Warm Paint Colors for Bedroom Walls, Measured from Paintings
The best warm paint colors for a bedroom are soft clay beiges and earthy taupes, with a deep brown for contrast. The three main shades here run from LRV 41 to LRV 18, so you can choose how light or how cocooning the room feels. Three companion colors show what to pair with them.
Quick answer
Use #BCA897 on the walls for a soft, warm room, or #9E8E7D for a snugger one. Add #837262 on furniture or one wall, and keep the blue #6888B5 for a single accent.
Every color on this page was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
Shades of warm
#BCA897LRV 41
Soft Clay Beige
A light, warm beige with a red-orange undertone and an LRV of 41, so it keeps a bedroom gentle without going dark. It was measured from Tiepolo's "Allegorical Figure Representing Arithmetic" and suits all four walls.
A mid-tone taupe with a warm yellow undertone and an LRV of 28, good for a wrapped-in bedroom used mostly at night. It comes from Tiepolo's "Allegorical Figure Representing Arithmetic" and works best in rooms with decent daylight.
A deep, warm brown with a yellow undertone and an LRV of 18, close to the very dark range. Use it on a bed wall or on larger furniture. It was measured from Koch's "Heroic Landscape with Rainbow."
A light warm sand with a red-orange undertone and an LRV of 61, so it reads light and bounces light. Use it for bedding, curtains or trim next to the clay beige wall. It comes from Tiepolo's "Allegorical Figure Representing Arithmetic."
A very dark warm brown with a yellow undertone and an LRV of 4. It suits a bed frame, a dresser, a door or a dark wood floor. It was measured from Koch's "Heroic Landscape with Rainbow."
A mid-tone blue with a cool undertone and an LRV of 24. It is not a warm blue, which makes it a clear accent for a headboard, chair or rug against warm walls. It comes from Koch's "Heroic Landscape with Rainbow."
Sherwin-Williams SW 9065 Perfect Periwinkle
Very close
Farrow & Ball No. 237 Cook's Blue
Close
How the lighter colors change with the light
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
Soft Clay Beige
Worn Leather Taupe
Pale Sand Blush
Cool Periwinkle Blue
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 Allegorical Figure Representing Arithmetic.
How do you choose between these warm bedroom colors?
Start with how light you want the room to feel. Cozy does not have to mean dark. The lightest wall color here, #BCA897 at LRV 41, gives a soft, warm room with a red-orange undertone that reads like clay. It suits most bedrooms and keeps some brightness.
Move to #9E8E7D, LRV 28, for a more wrapped-in feel. Its yellow undertone looks earthy, and it works well in a bedroom used mostly at night. The deepest of the three, #837262 at LRV 18, sits close to the very dark range. Use it on one wall behind the bed, or on all four walls in a room you want to feel like a cocoon.
A simple rule: the lower the LRV, the more light the color absorbs. If your room is small and dim, choose the 41. If it has big windows, the 28 or the 18 will hold up well.
What goes with warm bedroom colors, and can a blue work?
Pair a warm wall with a lighter warm companion rather than stark white. #E2C8B1, LRV 61, shares the red-orange undertone of #BCA897 and works for curtains, a throw or bedding. On trim or a ceiling it gives a soft step up in brightness from the walls. Choose a white you already like if you want crisper edges.
Wood and flooring add the dark note. #453626, LRV 4, is a very dark warm brown. It fits a bed frame, a dresser, a door or a dark wood floor. Keep it to one or two pieces so the room does not close in.
Can a blue be warm? The blue here, #6888B5 at LRV 24, has a cool undertone, so it is not a warm blue. That is its use. Against warm walls it reads as a clear accent on a headboard, a chair or a rug. A blue wall will make the room cooler and less cozy.
How do warm colors look in your bedroom's light?
Light changes every color on this page. In a north-facing bedroom, daylight is cooler and dimmer. The red-orange wall color #BCA897 will look a little grayer and darker than its LRV of 41 suggests. The yellow-undertone colors, #9E8E7D and #837262, can look flatter and heavier there. If your room faces north, lean toward the lighter shade.
South- and west-facing rooms get warmer light, especially late in the day. The same colors will glow, and the deeper ones feel rich rather than heavy. East-facing rooms are bright in the morning and softer by evening, so check both.
Bedrooms are used mostly at night, so look at your sample under lamps too. Warm bulbs deepen the orange and yellow undertones. Cooler bulbs pull them toward gray. Pick the bulb you plan to use before you judge the color.
How do you test a warm bedroom color before painting?
Test before you buy gallons. The paint names listed with each color are the closest matches we measured, so treat them as a starting point. A match to a painting's color is close, not exact, and your wall, light and sheen will change how it looks.
Paint a sample board or a square at least two feet wide, with two coats. Move it around the room. Put it on the wall behind the bed, beside the window and near the door. Leave it up for a few days.
Hold the sample next to your bedding, floor and wood furniture. Warm colors can clash when undertones differ, for instance a red-orange wall with a yellow-toned floor. Look in the morning, at midday and at night. If two shades are in doubt, choose the one that still looks good on the cloudiest day.
FAQ
What are the best warm paint colors for a bedroom?
Soft clay beige (#BCA897, LRV 41) and warm taupe (#9E8E7D, LRV 28) are the easiest wall colors here. Add the deeper brown #837262 for furniture or one feature wall.
What makes a bedroom color cozy?
A warm undertone and a mid to low LRV. Colors between about LRV 20 and 40 absorb some light and feel enclosed without turning black. Soft lamp light adds to the effect.
Is there a warm blue paint color for a bedroom?
The blue on this page, #6888B5, has a cool undertone. It still works with warm colors as an accent on a headboard, rug or chair. Keep the walls warm and let the blue be the contrast.
Can I use a dark warm color in a small bedroom?
Yes, if you want a cocoon feel. #837262 has an LRV of 18 and will make walls recede and the room feel snug. In a dim room, use it on one wall and keep the others lighter.
Which warm color suits a bedroom with little daylight?
The lightest wall color, #BCA897 at LRV 41, is the safest. Pair it with #E2C8B1 (LRV 61) in textiles or trim to bring in more brightness.
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, 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 Allegorical Figure Representing Arithmetic, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
