Retreat to your Bedroom

Expert Tips for Trendy Sleeping Spaces

The colder weather has us all focused more on the interior of our homes. This season, we look around at the spaces we neglected while gardening and playing in the pool — like our bedrooms. Since we spend much of our time in these spaces sleeping, we tend to treat them like places to crash in bed or get dressed in the morning. Below, two of our favorite designers provide tips to give your sleeping chamber a little of what it gives you: tender, loving care.

Relax and recharge
Think about your favorite features in your sleep space and use them as your starting point, advised Paul de Andrade, founder of the New York City design studio Studio Kestrel. Is there a gorgeous view, he asked, that you’d like to have right in front of you when you first open your eyes? A bright streetlight to block? Do the windows face the sunlight? Are there echoey walls or creaky floors to address?

Sounds and light are more important to consider in the design of a bedroom than most other spaces in the home. “This can often be a challenge but can also turn it into the ultimate retreat,” de Andrade said.

After all, your bedroom is your personal, private space and should be designed as such, agreed Susan Strauss, founder of Susan Strauss Design. “Other rooms in the home are shared spaces with family and guests, but the bedroom is a space to recharge and relax,” she explained. Her approach reflects a client’s aesthetic and lifestyle, “but most importantly, supports relaxation and fosters tranquility,” Strauss said.

Trendy and sexy
Another important aspect of bedroom design is the balance of form and function, Strauss added. She focuses on function and fashion by adding a custom bed with hidden drawers or a bedside table with a spacious cubby. “For a touch of style, I bring in thoughtful lighting such as statement-making pendants or sconces,” Strauss noted, setting a serene and intimate mood. “Incorporate luxurious textiles, like velvet or silk bedding, and ensure the lighting creates a warm, soft glow,” she said.

To make your room feel trendy, experiment with naturally textured materials, like bamboo or reeded shades, and grasscloth wallpaper, suggested de Andrade. The designer loves a leafy pattern, which adds motion and softens the sharp, geometric lines often found in bedroom furniture. For a sultry vibe, curtains are key, he said. “Nothing is more sexy to me than sleek sheer ripple-fold curtains, which add a modern boudoir feel to the space,” the designer explained. “They can create a warm and magical filtered light during early morning or just before sunset.”

Tones and texture
Regarding colors and patterns, “drenching” is the big word for 2025. There’s “color drenching,” in which all surfaces bear a single paint color, and “double-drenching,” which incorporates hues of two analogous colors.

For texture, “using subtle patterns and textiles, such as a gentle herringbone or a botanical-inspired wallcovering, adds just enough interest while keeping the focus of relaxation,” Strauss said. A boucle settee, a crisp sateen silk duvet, or a rich, plush rug underfoot add depth and warmth without taking over, she added.

Strauss recalled a recent Long Island project in which the primary bedroom flooded with sunlight, allowing her to play with its reflections on the room’s decor. “The design feature on the wall behind the bed created a focal point with the subtle vertical millwork and the upholstered bed created a feeling of warmth,” she said of her creation.

In a difference of preference, de Andrade leans toward warm and moody colors that avoid reflecting light. “This can make the space feel cozy and safe on stormy nights or winter mornings,” he said. Deep plum, honey-ochre and dreamy mauve are among his favorite choices. When asked about recent work, “one of my favorite bedrooms from the past year was overlooking the Hudson River and treetops where the sunset every evening,” de Andrade recalled.

The walls were covered in a monochrome plum wallpaper with a foliage pattern, and the windows were draped in translucent gauzy curtains. “At dusk on the last day of the project,” de Andrade said, “it was like a little piece of heaven when the warm evening sunlight came cascading across the curtains and leafy walls.”