How to Create a Cozy Minimalist Bedroom You’ll Never Want to Leave

It’s easy to ignore your master bedroom decor and focus on highly trafficked areas like the living room or kitchen first. But creating a cozy minimalist bedroom to escape to at the end of the day is worth your time now.

This is especially true if you’re in the middle of a never-ending home restoration project. We’re coming up on six years in our fixer upper. Through all of the floor installation, tiling jobs and kitchen demolition, the master bedroom has remained a peaceful escape from drywall dust.

I think of it as my sensory deprivation chamber. And you deserve one, too.

So I wanted to share my master bedroom decor and the basic elements that go into a cozy minimalist bedroom. Here’s how you can create your bedroom getaway.

Note: This article contains affiliate links. See my disclosures for details.

Color Scheme for a Cozy Minimalist Bedroom

While much of my home decor is all about turquoise, orange and rainbow everything, most people prefer a simpler color scheme for a minimalist bedroom.

I love having just gray, white and wood tones in my room. It creates a relaxing vibe, especially in contrast to the colorful cat-themed room across the hall.

My bedroom paint color is Pratt and Lambert Shadow Beige. I often use this color as a backdrop for loud decor items like my orange couch. But it works well in a minimalist room, too.

Related: Find more neutral paint color ideas

Easiest DIY Headboard Ever

My bedroom has been mostly done for years, but the main element it was missing was a headboard. And I’m someone who needs a headboard. It’s the focal point of a bedroom to give it that polished look.

Finding a mid-century modern headboard for a California king bed like this can be a struggle. Most of the larger headboards are upholstered these days, but I was hoping for something in wood.

If you have a king or queen bed, you could hunt down a vintage option at an antique store. Eventually I might build a custom wooden headboard. But for now I came up with the easiest DIY solution: large pillows. And I have actually loved this alternative.

To create your quick and easy pillow headboard, layer two king-size pillows with king pillow slips behind two standard pillows. It gives you support for reading and makes the bed feel complete. Plus, having a couple extra pillows can help put the coziness in a cozy minimalist bedroom.

Here are some other modern headboard ideas available in different sizes.

Soft and Cuddle-Worthy Bedding

For minimalists, less is more, except when it comes to thread count. Soft sheets and heavy, luxurious blankets make the bedroom feel like a fancy hotel.

Look for a bedspread or duvet that matches your simple color scheme. You can add cozy interest by picking something in a solid color but with a variety of textures. Both my gray duvet and the white blanket on top have a fun texture.

And if you’re a pet owner, textured blankets are more forgiving of kitty claws. All those snags just add to the visual appeal.

Layer on blankets and pillows until you find your preferred balance between coziness and minimalism. For me, having four pillows and one or two extra blankets works well. It’s quick and easy to make the bed every day, but still super cozy to crawl into every night.

Here are some minimalist bedding ideas. I use and love these soft microfiber sheets.

Modern Nightstands (and Your Favorite Books)

I feel like it’s not a bedroom until it has nightstands. They add functionality as a charging station and storage for your nighttime necessities. Keep a couple books from your to-be-read pile, a magazine and a puzzle book as a fun escape.

Nightstands don’t have to be formal, either. Some people use alternatives like a stool, a step ladder or a wall shelf. You can be creative to find something in your style.

There are lots of mid-century modern and minimalist nightstands to choose from these days.

Adjustable Reading Lamps for Night Owls

Reading lamps are another must for me. It’s nice to have easy access to a lighting source from bed, and you can use the dim lighting to slowly wind down before going to sleep.

Adjustable wall lamps are especially helpful for night owls because you can angle the light toward your book and away from any sleepy morning people or cats. My modern Nymane wall lamps from IKEA are dimmable and adjustable with extending arms.

Here are a few more options I considered. I almost picked two of these adorable yellow lamps to add a splash of color in my minimalist bedroom, but I decided to stick to the gray, white and wood tones.

Minimalist Modern Drapes

I’m glad I chose these gray drapes for the bedroom. They are room darkening, and the heavy wool material adds a bit of drama.

The following gray and white drapes would work well for a cozy minimalist room. For more ideas, check out my favorite mid-century modern curtains used throughout my home.

A Touch of Green

Houseplants add instant interest and liveliness to a room. You can find my houseplant care tips and favorite low-maintenance houseplants here.

With that said, I had a hard time keeping a plant alive in this room. Those room-darkening curtains mentioned above keep my northern bedroom very dark. It’s also outside of my usual plant-watering route, so I often forgot my little nightstand plants in here. Until they died.

To get some green in the room without the constant disappointment of dead plants, I finally switched to an artificial plant for my nightstand. I bought little faux succulents and arranged them in a 6-inch planter. Cuteness.

Clutter-Free Environment

Ultimately, creating a cozy minimalist bedroom is more about removing things than adding things. You can instantly make your bedroom more inviting right now by storing all the clothes out of sight, minimizing the knickknacks and art, making the bed and removing anything that doesn’t (you know it) spark joy.

It’s worth taking some time to freshen up your master bedroom so you have a cozy place to start and end your days in peace.

Related: See the ultimate guide to mid-century modern decor