more

It's the small things

Sometimes it's the small details that transform a house into a home. While in a bedroom the bed, bedlinen and walls are often the star, accessories and furniture allow you to introduce more colours to give the room depth, texture and dimension... more

Bedding

Do you like a bed to look like a squishy cloud you can cast yourself upon, or rather a sleek sculptural statement in the middle of the room with pillows stacked in military-like precision?... more

Contributing stylists: Gem Adams, Kate Alexander, Amber Armitage, Megan Harrison- Turner, Sarah Heeringa, Laura Lynn Johnston, Claudia Kozub, Annick Larkin, Lisa Morton, Vanessa Nouwens, Emily Somerville-Ryan, Leigh Stockton, Melle Van Sambeek, Fleur Thorpe.

Contributing photographers: Bryce Carleton, Wendy Fenwick, John Foster, Mark Heaslip, Melanie Jenkins, Emma MacDonald, Juliet Nicholson, John Mailley, Michelle Weir.

On the cover: Can't decide on a Resene blue? Don't limit yourself to just one. Paint battens in an ombre effect to add softness and depth. Wall painted in Resene Rhino, battens in Resene Half New Denim Blue, Resene Neutral Bay, Resene Gull Grey and Resene Midwinter Mist and floor and pendant light in Resene Iron. Chest of drawers in Resene Gull Grey, bedside table in Resene Neutral Bay and bench seat in Resene Quarter Powder Blue.

The name says it all – dark grey Resene Nocturnal evokes the deep night sky, and is ideal for a relaxing bedroom. This charcoal grey is used on the feature wall, skirting, cavity door and architraves in this design by interior designer Abbey Lang.