Boho bedroom colors are warm, earthy and layered. These six colors were measured from paintings, so you get terracotta, olive, blush and sand with their LRV and closest paint match.
Quick answer
Use sand #D2CAB4 on the walls, olive #695C3D and terracotta #C87F59 for furniture and textiles, and blush #DAB9AC in bedding.
Every color on this page was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
The palette
#C87F59LRV 28
Terracotta Clay
A mid-tone with a warm red-orange undertone and an LRV of 28, suited to an accent wall, a rug or a headboard. It was measured from a Ferrarese Madonna and Child with the Donor, and its closest match is Sherwin-Williams SW 7707 Copper Wire.
A deep warm brown with an LRV of 6, for wood furniture, rattan or a small accent. It comes from Degas's Dancers in the Rehearsal Room with a Double Bass.
The same paint reads differently in cool north light, warm south sun and under evening lamps. Find the column closest to your room.
Color
Neutral daylight
North light
South light
Evening lamps
Terracotta Clay
Dried Straw
Dusty Blush
Warm Sand
Try these colors in a room
Pick which color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and trim follow your choice.
The framed picture on the wall is Madonna and Child with the Donor, Pietro de' Lardi, Presented by Saint Nicholas.
What are the best boho bedroom paint colors?
A boho bedroom works best with a calm wall and rich layers. The warm sand #D2CAB4 is the easiest wall color, with an LRV of 59 and a soft warm undertone.
If you want more color on the walls, the dusty blush #DAB9AC is gentle, and the terracotta #C87F59 is bold. Use terracotta on one wall behind the bed, not on all four, since it has an LRV of 28 and absorbs a good deal of light.
The olive, the straw and the dark brown are best for layers: a bed frame, a rattan chair, a woven basket or a throw. That is how a boho room gets its depth.
What goes with them: trim, ceiling and floor?
Warm sand walls pair well with a warm white on trim and ceiling. Avoid a stark, cool white, which can make the sand look dull.
If you paint an accent wall in terracotta or olive, keep the other walls light and the ceiling pale. This stops the room from feeling heavy.
For floors, light wood, jute and wool rugs all suit this palette. The dark earth brown #524536 shows how dark a wood or rattan tone can go before it starts to dominate. Mix two or three of these textures, and use the straw color in baskets and lamps to link them.
How do these colors look in bedroom light?
Warm earthy colors usually look good across the day. In north light, the sand and the blush look softer and a little grayer. In south light they warm up and look more yellow and pink.
Under warm evening lamps, the terracotta glows and the olive turns richer, which is why this palette suits a bedroom. Cool bulbs make the same colors look flatter, so choose warm bulbs.
If your bedroom is dim, use the sand on the walls and keep the dark olive and brown in furniture rather than in large areas of paint.
Sheen is worth a thought. A matte wall keeps the earthy colors soft and hides small flaws, which suits an older room with uneven plaster.
How do you test boho samples?
Paint a sample board about two feet square and put it on the wall behind the bed. Hold your bedding, rug and wood beside it.
Test the terracotta on its own board, since it can look orange next to cool colors and brown next to cream. Compare it with the sand at the same time.
Check samples in the morning, at midday and at night. Earthy colors can shift between pink, orange and brown, so choose the sample whose undertone still looks right in the evening, when a bedroom is most used.
If you plan to hang art or a woven wall piece, put it on the sample too. Textures change how a color reads, and a flat painted board will look cleaner than a wall with layers.
FAQ
What colors are used in a boho bedroom?
Warm sand, terracotta, olive, dusty blush, straw yellow and dark brown are the colors on this page.
What is the best paint color for a boho bedroom?
Warm sand #D2CAB4 is the easiest wall color, with an LRV of 59.
Can I use terracotta on boho bedroom walls?
Yes, ideally on one wall behind the bed. Its LRV is 28, so it absorbs a fair amount of light.
Do boho bedroom colors work with sage green walls?
Yes. Sage green pairs with sand, terracotta and blush. A green with warm undertone suits this palette best.
What trim color goes with boho bedroom walls?
A warm white or a lighter sand. Stark cool white can make the earthy walls look dull.
Save these colors
A card with every color on this page, its LRV and the paintings it comes from. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Painting images: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, public domain (CC0).
Colors measured by Light & Pigment. Paint names belong to their brands and matches are approximate. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
From Madonna and Child with the Donor, Pietro de' Lardi, Presented by Saint Nicholas, Master G.Z. (possibly Michele dai Carri, Italian, Ferrara, active by 1405–died 1441 Ferrara)
