Sometimes the best projects are the simplest ones. I had three days to give my boring spare bedroom an inviting atmosphere for some overnight guests, and I was starting from scratch! All I had to work with was a bed, some boring white walls, and an outdated headboard. I decided to create an earth tone cozy bedroom where my sisters-in-law (and all future guests) could relax and recharge at the end of the day. Come follow along with this simple DIY and get some earthy bedroom ideas of your own!
This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission if you choose to buy any of the products I’m endorsing. The opinions in this post are my own, and I really do love all of the tools and products I’m using for this project.
What are the best earthy colors for bedrooms?
This cozy earth tone bedroom is different than a lot of DIYs I do because I didn’t create many actual projects. It was more about design and creating a warm atmosphere with:
- earthy tones,
- natural textures,
- a neutral color palette, and
- natural elements
I decided on a fresh new paint color and some new accessories in warm earth tones. I did everything from start to finish in just three days, so you know it’s an easy DIY you can do too! For your own earth-inspired room, think browns, blues, soft whites, and of course, greens. Basically, how can you bring the colors of nature inside? That should be your guide.
How To Create the Ultimate Cozy Earth Tone Bedroom
Prepping the Space
The first thing I did was prep work! Prepping a space to work on is literally my least favorite aspect of any project, and I think that’s why I sometimes skip it and just clean up my mess afterwards. You can do that on tile, but not on carpet like this bedroom! So, I did the right thing. I put down this carpet film to protect the floor and it worked great! (This carpet film and almost everything else I’m using in this room is linked in my Amazon storefront and LTK to make your own project that little bit easier.)
After I put down the film, I caulked the edges of the door casing and the edge of the wall that borders the ceiling. The door trim had never been finished properly, so this was a good opportunity to do it. Caulking a line between a wall and a textured ceiling is a trick to help you get a straight line when you cut in with a paint brush with textured walls. Otherwise, you can get forced into painting a wavy line by the bumps and lumps of the texture. Trust me, I KNOW how tedious this is but I recommend it if you have textured walls or ceilings.
Painting the Room
If you’re wondering, “How can I make my bedroom more earthy?”, you need to consider paint color and technique. I absolutely love the look of monochrome wall paint. There is something so comforting about unbroken lines of earthy hues that is perfect for the style of bedroom I was going for. “Monochrome” means I did not leave the baseboards or doors white. Instead, I painted them all the same color as the walls. I did consider doing the ceiling too, but decided against it purely for the sake of time (and if I’m honest, maybe because I was a little scared. Another time.)
The color I chose for this room is Poised Taupe by Sherwin-Williams. I have been dying to use a taupe color in my house! All the taupes I have seen before this one were very beige, which I don’t like. But this taupe is so good. It has a very light purple tint to it, and I think that gives it some real interest that other taupes just don’t have. I highly recommend it, especially as an answer to the other common question, “How can I make a bedroom feel dark and cozy?”. This color cannot miss.
Refinishing the Bed Frame
The bed frame was one of only two “DIY” projects I did for this cozy earth tone bedroom refresh. It is an older piece of furniture that we got when Steve and I first moved in together years ago. It was a very dark espresso stain, which was all the rage back then! But I am not into it anymore. So, I decided to stain it, because wood furniture is a great addition to any room. If you know what’s coming next and want to warn me, don’t bother. I figured it out the hard way!
I sanded it down and started staining, and then realized that it’s veneer, not solid wood. No idea why I didn’t think of that possibility. This is a good lesson in not doing DIY when you’re in a rush, I guess! I still didn’t want the espresso finish clashing with the new earthy colors in the rest of the room, so because stain won’t work on veneer I painted the bed frame in Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams. I did three coats and then I put a clear coat of polycrylic on top to help protect it. The white will blend in with the other white accents in the room much better than the espresso (slightly different shades of white are ok), so even though this isn’t what I envisioned it is still MUCH better than the original.
