Hamptons Style Bedroom – Decoration Guide
The Hamptons Style Bedroom
The Hamptons style bedroom is an elegant, classic, neat, cozy and clean place to sleep with a clear mind.
Even though the Hamptons style adds a bit of a traditional touch to a white, breezy, simple, contemporary coastal home, as in every typical Coastal Home, it has to be airy, clutter free and clean.
You want this especially in the bedroom so you can have a relaxing atmosphere where you forget the stress of the day. I mean…who can relax in a cluttered, messy bedroom that just reminds you how busy your mind is?
The Hamptons bedroom must feel like you’re in a classy hotel. You don’t have more than you need to sleep and to relax.
In a nutshell, as in the rest of the Coastal classic Hamptons style, the bedroom will have white or off white walls, lots of white wood furniture, with perhaps a staple ancient piece in dark wood, some blue and/or cream accent colors, blue stripes here and there and some natural fibers in a wicker armchair or baskets. Also natural fabrics like wool, linen and/or cotton.
The best Hamptons Style Bedroom Colors:
White
Of course. As in the rest of the home, you want to keep it white or a slightly off white with creamy undertones, but be careful (not to be dramatic) with those undertones. Always check how the paint behaves in the room. Even if the paint looks great in the living room, test the sample in the bedroom, because the shadows and sunlight orientation may change the result.
Dark Blue
If you feel more at ease in a darker bedroom, you can add a dark accent wall, like a navy or indigo ashy dark blue on the wall behind the bed. Any blue shade looks coastal, but an ashy darker tone, like navy or indigo, adds that nautical, royal, classic touch, while a lighter blue creates a vibrant younger beach style, more like the Australian Hamptons style version.
Instead of a plain color behind the wall, you can use wallpaper with a subtle pattern like fine blue stripes.
The goal is to create a white space (or off white with creamy undertones) with pinches of dark blue and, here and there, a touch of sand tones for the fabrics and baskets; metal touches in hardware, picture frames (black, dark bronze, gold and silver) accessories or lamps, and glass objects.
Let’s talk about the bed
The bed is the focal point of a bedroom. The first thing you see when you walk into this room.
It’s the piece that takes the larger amount of space, so it’s the best way to showoff the look and the ambience you want for the bedroom.
The bed’s look is achieved first with the right headboard and the bedding. These are the main elements. But you can’t neglect the rest: the bed frame and the layering of the bedding as well as the finishing touches like throw pillows, which must create a neat and cozy look.
Choosing a Hamptons Style Headboard
The bed headboard adds comfort and style to a bedroom and it makes the bed pop in the right way.
A Hamptons home is a contemporary home with a touch of ancient European and American, but not so overwhelmingly classic that is cluttered and stuffed or so contemporary that it’s cold and impersonal.
So, you want to to go for a classic headboard, but not so classic that it’s too much, or too in the Luxury style, and also not so detailed that creates a busy look.
You want it elegant: classic, but simple, clean and neutral.
Headboard Materials, Colors and Shape
Upholstered
The best choice is the upholstered headboard. It adds comfort to any bed and it’s classic.
Choose white or slightly cream fabric for a serene look, but if you have a light bedroom you can choose ashy blues, more royal, traditional and nautical, or light soft blues, like the Australian Hamptons, that create a soft coastal look.
You can also go for white and blue or sand thin stripes. But remember that the neutral and solid the headboard, the easier it is to match with the bed covers.
If your headboard has stripes or other pattern, you need to add a complimentary color for the bed covers and a pattern that doesn’t conflict with the headboard.
If you have a neutral solid headboard it’s much much easier to play with the bedding.
You can also play with a headboard slipcover. Play with a neutral, dark blue or stripes and now you have way more options and never get bored of your bedroom.
A slipcover is also a good option if you already have a headboard, but it’s the not Hamptons, because either the color or the material doesn’t fit the style.
Choose natural fabrics like cotton and linen or similar
Wood
Wood is also an alternative for the headboard, especially in a kids or guest bedroom, but be careful not to go too farmhouse. Choose a simple design with a craftman’s style, semi glossy, and as long as the rest of the bedroom doesn’t get too farmhoused and you keep it Hamptoned, you can get away with it, without losing the classy Hamptons vibe.
White is the best color for a wooden headboard, but don’t forget to match it with the bed frame.
Choose a simple headboard shape. Don’t forget that life on the beach is easy and carefree. But don’t get to squared. Hard edges are not as traditional or coastal as soft curves.
If you like it straight, then make sure it’s slightly curvy on the corners.
However, if you prefer curves and traditional, choose a simple design. One single curve or two are fine. Too elaborated and detailed pieces, especially if combined with too many other similar items, can make the room too antique.
