19 Decorating Tips for Mid-Century Modern Bedrooms
Funky, fun, and clean.
One style that’s making waves in interior design is the mid-century modern aesthetic. This style pays homage to the past with its vintage-like colors and materials, though adds a freshness with its sharp lines and sleek silhouettes. If you’re wanting to invite this style into your bedroom, you might be wondering how to go about this. We’re giving you 19 tips for decorating mid-century modern bedrooms in this guide you can copy today.
1. Understand the Color Palette
Before you begin picking out mid-century modern bedroom furniture or accent pieces, it’s important to understand the colors of this aesthetic. The mid-century modern style follows a large color palette full of creamy neutrals and bold colors – really, anything is fair game! Start with neutrals in your base areas like your furniture and walls before adding in colors with textiles like your bedding, rugs, and accent pieces.
Every bedroom’s main star is the bed, so it makes sense to start here first. Complete room with a mid-century modern bedroom set to keep the design cohesive. These sets come with a matching bed, nightstand, and dresser, but the fun part is picking the finish. To really capture the mid-century modern feel, opt for a bed with a sleek walnut finish, soft gray upholstery, or a mix of both.
For extra style and comfort, place a mid-century modern bedroom bench at the end of your bed. Not only does this bring more functionality to the space, it also gives another chance to showcase the clean lines and materials of the aesthetic. It’s also another area to invite bold color that complements your room’s hues. Mid-century modern bedroom benches come in a variety of shapes to showcase the geometry of this aesthetic.
Cover your bed in bedding that fits the style with an option that showcases geometric shapes and bold colors. These are key features of the mid-century modern aesthetic that sets the tone for your bedroom. Though bedding is functional, it’s also the perfect spot to play with mid-century modern colors and patterns that will blend with other accent pieces in the room.
Mixing the materials in your mid-century modern bedroom is a great way to add more texture and style to your room. The softness of an upholstered bed is contrasted with the wooden nightstand, like in the picture above, to keep the room visually balanced and mixed with various textiles.
If you didn’t opt for a complete mid-century modern bedroom set, then pair your single bed with two nightstands. Make symmetry the focus of your bedroom by placing one nightstand on each side, like the picture above. Select a nightstand that matches the clean lines of your bed, or an option with a contrasting silhouette for a bit of juxtaposition.
Overhead lighting is a must-have for mid-century modern bedrooms since it’s a fun area to play with the lines and shapes of the aesthetic while increasing functionality. Mid-century modern lighting tends to stun with sharp lines and multiple bulbs for a gorgeous visual design in any bedroom. Sputnik-style chandeliers work well in a mid-century modern bedroom since they highlight curves, shapes, and clean lines of the aesthetic.
No bedroom is complete without an area rug, and the same remains true for mid-century modern bedrooms. Look for a rug with a neutral hue and a subdued pattern to subtly frame your bed, or pick one with a bold graphic design to add interest underfoot.
Tip!
Choose the rug size to complement your bed by reading our guide: How to Choose the Right Rug Sizes.
9. Implement Earthy, Natural Tones
Although the mid-century modern aesthetic contains bold vintage-inspired colors, an earthy color palette is still welcome. By going with greens and browns, this will add warmth and depth that you might not be able to achieve with an all-white palette. For a natural element, place a faux tree in a corner to build on the earthy hues.
An accent wall is one of our favorite ways to elevate a bedroom. With the mid-century modern aesthetic being full of geometric shapes, there’s no better way to create an accent wall in your bedroom than with abstract wallpaper. Place your favorite pattern on the wall that accompanies your bed to tie in the colors and prints of your bedding.
Hang a set of floating shelves on your walls for your favorite home accents to shine in your mid-century modern bedroom. These shelves are made with the same finishes as your bed and other furniture choices, so they’ll mesh effortlessly.
Mid-century modern wall art matches the aesthetic with its abstract paintings and geometric shapes. Placing your favorite piece along one or several bedroom walls is an excellent way to elevate your mid-century modern bedroom decor while also tying in your chosen colors and shapes.
Accent seating isn’t just for living rooms! If you have a large bedroom, place accent chairs in the empty space for extra design. Mid-century modern accent chairs come in the style’s bold colors and contain sharp lines or curves to flow with your other furniture choices. Not to mention, they’re comfy for sitting!
Does your mid-century modern bedroom decor need an extra boost in color? In addition to your wall art and decorative accents, place one or several throw pillows along your bed. Choose colors that you already have in the room to match other decor while accentuating your personal style.
Adding drapes and curtains to mid-century modern bedrooms bring another design component to the room without limiting the natural lighting. Mid-century modern bedrooms rely on natural light to brighten the space and make it feel welcoming and inviting, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave your windows untouched. If your bedroom has a lot of dark colors or wooden textures, a set of semi-sheer drapes will soften the look on the sides of the window and still allow light to shine through.
Layering the end of your bed with a blanket is another way to elevate the warmth while adding color to the mid-century modern bedroom design. Plus, this is an easy way to sneak in a pop of color that fits the aesthetic. Think of deep teal, mustard yellow, or rust red hues.
Bookcases are very versatile pieces of furniture that have their place in mid-century modern bedrooms. With their curves, clean lines, and angled vintage-inspired legs, they make for a perfect complementary addition to your bed and nightstands. Keep your bookcase cohesive with the rest of your mid-century modern bedroom furniture by selecting an option with the same finish.
Have empty space above your headboard or on another wall? Fill it with a round mirror. Not only does this absorb empty space, the sleek circular shape stays on trend with mid-century modern characteristics and adds functionality to your space.
Mid-century modern bedrooms are all about showing off lines and curves any chance you can. Floor lamps provide another place to show off the curves in this aesthetic and switch up your lighting placement. Opt for a mid-century modern floor lamp as a substitute for table lamps or ceiling lighting.
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Now that you’ve seen the best mid-century modern bedrooms, it’s time to style your space!


