Zooey Deschanel's brave bedding choice is channeling the 'luxe retro' trend that's going to be huge in 2024

The actress's retro bedroom uses an unconventional color scheme and it pays off

zooey deschanel in a red dress
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Bright orange in the bedroom is a controversial choice. Luckily, Zooey Deschanel isn't scared of taking a risk. The actress took to Instagram to share a picture posed on her bedroom floor on her deep green carpet with a burnt orange quilt behind her. 

Zooey's retro bedroom is bold and unexpected, shirking the conventions of using a neutral bedroom color scheme for a much brighter option. The orange in her bedding combines with the green in the rug and the dark wood of the side table to create a warm and vibrant atmosphere in the room.

Some critics argue that stimulating shades like orange in bedroom decor will interrupt sleep, while other interior designers recommend that loving the style and colors of your bedroom is the most important for creating a restful space. 

Nicole Cullum, interior designer and color expert, states: 'Bold, bright orange is an uncommon bedroom color. Orange is considered nature's antidepressant because of its warm, happy combination of red and yellow. It is a highly stimulating color that visually excites us and increases our energy levels. Therefore it is best used as an accent color on pillows or decor.'

Nicole Cullum
Nicole Cullum

Nicole Cullum is an interior designer in Taos, New Mexico, and founder of Color Caravan, a charming hand-painted line of wallpaper, textiles, bedding, and home decor.

While the bright and energizing effects of orange may discourage some designers from using the color in a sleep space, others say this is exactly why decorating with orange works so well in a bedroom. Carlin van Noppen, head interior designer and founder at Fig Linens and Home states: 'I'm a huge fan of a brightly colored bedroom.'

She continues, 'Your bedroom, more specifically your bedding, is the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning. Choosing bedding colors that you absolutely love and makes you happy is a smart investment in your mental health. Orange is a color that makes us feel instantly uplifted and full of joie de virve, making it a great bedroom choice.' 

carlin van noppen head designer at fig linens and home
Carlin Van Noppen

Carlin Van Noppen is the CEO and head interior designer at Fig Linens and Home. She has over 20 years of experience providing design expertise for beautiful homes, hotels, yachts, and private planes and now manages a boutique that has been named the Best Linen Shop in Connecticut several years in a row.

It seems that Zooey Deschanel has gone for the second option and chosen her bedroom colors based on her personal style, rather than decorating rules. This gives the room a unique feel that aligns with Zooey's typical anti-modern decor, rather than feeling like something that's been done before.

 Just because orange bedding is perfect for Zooey Deschanel doesn't mean it has to be perfect for everyone, but her room is a valuable exercise in considering times when breaking traditional design taboos is the right choice.


If calming bedroom colors are more your speed, they can be made just as stylish and personal with a focus on texture and using different fabrics. But remember, sometimes, a little bit of rebellion in design pays off.

Sophie Edwards
News Editor

I am a London-based News Editor at Homes & Gardens. My interests lie at the intersection of design and popular culture with a particular focus on trends and celebrity homes. Before joining Future, I worked as a Content Writer and Communications Lead for Fig Linens and Home, a luxury linens and home interiors brand based in Fairfield County, CT. I have a BA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College in New York and an MSc from the Oxford University Department of Anthropology.