Bed Frame
The bed frame should be simple and match the headboard.
When you look at the bed, you want to see one single piece. If you use different colors and materials in the frame and headboard it will break the bed and create visual clutter.
If your bed has a metal frame or if the frame is in a color that doesn’t match the rest of the furniture, doesn’t match the headboard or if it’s not Hamptons style, you can add a neat fabric skirt (white or slightly creamy if it matches the headboard). White never goes wrong.
If it’s made of wood like the headboard, and if you can and have the ability to paint it, paint it satin white. Just sand it well and apply a satin or semi gloss finishing. Same for the headboard.
Hamptons Style Bedding
This is your chance to show off the coastal style of the Hamptons bedroom.
Bedding is an essential component of bedroom decor, since not only enhances the overall look of the room but also plays a crucial role in ensuring a comfortable and restful sleep. The right choice of bedding can completely transform the ambiance of a bedroom, making it cozy, inviting, and visually appealing.
Since the Hamptons-style decor is characterized by a bright, airy, and relaxed ambiance, with a focus on natural materials, clean lines, and subtle color palettes, the bedding should reflect these features.
Whether it’s a comforter or a duvet cover, it has to be simple, in natural fabrics with subtle yet sophisticated patterns and textures such as stripes, herringbone, or geometric prints.
For sheets and pillows, crisp white or neutral-colored work well.
Bedding Colors and Patterns
It can never go wrong: White and/or Blue colors, and can add some touches of sand
Solid color
In case of a one single solid color, choose white or a slightly creamy off white. If you still prefer blue, the darker the better. If you already have a dark blue accent wall or a dark wood headboard, avoid the same color for the bed cover as you can drift too fast to the nautical style. It’s not a style too far from Hamptons, but don’t go overboard.
Instead of one solid color, you can mix blocks of solid colors.
Stripes
If you choose stripes, keep in mind that not all types of stripes will give off the classic vibe you may be looking for. The key to achieving the desired look lies in the spacing between the stripes. Using stripes that are too wide or too thin can lead to an unintended effect, with large white and blue stripes potentially looking too much like a beach hut and thin stripes more country farmhouse style. Also, it’s worth noting that horizontal stripes that run parallel to the headboard tend to look better than stripes that run perpendicular.
Hamptons Style Bedroom Furniture
Now that you have the center piece – the bed – and the base colors, it’s time to add other pieces of furniture:
- Nightstands
- A dresser if you need and have space for it
- A wardrobe if you need and have space for it
- A chair or an armchair
Simple, straight lines with soft edges with black, bronze or golden hardware.
Chairs and benches can be upholstered and the structure can be made of wood or natural fibers, like rattan or wicker.
Furniture Colors:
White
You can’t go wrong with satin white wood furniture. It makes a room lighter and coastal and there’s no way to mess it up, because even if you add too much, it will still be light, airy and coastal.
Dark wood
Sparingly.
If it is an antique piece with a beautiful dark or medium dark wood* and you can incorporate it without making the room too dark, too heavy and too traditional, why not? After all, Hamptons is classic and classic means fine antique pieces. The key is to balance it with more contemporary and lighter pieces.
The upholstery fabric follows the Hamptons color scheme: blue, white, sand and materials – sturdy and nautical (cotton, linen and similar feel)
Hamptons Lighting
So now it’s time to light the room. For that, you need:
- Table lamps
- Ceiling lights
- Task lamps
- Accent lights
Table Lamps and lampshades
Table lamps base:
Again, simple lines. The color of the base can be solid white, have blue, gold or sand stripes, be made of clear glass or be the classic Hamptons lamp: the ginger jar lamp.
Lampshade
White color. Simple shape, either round, empire or square. Can you use light blue? Yes, if it’s so soft, matches the rest of the blues and it’s just touch, not more blue. Say you already have large elements of the same color, or the base of the lamp is blue…then choose white. But if everything is white and you have a couple of blue accent throw pillows or the bedding has some touches of that blue, you can get away with it. It’s more Australian Hamptons or coastal classic, but it’s possible.
The best bet, to play safe, is white lampshades. It can never go wrong and it’s easy to play with your bedding without limits.
Ceiling lights:
Something with black, bronze or gold metal frame, like the classic coastal pendant light or the classic ceiling fan.
Hamptons Style Accessories
Less is more. A cluttered bedroom never looks airy, clean and relaxing, which are coastal staples, but that doesn’t mean you can or shouldn’t add some accessories.
Think about things like a silver jewelry box, a rattan tray, some pretty glass perfume flasks or a glass jar with white flowers, a basket, throw pillows, and, let’s not forget, wall decoration, like mirrors, picture frames.
It’s a chance to add the traditional note to the bedroom and keeping everything together