Use black-shaded table lamps for a soft glow.

Linen in an attention-grabbing citrine injects a heavy dose of pattern into designer Sarah Callanan’s 260-square-foot bedroom. The queen-size bed takes up most of the space, so a small dresser and built-in were tucked under a three-foot-deep beam, and a new closet and laundry area were installed in one tidy corner.

Get more design and decorating ideas in our Designer Bedrooms photo gallery, or tour the rest of Sarah Callanan’s home in our Online TV segment.

Art Deco accents connote glamour and languor.

In the principal bedroom of designer Nam Dang-Mitchell’s Calgary home, an iconic double-armed Serge Mouille sconce functions as both lighting and art. A sleek upholstered bed offers a low-key backdrop for graphic black and white patterns. The Deco-style cabinet holds books and a TV.

Get more design and decorating ideas from Designer Bedrooms, plus see more of Nam Dang-Mitchell’s work in our photo gallery.

A pretty chandelier, built-in bookcase and mauve walls add richness.

A departure from more standard little girl colours and details, this Mitchell–designed room is outfitted with a tailored canopy bed upholstered in a print sophisticated enough for a principal suite.

Architectural elements are the star attraction in a minimal, all-white space.

Designer Julie Charbonneau’s principal bedroom feels luxurious with its floor-to-ceiling drapes, cosy chaise and soft upholstered bed with a wall-to-wall headboard.

Exotic details and a shapely velvet headboard shine in this space.

While many of us choose beige or off-white walls, interior designer Theresa Casey embraces the rainbow: “Colour is the easiest way to transform your space — you can have a wall come forward or recede. Sometimes a small room doesn’t have a lot of light, and you add a beautiful eggplant purple and voilà, your space is cosy and warm.”

Get more design and decorating ideas in our Designer Bedrooms photo gallery, or see our Theresa Casey photo gallery.

Use soft blues and greens for a calming, subdued space.

This Theresa Casey–designed bedroom, in a three-storey Edwardian, is flush with old world sophistication and a soulful, literary air that perfectly reflects its book-loving inhabitants.

Stately wing chairs layer sophistication into a kid’s room.

Designer Sarah Richardson chose a lavender colour for this ceiling to contrast softly with the red toile bedspread. Crisp, relatively unadorned walls are the perfect foil for an ornate mirror.

Paint walls a light, bright green to make a space feel more open.

In the bedroom of a London, England home, designer Sarah Richardson looked to nature as her guide, setting twin antique brass beds against soft green walls and bedding. “This shade is a favourite of mine,” she says, citing a mossy stone wall visible outside the windows as inspiration for the palette.

Get more design and decorating ideas in our Designer Bedrooms photo gallery, or in our Sarah Richardson photo gallery.

Play with pattern in a neutral room.

In the principal bedroom of a Victorian reno, HGTV star and Toronto designer Tommy Smythe went with a mostly grey palette. To add interest, he combined grey patterns — a graphic charcoal rug, chevron bench, and duvet with Egyptian key pattern. A vintage glass light fixture also adds personality to the room.

See Tommy Smythe’s Victorian Makeover photo gallery for more photos of this home, plus watch Suzanne Dimma tour through the kitchen.

A humble space, kept simple and cottage-like.

This home’s only bedroom illustrates Richard Ouellette and Maxime Vandal of Les Ensembliers‘ approach to decor: nothing matches yet it melds together effortlessly. Bird-print wallpaper acts as a neutral backdrop for modern ikat pillows and weathered-wood pieces.

See more designs from our 25 Top Designers in our photo gallery.

A thick-striped headboard balances out the bold zebra-print rug.

The neutral scheme found throughout designer Christine Ralphs’ home continues in the principal bedroom, accented with bold hits of black. A small mirrored desk reflects light below the window.

Barely visible guard panels are made of low-iron Starphire glass.

A Corian bathtub was installed in this cottage’s open-concept principal bedroom, designed by architectural firm gh3, to take advantage of the lake views. For more privacy, a flick of a switch encloses the tub with sliding ceramic frit panels.

Use furniture pieces in new ways — cabinets can make wonderful bedside tables.

In designer Karen Cole’s bedroom, a large kilim-upholstered ottoman, layered atop a graphic Madeline Weinrib area rug, brings the home’s eclectic feel upstairs.

Double-duty furniture makes for a well-used room.

An old apothecary cabinet in designer Karen Cole’s guest bedroom opens up in several ways, including a drop-leaf desk. Antique twin beds loaded up with brightly patterned throw pillows offer an inviting spot to curl up and read, but can be made up as guest beds within minutes. Bold art and antique rugs contribute to a space that’s as cosy and useful for Karen as it is for her guests.

Watch a video tour of Karen’s house, plus see more Gorgeous Guest Rooms and Double-Duty Offices.

Add romance with antiques and bold colours.

In designer Theresa Casey’s bedroom, textured velvet wallpaper, a butterscotch silk headboard, fringed curtains and a Chinese silk brocade duvet transform the space into an embracing haven. The bowed legs of the mirror-topped bedside table provide visual breathing space.

See more of Theresa Casey’s projects in our photo gallery.

Create an old-world atmosphere with patterned bedding, ambient lighting, matching side tables and art in mirrored frames.

A ceiling mounted canopy — made of the same fabric as the bed skirt — adds height and dramatic flair to this elegant bedroom by designer Anne Hepfer.

Use a showstopping bed to create a focal point.

Lynda Reeves designed this cosy space around House & Home’s Rustico bedding in soft tan, rust and cream. A stunning uphostered bed topped with plush linens and throw pillows makes guests feels like royalty.

Custom furniture provides smart storage in this small apartment.

Designer Brad Ford deftly carved out an oasis of calm amid the chaos of urban living. In his bedroom, his dog Turbo relaxes on the low bed, which features built-in end tables and reading lamps, designed to fit snugly under the window.

Adding colourful accents to a room brings it to life.

Designer Connie Braemer designed the four-poster bed in homeowner Betsy Aziz’s principal bedroom. Pattern and colour are evident throughout: chartreuse chests, vibrant art, and the suzani covering the back of the sofa.

A patterned duvet cover is an easy way to brighten a bedroom.

Designer Patti Rosati painted this contemporary bedroom’s sunken bookshelves thundercloud grey. “I wanted a colour to ground and warm up the room,” she says. Colour-blocking select books creates stylish vignettes.

Cedar-beamed ceilings enhance the rustic style.

Toronto designer Barbara Purdy helped her brother Jim Hill and his wife Susan design the stone farmhouse of their dreams. In the guest bedroom, twin iron beds and a wood chandelier boost the cosiness.

A crisp palette contrasts with the country warmth of painted wood panelling.

This Murphy bed uses a suspension system that makes it possible to lift with one finger. On both sides of the queen-size bed, a niche in the wall acts as a side table and is wired with a reading light. When the bed is folded up, homeowners Barbara and Michael Purdy use the freed-up space as a workout area.

Learn more Budget Basement Decorating Tips, watch an Online TV tour of this basement, plus see more Barbara Purdy Designs.