Add a dash of old-fashioned romance to your bedroom

Give your bedroom a little love, with beautiful ideas for a romantic space

When romance is in the air, you may want to make your bedroom feel a little more special. Start with the palette and consider gentler colours for your walls and bed linen, then look at the lighting, aiming to soften the mood with shaded lamps, fairy lights or a scented candle. For the bed itself, plump pillows, squidgy cushions and a cuddly throw will all help to make an inviting space.

Follow our gorgeous ideas, from chateau grandeur to country cottage chic, for a bedroom to fall in love with.

Floral details always lend a touch of old-fashioned romance to a bedroom. Here our columnist Tamsyn Morgans has used vintage chintz cushions and bedding, together with vases filled with blooms and a Vernon Ward oil painting.

‘Don’t be afraid to layer up clashing florals and colours, piling up different fabrics and frilly pillows,’ she says. ‘You can make a simple bed canopy by hanging a loop from a hook in the ceiling, and draping with long lengths of light fabric, such as this vintage sari.’

Vintage Sanderson fabric can be found at The Linen Garden.

Castles conjure up fairy-tale images of knights and princesses, so it’s no surprise they are popular wedding venues. Take style tips from the elegant honeymoon suite at Chateau de Bourneau, where dusky hues of duck egg, rose and champagne are featured in silky damask fabrics and a swathe of floor-to-ceiling curtains.

Erin Gois, who renovated the chateau along with her husband, made the canopy herself using a half-moon table and charity-shop curtains. ‘Unwanted items can easily be reloved with a little imagination,’ she says. ‘Chateau bedrooms were often furnished with mixed eras so I try to do the same.’

For a more modern romantic look, go for this pared-back and rustic Scandi scheme. Washed-out soft hues of grey and white create a tranquil feel, with linen bedding and a panelled wall painted in a blend of Old White and Chicago Grey chalk paint from Annie Sloan. A string of fairy lights offers a pretty glow at night.

An antique dressing table and mirror give a beautiful old-world boudoir vibe. Here Jade Oliver of Heavenly Homes & Gardens has mixed and matched a painted dressing table with an ornate mirror and velvet stool. ‘I particulary seek out pieces that have an air of grandeur to them,’ she says. ‘I like things which are soft and slightly battered, yet still functional.’

For feminine touches, display a jewellery box, a pretty hand mirror or fan, or vintage perfume bottles – we love the flower diffusers at Vintage & Bespoke.

Think pink is a bit much for a romantic bedroom? Go for a soft mulberry hue, like this country cottage bedroom dressed in the Vintage Rose Harriet Gingham duvet set and quilted throw from Secret Linen Store. Glazed pottery picks out the blush-pink tones, while a white metal bed frame and half-panelled wall keep the look fresh.

Laura Taylor (@this.ritual) displays vintage fashion throughout her Regency villa, from ballet costumes with tulle skirts to Japanese kimonos, to soften spaces and add a feminine touch. In this whitewashed bedroom, a rail of gorgeous dresses from the 1920s and 30s in silk, satin and chiffon are picked out in soft greens and pinks to reflect the decor of the room.

‘I think they’re too beautiful to hide away in cupboards and drawers,’ she says. ‘And I love the way I can change the feel of a space instantly by hanging different-coloured pieces up.’