Tips on Choosing the Best Colour Scheme for a Child's Nursery

Picking a color scheme for your child's nursery can be a difficult task. Once you're over the initial hurdle of choosing their favorite colors, there are other factors such as light direction, paint coverage and humidity control that need to be considered.

choosing a colour scheme for your child's nursery


Here are some important things to consider that you should keep in mind before jumping in and painting the whole thing straight away…

Consider Colour Psychology for a child’s nursery


Choosing the right colour palette for a nursery is an important decision. Colour can have a significant impact on mood, emotions and behaviour of children.

Some colours are said to be more soothing or relaxing for children while others stimulate them. For example, green and blue are said to be soothing colours while orange is known to be stimulating in some cases.

Choosing a colour to promote sleep:


Believe me now when I tell you how important the sleep agenda will become. Here are a few things to think about:

  • Accent walls that are toned down and less vibrant create a more calm atmosphere than bright ones.
  • Matte paint is much softer and calmer than gloss. With it, you'll have a better chance of getting a restful sleep.
  • Red could activate our mind and keep us alert, but it is not the best colour to sleep in. Similarly purple is great for creativity but not so much sleep…
  • Pastel pink is a color that has been historically associated with a calm state of mind. That's why many feng shui experts recommend it for minimalistic environments, such as bedrooms or studios
  • The pastel color blue is known to be the most calming, which makes it perfect for decorating bedrooms and easing insomnia.
  • Light green can help to mimic nature, which promotes tranquility and positivity.

Choosing a colour scheme dependent upon age:


Are you looking for something to promote that will encourage happiness, security and peace of mind?

Young babies respond best to high contrast objects and images such as black and white, so whilst the muted tones of the cot mobile may look lovely, they wont hold your baby’s interest as much as a black and white pattern.

For older children, you may want to make their room a place where they can be creative & imaginative throughout the day and restful at night.

Choose wall murals, decals and stickers carefully. Enchanted woodlands and forests may help to promote calm and wonderful dreams whereas a dinosaur or jungle theme may not…Is your child suffering from nightmares or scared of shadows? Try to minimize the amount of pictures and images on the walls.

Do you know whether you are having a boy or a girl?


It might be to your advantage to avoid blue or pink and instead choose a more neutral colour - one that all types of personalities and interests find attractive.

We went with a gray color and weren’t disappointed. It will work well with any other color we put in the room since it all blends together nicely. I can’t think of a color that wouldn’t look nice beside gray, can you?

There are lots of temporary changes you can make to the rest of the room, such as a light shade, a wall decal, handles on drawers or wardrobes and bedding. All these things will add some color to your room without having to repaint everything.

Which shade of grey…

How do you choose which shade of grey  to go for??


It's important to consider which greys you're looking for when buying paint. Brown, lilac, and green greys all come in different tones depending on their shade. Doing your research and testing out colours is a good idea so that the end result will match the style you want.

The size of your room will dictate how the light is reflected and which colour you should paint your room. Rooms with smaller spaces will usually cast a shadow and be darker. We would recommend painting with lighter colours to maximise space in smaller rooms and look at where the natural light falls within the room itself.

My tip is to paint some plain paper with the colour sample pots and stick them up on your wall. That way you don’t have to paint the walls with lots of colours, and you can move the paper around to see how it looks in different places.

Is It Okay to Stick with One Colour in a Nursery?

The answer to this question is really up to your personal taste. However, there are certain colours that are more popular with couples who are expecting a baby and want to paint their nursery than others.


What are the Benefits of Using White as the Primary Colour in a Nursery?

White is the most popular color in nurseries because it's calming and creates a soothing environment for a child.

A white nursery is calming and soothing because it has no distinctive colors that can be visually overwhelming to the child. White also reflects light, making it a bright room without using too much energy from the sun.