Stop painting again: how to choose a children’s room color that continues every age

My 5-year-old wants to paint her room pink. Clear, cooking gum pink.

I would like to use the color on a pillow or sheets. I don’t necessarily want it on the walls. The color is loud. You can’t not Note it – even from the hall. Moreover, I do not want to drag her bed, her sideboard, her bookshelf and her toy box in the middle of the room, cover them all in plastic, paint and then all do it again in 12 months when she is fed up with the Barbie Dreamhouse.

When I start painting the walls, I want something that she likes for years, something she can grow in – something we will both be happy with.

Lisa HudsonPresident of fresh jacket painters, says that my problem is not unusual. She sees a lot of parents being caught in what she calls “what if they hate it in two years?” fall. But she says that designing a nursery is easier than many parents think.

“The secret of a successful room that grows with your child is to be playful with the design, but based on your color choices,” Hudson explains. “You want a room that feels like a cozy, imaginative refuge now, but can still look refined when they are a teenager.”

Here are five tips from experts on creating a playful space that can grow with your child.

1. The primary color choice of a room must be filled in

Experts agree that when it comes to choosing the dominant color for a children’s room, it will not become too clear or fat.

Alexandra Cooperan interior designer Planner 5DNote that children may be attracted to that “wow!” Color, but on four walls (or sometimes even one), banana part or fire motor red can be downright overwhelming.

Instead, Cooper says he goes for muted versions of the clear shades that your child loves. She recommends dusty blues, sage greens, warm terracotta or soft yellow.

“These shades feel refined and yet playfully in combination with the right decor,” she says.

Ashley McCollumColor Marketing Manager at GlowAdvises homeowners to choose ‘the adult cousins’ of a child’s favorite colors. If your child loves Hot Pink, McCollum recommends a rosy variation such as Cinnamon Diamonds PPG1055-5. If you prefer sky blue, she says to look in a duster shade such as chalk-like blue PPG1153-5.

2. Add a new view of an accent wall

Anna Tatsionthe main interior designer and architect at DecorillaSays that an accent wall can give a child the daring look they want, in a way that is not too loud – and easier to exchange when time comes.

And while accent walls were a simple concept (one wall, one daring color), she says there are many ways to make this function look new and customized.

She proposes to take on painted geometric shapes and to become creative with removable wallpaper. As an alternative, she recommends choosing a nice color for the lower half of a wall, then white or neutral above.

“This feels fresh and modern and is less visually overwhelming as children get older,” says Tatsion.

Ombré technology is another favorite, says Tatsion, in which it is explained that this look “reads as artistically instead of childish and a beautiful background for furniture and art while they grow.”

Hudson agrees that an accent wall can be a great addition to a nursery, and notes that the ceiling can also serve as an accent. She says that a soft, ethereal blue ceiling can make a room feel as if it has a window to heaven. In the meantime, a dark color, such as a deep navy, can make the space feel extra cozy.

It is of course important to note that accent colors must supplement the color on the other walls. Compare and contrast with paint splatches before you are committed, and don’t be afraid to ask for help from your local paint shop.

Not sure where to start? McCollum says that Blush Beige PPG1070-2 is neutral enough to act as a main wall color and looks great in combination with jam session PPG1172-3.

3. Play with frame and paneling

If accent walls are too much for you, Tatsion says that the painting only can add that personality in a room without being overwhelming.

“I like to pour or lay on a deeper tone than the wall color for contrast,” she says.

Cooper adds that Wainspoting painted in a dark tint with lighter walls above, or vice versa, “creates a sense of structure and elegance.”

4. Try color blocking

Another way to add some color (without making the entire room pink! Or yellow!) Is with color blocking. Cooper notes that a broad horizontal band or arch form behind the bed ‘introduces playfulness without committing a theme that will outgrow the child’.

Hudson says you can go one step further by making abstract shapes, such as a soft, rounded mountain range, or a simple geometric shape behind the bed or a desk. You could end with a really adapted, high-end look that is still approved by children!

5. Choose interactive paint characteristics

Cooper says that making a large part of the blackboard or magnetic paint children can give children a fun, interactive board that they can adjust every day. This can be great around a desk or as a background for a dress up space. Something simple as a “house shape” part of chalkboard paint can become a new favorite toy, become a Grand Mansion or a Petite Café, depending on the day.

In the end, McCollum says that there are so many designs, so many colors and so many ways to paint a children’s room. But she says that the goal is simple: to “find a balance between playfulness and a long service life – something that now starts the imagination but can grow with it over time.”