The Headboard Refresh
Changing the headboard was a bit of a painful decision for me. This piece is literally the first DIY that Steve and I ever did together. He built it and I stained it. So, I feel a bit sentimental about it, but it’s really not my style anymore and definitely does not go with all the warm neutrals I’m putting into this room. So, I compromised! I covered it with some batting and beautiful heavy-duty fabric that I found at Hobby Lobby in the drapery section.
I went with a slightly bold pattern so it’s still neutral but just a little funky. This adds some interest to the room! I just layered the batting under the fabric, pulled it tight across the front and used a staple gun to attach it in the back. That’s it. I spent around $30 on the fabric. The batting was around $15. So, it was about $50 to refinish the headboard, which I think is an amazing price to upcycle an outdated piece of decor. I also love that I didn’t have to get rid of something I sentimental. I know it’s right there behind the fabric! There are so many creative ways to hang on to the things you love but aren’t using to their full potential if you stop and think for a moment.
Beside the Bed
Then it was time for some fun accessorizing! I was really unsure about which nightstands to choose because it’s a guest room, and I feel like guests don’t need much storage room. So, at first I was thinking about getting a table-style stand without any drawers. But then I fell in love with these. They’re white-framed with caning drawer details, and I thought they were just so pretty. Natural materials and wood tones are a great way to increase the overall look and feel of an earthy bedroom, so they were a no-brainer. They also add some different textures to the room and another white object to make my bed fit in (it is a rule of interior design that you need to repeat a color three times to make it seem purposeful).
I also thought about what I myself like to have around me when I’m sleeping in a guest room. So, I purchased a new alarm clock (white!) to sit on one of the nightstands. It’s a fancy model that does wireless charging. You just put your phone on it and the phone magically charges! This way we don’t have a bunch of cords for different people with different phones, and guests don’t have to worry if they forgot theirs. I think I need to buy one for myself too.
Lighting
A great way to achieve a cozy feel in any room is good lighting choices. Soft lighting is the look to aim for! The sconces I chose for above the nightstands make a really big impact in this regard. They’re very timeless and very transitional in style, so of course I love them. They’re gold, because I love adding little gold pops. I decided black is too industrial for this room and would take away from the cozy atmosphere I was so close to creating! Plus, the gold of the sconces matches the knobs on the nightstands and pulls that color scheme together nicely. The sconces have a nice pull-down cord that you can easily turn on and off from the bedside. You can wire them in, but I decided just to do the plug for now and maybe we’ll wire them in later or just use a wireless bulb. For now, having them plugged in works just fine. I love the beautiful warm lighting they provide.
Final Touches
It would be impossible to say I had achieved a true earthy feel without something green in the room! So, I ordered this beautiful faux olive tree from Amazon. This is much easier than a live plant in a part of the house that really isn’t in our regular living space. I’m sure I would forget to water it. This tree is really good quality and looks almost real! It’s so tall and full. There are lots of fake plant options out there but I was so glad I picked this one! I also hung some pictures on one wall and put some portraits of Steve and I above the bed on a little picture ledge. I used a white duvet cover and sheets to give the bed a calm, clean, breezy feel. There are a few more things I would have liked to do in this room (like adding some textured throw pillows and a throw blanket on the foot of the bed and a bench on the wall between the door and the closet) but considering I only had three days I’m pretty happy with how it all turned out!
Watch this video to see how I did this cozy earth tone bedroom makeover in just 3 days!
How can I make my bedroom more earthy?
So to summarize, the colors and accessories you choose are the key to an earthy room. I look around this bedroom and its gorgeous monochrome painted walls, its earth tone colors, the cozy glow from the gold sconces, and the earthy greens of the faux olive tree and I feel extremely pleased with what I accomplished in a very short time! I hope I’ve given you some earthy bedroom decor ideas and I would love to see your nature-inspired finished results! Tag me @olivegreyavenue with your before and after pics. I would love to see what you come up with.
See you for the next project!
