Meg Ryan's bedroom color scheme is perfect for a restful sleep – this designer-approved combination will always remain a favorite

When decorating a bedroom, choosing a color is the most important decision you will make. Color can soothe, warm, or nurture, and in doing so bring better sleep, make you feel more energized, or promote well-being. It is also an area in which interior designer Monique Gibson excels, and can be seen in actress Meg Ryan's neutral bedroom.

Sophisticated and nuanced, this neutral color combination for bedrooms shines in spaces both raw and refined. However, achieving a perfect pairing of silver gray-and-black requires careful editing and a strong design eye. This type of interior can also appear ‘flat’ if you don’t introduce texture and subtle tonal variety. But put together carefully, it’s a great way to add drama, and style, and promote a night of restful sleep. 

While monochrome decorating can be tricky to get right, a considered approach will be rewarded by a simple but impactful scheme. Decorating with black and white, or even gray can work especially well in rustic or modern farmhouse homes, similar to Meg Ryan's, where a one-tone canvas serves to highlight and complement original features. 

The soft tones of gray create a calming atmosphere in this bedroom. This sultry shade goes with every color and can be used to add depth and sophistication to any room.

Gray is a color that has its own weather system of light levels and hues. It is a shade with myriad subtle color notes that draws inspiration from beach pebbles and clay, as well as from slate and charcoal. Grey often makes a calm elegant backdrop, which can be tranquil for bedrooms and give an air of sophistication for spaces such as halls and living rooms.

‘Grays are hugely versatile, from cool off-white shades, through warmer neutral mid-tones to the very deep and mysterious,’ says Justyna Korczynska, senior designer at Crown Paints. ‘They have more color and texture within them than straight black. A monochrome scheme of black and white is much more unforgiving than one of shades of slate and clay, which will change subtly with the light throughout the day, giving them personality and character.’

Mood is one consideration, but it is also helpful to consider how gray might affect the size of a room. ‘The paler the tone, the more it will reflect the available light. The darker the tone, the more light it will absorb,’ says Justyna. ‘At the extremes, white will make a room look more spacious, and black brings the walls visually inwards. This rule applies to all colors. So a pale gray is ideal if you wanted to make a room look larger; a deep charcoal would make it appear smaller.'