All about color: Pastel colors: Serene bedroom

Southern Living, May 2003 by Doyle, Alice Welsch

Cool and pastel colors work to provide a calming feel. They also make a room seem larger, creating an open and airy atmosphere. These hues work well in rooms that get a lot of natural sunlight and are used throughout the day, such as kitchens and baths, because you don't need to add warm colors to invigorate the room's ambience. Likewise, they are a good choice in bedrooms due to their relaxing effect.

These shades can also brighten a room that contains a lot of dark furniture, such as a dining room, making it feel less formal and serious. Pastel walls can pick up on the colors of a room's accessories or architectural features without competing with them as bold-colored walls would. If you're a fan of neutral walls, think about adding these shades to trims and ceilings for a subtle but interesting effect. For example, try celadon green on wainscot or doors and a soft blue on a bedroom ceiling. Such calming colors always provide a friendly, serene attitude.

COOL BLUE AND GREEN COME TOGETHER TO CREATE A RELAXING. HARMONIOUS SPACE.

A bedroom is the ultimate retreat, an escape from the busy rooms in the rest of our home as well as from hectic schedules. That's why cool and pastel colors with their calming natures are so welcome there. For their master bedroom walls, Lynn and David Purdy chose a very pale green. "I think it's a wonderful color to wake up to, and it's so restful in the evening," says Lynn. The Purdys went with such a subtle shade because they didn't want to compete with all the green that is visible through their large picture window. "I think the soothing shade draws your eye to the window and outside. It's a harmonious blend."

In keeping with the cool attitude, blue was a natural complement. The fabric, chosen for two comfortable club chairs and the bed skirt, is in a soft but lively shade that keeps the room from feeling too washed out (an important consideration when using cool and pastel tones). Its swirling pattern reminds Lynn of clouds. The room is also enlivened by the green batik print used for the window treatments and pillow shams.

For the rest of the room, Lynn chose simple, clean elements such as the wool Berber carpet, a white matelasse bed coverlet, and a glass-topped table. "We didn't want a lot of clutter and fuss, just the feeling of the outdoors with a blue sky," she says.

ALICE WELSH DOYLE