Painting the Walls In Kids’ Rooms

Posted on May 1, 2022

Painting your kids’ rooms can be both exciting and challenging to create a space that both you and your kiddos enjoy. Whether you’re preparing your first nursery for your new bundle of joy or designing a playroom for your rambunctious toddler, or updating your teenager’s personal space, it can be challenging to find a design & paint that you both enjoy.

As children grow and their tastes & perceptions change. Your child’s room will need to evolve & grow with them. Experts say that color perception and discrimination change drastically over the years of a child’s growth. Studies show that 3-month-olds prefer the long-wavelength to the short-wavelength stimuli of certain colors (this is associated with the development of cone photoreceptors within the eye). But adults demonstrated the opposite pattern of preference. By the age of 15, people perceive colors in a fully adult way. Color perception also changes later on in life too.

No matter what your child’s color preference is, paint makes it easy to customize children’s walls. It also allows parents to repaint and update a child’s room with minimal expense.

Good Ideas for painting your child’s room:

1. Choose Soothing Colors for a Nursery

Paler colors tend to be more soothing for both young children and their parents. Pastel yellows, soft blues, pale greens, and warm pinks are all good options for nurseries.

Choosing the right paint color can significantly increase a child’s ability to get a good night’s sleep. While it may be tempting to use bright colors in a child’s bedroom, they can be overstimulating and make it difficult for children to wind down at bedtime.

2. Think About Future Changes

Babies grow up quickly so choosing a color scheme that can grow up with your child is something to consider. Neutral paint colors like off-white, beige, and soft gray offer a grounding and comforting feel and are easy to accessorize no matter what age your child is.

Rather than having to repaint in a couple of years, consider sticking with a neutral paint color on three walls and having one wall with a fun paint color or mural. This option means that when you and your child are ready for a change, you only need to repaint one wall.

3. Decide on Colors Together

If your child is old enough to express an opinion, ask them what colors they like best. For toddlers and younger children, pick 4-5 paint chips to bring home and let them choose their favorite.

Older children will likely want more input into the decision. That doesn’t mean you have to paint all four walls fire engine red if that’s their favorite color! Compromise is the name of the game here. Teens face enough issues today, you want their room to be a space of comfort & safety, not a place where they can’t stand the walls.

4. Choose the Right Paint Finish

Children’s bedrooms receive a lot of wear and tear. This can quickly lead to dings, smudges, and scuff marks on painted surfaces. Choosing durable and washable paint finishes for a child’s bedroom or playroom is always best.

Satin or eggshell finishes are best for the walls and semigloss for the trim. This scrubbable combination allows for fewer touch-ups and a longer-lasting paint job.

5. Use Chalkboard Paint.

If your child’s bedroom doubles as a study or play area, chalkboard paint is a great idea! This allows you to transform part of a wall into a creative space for your child. Or it can be used for reminders, notes, and/or homework.

Chalkboard paint comes in all different colors too. Most kids love to write on walls. Now they can and it will not cause you any headaches.

6. Watch Out for Chemicals

Regular paint products release low-level toxic emissions (volatile organic compounds or VOC) into the air which can cause negative health effects.

Choose a low- or zero-VOC paint to ensure your child’s safety. No matter what type of paint is used, it’s always important to thoroughly ventilate and allow the paint to dry completely before your child moves back into the space.

Let the Professional House Painters Help

CertaPro can help you and your child choose the perfect color palette for their newly designed room. We are happy to do the work for you too. We are experts at all kinds of interior painting projects whether it is one room or a whole house full.

When you are ready to start your bedroom painting project, Call CertaPro Painters® of Ann Arbor, MI at 734-669-1371 or go online to schedule an estimate today.