Anne Hathaway's bedroom uses simple, farmhouse furniture as a grounding backdrop for bold accents – I will never think about furnishing in the same way

The actress's bedroom proves that furniture doesn't need to be the accent in a room, I plan to use the same technique in my future home

Anne Hathaway
(Image credit: Getty Images / Amanda Edwards / Contributor)

When designing a bold space, the popular train of thought is often that the furniture needs to be as bold as possible. Anne Hathaway's California home shirks this convention. Rather than inviting boldness and color through furnishings, she uses paint and accessories to brighten the furniture grounds.

I'll admit that I've long held the misconception about bold furniture, but now that I've seen Anne Hathaway's bedroom, I will never look at the role of furniture in the same light. Especially for a bedroom, I think this might be one of the smartest, most beautiful, and most cost-effective ways to design a space. In the Les Misérables actress's home a washed gray farmhouse-style side table sits by a natural wood, open-concept bed. Above, a simple mid-century modern lamp grants some design contrast. These simple pieces create the perfect backdrop to allow the pink bedding, pink paneled walls and blue accent bowls on the side table.

The first reason I love Hathaway's furniture choice is how beautiful it makes the room. While the pink walls or pink throw pillows might be lost among a sea of maximalist furniture, this scheme allows them to shine. In my opinion, the farmhouse style of bedroom furniture is a great choice for replicating this style. The natural wood instantly brings texture into the space. Furthermore, the farmhouse is a style that is almost always created with red, yellow, or blue accents, so it fits into an existing design narrative.

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I plan to replicate this style in my future home not only because it is beautiful but because it is clever. With a seemingly endless cast of bedroom trends and new style inspiration, it's hard to settle on just one design scheme. Luckily, Hathway's choice to use simple furniture makes it easy to switch up the room. If she grows tired of pink, all she needs to do is change the bedding to a different color and repaint the wall behind the bed. No matter the colors introduced, the furniture would look just as cohesive and stylish.

In this vein, opting for furniture that creates a neutral background is also a wonderful budget bedroom makeover idea. Though furniture pieces like a bed or side table can be thousands of dollars a piece, bedding generally caps out in the hundreds. It's much easier to replace these accents then bring in a new slew of furniture when you are ready for a change.


If you are hoping to recreate this style, it's important to use a variety of shapes and textures to keep it interesting. For instance, in Hathway's bedroom, she has paired the rectangular side table with a round-edged bed for a satisfying contrast. Another contrast is created through the side table having a brushed texture, while the bed is made of natural wood. These simple differences draw the eye and keep the space from looking boring, even if she were to opt for more neutral accessories.

Decorating memorable spaces doesn't need to be about choosing the most brightly colored or 'out there' furniture, it can be about choosing neutral pieces that can fit easily into any design scheme over the years.


Sophie Edwards
News Editor

Sophie is a London-based News Editor at Homes & Gardens, where she works on the Celebrity Style team. She is fascinated by the intersection of design and popular culture and is particularly excited when researching trends or interior history. Sophie is an avid pop culture fan. As an H&G editor, she has interviewed the likes of Martha Stewart, Hilary Duff, and the casts of Queer Eye and Selling Sunset. Before joining Future Publishing, Sophie worked as the Head of Content and Communications at Fig Linens and Home, a boutique luxury linens and furniture brand. She has also written features on exciting developments in the design world for Westport Magazine. Sophie has an MSc from the Oxford University Department of Anthropology and a BA in Creative Writing and Sociology from Sarah Lawrence College.