Chocolate indulgence

Dark chocolate browns and warm, rich caramels are decadent additions to your sleeping space.

It’s all chocolate covered delight in this bedroom. Rich, luxurious brown is often an overlooked colour when it comes to the bedroom – yet it’s ideal for a space that craves cocoon-like comfort and cosy intimacy.

For some time, there’s been a gradual move away from cooler tones into rich, warm and rustic earthy hues. Our concern and connection with nature has had its hand in this transition, as has the trend toward wellness.

Brown is such a versatile colour; it can add a real sense of warmth and comfort into a room and works brilliantly in a study or a bedroom. When paired with warm neutrals and texture, a warm, deep brown can transform any room into a nurturing, soothing space.

When brown is used tonally, its indulgent, luxe-like quality truly shines. In this bedroom, the walls have been painted in the deep walnut hue of Resene Monkey and complemented beautifully with the slightly lighter shade of Resene Space Shuttle – another smart dark brown.

Slight tonal variations have been used throughout the room, but overall, the colour scheme has been kept relatively tight to enhance the feeling of being enveloped in comfort. The bedside table, which has been painted in Resene Kilamanjaro, and the dresser, which has been painted in Resene Kabul, act as delectable additions to the rich chocolatey masterplan.

Generous texture adds to this feeling, velvet in particular – introduced through the cushions on the bed – is essential. Layered throws on the bed are a perfectly imperfect nest, creating a cosy, inviting atmosphere. Everything in this room is soft and welcoming, which is why rounded elements are repeated throughout, in the cushions, in the artwork painted in Resene Kilamanjaro and in the rounded vases and arched ornaments.

Without contrast, this bedroom would disappear into a luxurious brown gulf, therefore, pops of soft, light grey such as Resene Kabul and Resene Americano in the vases on the shelf are crucial for introducing elements of light and pinpoints of focus within the decadently dark space. Gold accents are added in to achieve the same effect and contribute to the overall feeling of luxuriousness.

Blue also works as a stunning contrast to brown. Bring it in through cushions or vases in the sumptuous dark navy of Resene Madison or Resene Bunting.

The extended wall acts as both headboard and shelf. Painted in Resene Monkey, like the rest of the room, it’s a feature but it doesn’t pull focus, serving to delineate a space for the bed within the room and adding visual depth.

Top tip: Use a flat finish, such as Resene SpaceCote Flat to bring out the depth in dark hues.

Accessories: Duvet, pillowcases, cotton cushion, scoria round cushions, silver blush lamp, grey/white and natural/white rugs from Citta, brown velvet cushion cover, throws and blue linen cushions from H&M Home, rug and tumbler from Freedom, round cushion from Country Road.

Project by Vanessa Nouwens. Images by Bryce Carleton. 2021