When it comes to bedroom decorating ideas, it can sometimes be a battle of the sexes when deciding which colour or style of decor to go for. But whether you’re in a couple or are a single guy, if you’ve ruled out bright colours and it’s men’s grey bedroom ideas that appeal, then you’ve made an excellent choice.
Timeless and versatile, grey has become the go-to neutral in recent years and is the perfect colour to choose if you want to create a stylish bedroom that feels relaxed, calm and easy on the eye. Grey varies between pale and muted tones to darker, steely greys and dramatic near-black shades, so there’s a host of different styles that you can create with men’s bedroom ideas. And grey is one of those adaptable colours that works with pretty much any accent colour, so opens up plenty of options.
Men’s grey bedroom ideas
Choosing the right shade of grey that suits the aspect of your bedroom is a good starting point, whether you opt for dark and mid-toned greys to warm up a chilly north-facing bedroom or softer, cool-toned greys to take the heat out of a warmer, south-facing room.
Then it’s all about deciding which style of decor to go for and choosing the right furniture, bedding and accessories to create the look you want and to give the bedroom a manly vibe.
‘To create a masculine design, go for one or two standout pieces of furniture in the room,’ says Marc Epstein, Interior Design Expert and Co-Founder, Carme Home (opens in new tab). ‘Then, keep the rest simple and clean. A neutral, dark colour palette works best and wood or velvet are the ideal choices for materials. Picture a black velvet stool or a wooden table with gold accents – very James Bond!’
1. Make the bed the focal point
(Image credit: Future PLC)
Using an all-grey colour palette, looks chic and smart, but there’s a danger that too much grey can feel flat and lifeless if there’s no contrast or visual points of interest. Making the bed the focal point of the bedroom and layering it up with plenty of different textures is a great way of bringing grey bedroom ideas to life.
Try this easy idea to upgrade a standard divan bed and create a decorative ledge for display. Use thick lengths of timber to create your frame, ensuring it’s a snug fit and then painting it the same colour as the walls to give a neat, built-in look. Then add pictures, ornaments and other bedroom wall art ideas along the ledge as a decorative finishing touch.
‘Grey is an obvious but great colour choice when looking to achieve a masculine space, however, straight lines are just as key for this style,’ says Jonathan Warren, Director and bed specialist at Time4Sleep (opens in new tab). ‘Opting for an ottoman bed is a great way to bring in a darker charcoal grey shade as well as sleek straight lines, resulting in a sophisticated finish.’
‘The simplicity of a dark grey bed enables you to switch up interior styles as you wish, providing a timeless and versatile design. As for complementary colours, there are endless choices which you can bring in through your bed dressings.’
2. Warm grey with rustic timber
(Image credit: Future PLC/Mark Scott)
Combine mid-toned grey with rustic timbers and natural materials to create a calming bedroom scheme that looks relaxed, easy to live with and gender-neutral.
Try an easy way of giving a standard bed a high-end look by creating an oversized headboard using simple wooden panels. Use pre-fabricated veneer sheets, cut to size, and stuck in place on the wall behind your bed, running floor to ceiling. Try The Wood Veneer Hub for a wide range of different wood veneers for DIY projects.
‘A really common mistake when working with grey is simply using too much,’ says Amy Wilson, interior designer for 247 Blinds (opens in new tab). ‘When lots of different shades of grey are used in a single room, it is likely to feel very cold and one-dimensional, which doesn’t make for a dramatic space.’
‘To avoid this problem, I’d always recommend picking a single shade of grey – my preference would be for a pale grey – with a touch of brown combined with warmer tones and plenty of natural textures.’
3. Go for high-end hotel chic
(Image credit: Future PLC/David Lovati)
Grown-up and elegant, use a smart all-grey palette to give your bedroom an upmarket hotel vibe. A dark grey feature wall adds instant impact and creates the perfect backdrop for a statement bed with stacked pillows and bedding.
Go big with your headboard so that the bed is the standout feature. Choosing a headboard that is extra lofty and also extends widthways beyond the bed commands attention and can help balance the proportion of the room better. Keep bedside table ideas simple in comparison, with hanging lamps that will keep surface space clear.
4. Try half-painted walls to add wow
200 thread count Egyptian Percale Storm duvet (opens in new tab), £105, Christy
(Image credit: Christy)
Combine the steeliness of dark grey with a touch of calming white in a half-and-half bedroom scheme. Using a darker colour on the lower portion of walls creates a grounding effect and gives a contrast backdrop for furniture and bedding. Painting the upper section of wall in a paler shade, helps to stretch the height of a room visually, which is a neat idea if bedroom space is tight.
‘Grey is the perfect colour for creating a sophisticated, stylish and balanced bedroom,’ says Lucy Ackroyd, Head of Design at Christy (opens in new tab). ‘Sitting in the middle of bright white and bold black, grey offers a range of tones that can be incorporated into your bedding and overall bedroom aesthetic without negotiating with the lighting of the room.’
‘Using a lighter grey duvet as your base, elevate the look by pairing it with dark charcoal accessories like a cosy throw. Complete the design by adding artisan-style woven-cushions in monochrome stripes and zig-zags. Adding texture, shapes and patterns through soft furnishings creates a sense of energy, youthfulness and creativity.’
5. Try relaxed coastal style
Seb stripe duvet cover (opens in new tab), £99, Secret Linen Store
(Image credit: Secret Linen Store)
For a softer take on grey bedroom ideas, team soft grey with natural linen tones to create a relaxed, coastal look scheme that feels restful and serene. Avoid traditional coastal blues and opt for sail boat canvas and calico, teamed with grey ticking stripes and washed linen bedding and waffle-knit blankets and throws.
