Painting is a big project, and with kids changing their favorite color more often than the seasons change, it can be hard to decide on a color for a child’s bedroom that you won’t have to paint over in a couple of years. 

Most kids love bright colors. And especially regarding the younger kids, it makes perfect sense. Their eyes aren’t fully developed yet, so bright colors are easier for them to perceive and seem more interesting. 

While this can make it tempting to paint a nursery a bold, bright shade that they’ll love to look at, it’s important to consider over-stimulation.

Bright colors, especially vibrant reds and oranges, can create over-stimulation, which is probably the exact opposite of what you want when you’re trying to get your baby to sleep through the night. 

Keep reading for some tips and tricks on how to decide on kids room paint colors that they (and you) will continue to love. 

Blue for Boys and Pink for Girls?

This notion that blue is for boys and pink is for girls is quickly becoming a thing of the past. 

Baby blue is an easy choice for a boys’ nursery, and the same goes for baby pink for a girl’s. But unless you want to repaint in a couple of years, we’d recommend avoiding these typical “baby” colors. 

As soon as your kids start developing their own personalities and starting to get agency of their own, they aren’t going to like being defined by baby colors.

That being said, you can’t really go around re-painting your kid’s rooms every time they change their mind. Letting your kids choose the color of their room is a great way, however, to increase their sense of pride and ownership. 

It’s best to take time to decide on a color scheme that induces positivity, learning, relaxation. And one that can be accented with different accessories as they grow and change tastes.

Red, Orange and Yellow 

When deciding on what color to paint a kid’s room, or any room for that matter, consider the psychology behind each color before making your decision.

Most kids love red. It’s vibrant, stimulating and shares its color with fun things like firetrucks. It’s a popular accent color in classrooms, as it can help stimulate the mind and help to increase focus.

Red. It’s probably best to avoid too much red in the bedroom. It can work well as an accent color, but too much stimulation in a place meant for sleep and relaxation isn’t really what you’re going for. 

Orange is a cheerful color that psychologists have linked to socialization and communication. Again, a great color to use in schools, but maybe best to avoid too much of it in a bedroom. 

Yellow is interesting, as there are some conflicting views about its effect on the human brain. Some psychologists have cited it being relaxing, while some urge away from using too much of it in a bedroom, as its more of a “daytime” color.

But it’s also been linked to increased concentration and memory improvement. It’s upbeat and sunny, and as long as you go with a more pastel or pale shade over a vibrant, bright yellow, overstimulation shouldn’t be a problem. 

Pink and Purple

Pink and purple are two of the most favored colors among girls. While baby pink is soft, relaxing and feminine, it also poses the problem we mentioned earlier; when girls get older, they don’t want to associate anymore with “baby” colors.

Bright, vivid pink as an accent color paired with black, white and grey can be a good compromise for that girl who wants a hot pink room.

Same goes for purple. You might not want to paint an entire room bright pink or purple, but using them as accent colors can add some fun to any space. 

Lilac is a versatile color that can go from being the perfect nursery hue to a color that even a teenager can love. When accented with white and grey, lilac and other shades of pale purple can be sophisticated and stylish. 

Green and Blue

There are so many options when it comes to green and blue. It’s a shame really, that so many people go straight to baby blue and never look back.

Darker, more vibrant shades of blue are more versatile and easy to complement. Aqua blue can be accented by so many colors, from coral pink to certain shades of green. 

Blue lends itself well to nautical and under-the-sea themes, which can be conveyed without actually having anchors and fish all over the walls. A few key decorations and accessory pieces can really bring blue to life.

Green is an earthy color that’s associated with nature and the outdoors. Pale green can make a room feel a lot bigger than it is and can really emphasize natural light. 

Electric green can be surprisingly soothing, as long as it’s not too neon. It works well with pink, purple and white. Forest green, however, is a bit too dark and can come off as a bit of a downer. 

White, Grey, & Beige For Kids Room Paint Colors?

An eggshell white, a cool grey or a neutral beige can seem a bit boring. A kid probably wouldn’t pick these shades on their own, but when accented with other bright colors and bold decor, white, grey and beige can be classic and fun.

Plus, if you don’t own your home, you might not want to get too bold with kids’ bedroom paint. With the right accent pieces, you can make neutral colors work for people of all ages.

Get it Painted!

Deciding on kids room paint colors can be a fun way to set the tone for your little one’s future tastes. We recommend picking a nursery color that kids might still like when they get a bit older.

When they get old enough to form an opinion of their own, letting them choose their toom’s paint color gives the child a sense of ownership and makes them feel like you value their opinion. Within reason, of course.

Visit our blog for more resources on how to choose the right paint color and get other tips and advice for painting projects.