Opt for coastal-style steel furniture and galvanised metal pieces, teamed with weathered deck-style flooring, cosied up with textured rugs and runners.
‘Having grey flooring in your bedroom can create an instant warm and welcoming feel,’ says Carolina Hanson, Head of Design at Luxury Flooring & Furnishings (opens in new tab). ‘Single plank style flooring makes a great choice as it is very minimalist – keeping things calm and simple whilst adding timeless character to the room.’
‘If you love a solid wood flooring style but would prefer a more modern option, grey engineered wood flooring is ideal as it looks equally as impressive, but is more stable due to the layers of wood underneath. Accessorise your wooden floor with a textured, neutral-coloured rug to soften its masculine finish.’
6. Add blue to brighten up steely grey
(Image credit: Future PLC/Dominic Blackmore)
Looking for ways to brighten up a grey bedroom? Use grey as a starting point and then bring in bolder tones and warmer accents to help spice cool grey up a little.
A grey headboard and neutral grey bedding will work well with pretty much any accent colours. Consider adding a bold denim blue or indigo on the wall behind the bed to give a plain room a more manly vibe. While pale blues can feel cold and chilly in a bedroom, opting for a stronger shade can add warmth, especially when teamed with warm wood furniture, tan leather accessories and spicy accents of burnt orange on cushions and throws.
7. Work monochrome into the mix
Zebra Fusion roller blind, from £15.85, 247Blinds (opens in new tab)
(Image credit: Blinds247)
For a failsafe colour combination that looks great with grey, consider combining it with classic black and white. Patterns, prints and plains are easily mixed and matched when keeping to the same key colours and bringing black and white into the mix can help to sharpen up grey and give a plain bedroom more impact.
‘Use texture and pattern to balance out grey’s cooler tones,’ says Amy Wilson at 247Blinds. ‘As a general rule, grey is much more successful where texture is applied rather than as a flat finish, like with a paint. Therefore, it may suit the space better to bring in grey through cushions, curtains, blinds or bedding for a livelier look.’
8. Create a classy club vibe
(Image credit: Soho House Retail)
Recreate the look of a private member’s club with a grown-up scheme that oozes luxury and elegance. A must-have in any gentleman’s club, bedroom wall panelling makes an elegant backdrop for a statement upholstered bed and classic polished wood furniture. Paint panelling in a calming shade of grey that feels restful and relaxed and will act as a neutral backdrop for furniture and soft furnishings.
A comfortable armchair is another essential, whether upholstered in rich chestnut leather or a plush velvet. Choose rich colours for bedding, cushions, throws and rugs, from mellow golds and mustards to olive green, emerald, navy or dark charcoal.
9. Create order with neat built-ins
Manhattan bedroom, from £2000, Sharps (opens in new tab)
(Image credit: Sharps)
Cluttered surfaces and crowded closets will ruin the sense of calm in a bedroom, so plenty of storage space for clothing, footwear, books and media is a must. Built-in wardrobe ideas and bedroom furniture looks sleek and streamlined and will make better use of space than freestanding options.
Utilise wasted space above and around a bed, by considering a built-in bridge of storage directly above the bed and continuing down each side. Storage cubbies can be left open for display or doors added so that everything is hidden neatly away. Opt for a calm grey colourway so that units blend in seamlessly with wall colour.
‘Creating a well-designed bedroom with enough space to seamlessly store everything is at the heart of achieving a tranquil environment,’ says Rachal Hutcheson, National Retail Manager at Sharps (opens in new tab). ‘Shelving is a great way of making use of every inch of space, and an integrated design which uses the space behind and next to your headboard makes for an efficient solution to maximise floor space too.’
10. Use wall art as a starting point
Grey and blue strokes canvas art, £350, Abstract House (opens in new tab)
(Image credit: Abstract House)
If you like the combination of colours in a favourite painting or piece of art, then use these as inspiration for your bedroom’s colour scheme. Walls painted in soft grey will create a restful backdrop that will work with pretty much any accent colours.
Pick out key colours from within your artwork and use these on bedding, cushions, rugs and other accessories around the room, such as light pendants and lamp shades. Position artwork directly above the bed so that it acts as the focal point that ties the whole scheme together.
What colours go well with grey in a bedroom?
Grey falls into the neutrals category, which means that most colours can be paired with greys, depending on the look or vibe that you want to create.
‘The versatility of grey means colour combinations are endless,’ say the paint experts at Dulux (opens in new tab). ‘Add a touch of luxury with a rose gold and grey bedroom theme, or balance brighter shades with cooler grey hues.’
‘Warm tones enhance a comforting and enveloping feel which takes the chill out of colder grey rooms, and muted, mellow shades are ideal for a gender-neutral bedroom. Powder and pastel hues transform spaces into cosy and relaxing havens, while grey and white bedroom ideas are perfect for restful retreats.’
How do you style a masculine bedroom?
Traditionally, more masculine rooms tended to be decorated in earthy browns, dark blues, greens, greys and sometimes black, with bedrooms largely free from frills, flounces and overly-ornate decorations. Patterns were often simple and lowkey too, with geometric prints, plaids, stripes and herringbones offering a neat, smart and tailored look. That being said, things have moved on, and there are no hard and fast rules about what makes a masculine or a femimine bedroom…anything goes.