Playing with Colour
The due date has been determined, you’ve been playing with ideas of names, and perhaps you’ve started buying clothes…what next? Nursery time! Decorating a nursery room in anticipation of the arrival of your little one can be quite a daunting task, but we are here to help. We’ve put together some helpful pointers for one of the most important aspects – figuring out which colours to use in decorating your baby’s new room. You can also apply this information when redecorating a room for your toddler or child.
The field of Colour Psychology suggests that the colours in our environment have an effect on our mood, behaviour and health – as well as providing mental stimulation and enhancing memory. With quickly growing loved ones, of course we want to create a room for them to feel happy in and which is beneficial to their development. Makes choosing a nursery theme and colour that much more difficult, doesn’t it?
Understanding how specific colours may influence your baby, toddler or child will help you make a more informed decision when deciding on the main focus and accent colours you want to use. Take a look at the brief notes we’ve put together below. You could also do some more of your own reading – there are handy links further on!
Warm colours – such as reds, pinks, oranges and yellows – are generally known to create a sense of comfort and intimacy. While this might sound inviting, they may be considered too stimulating in a nursery room. You could plan to use a warmer colour as an accent in the room, either through the accessories you choose or in painting smaller sections of wall space. Another possibility is to use lighter tones of the warm colours, such as a pale yellow or pink.
Have a look at our pink hanging tent below or the stripped yellow rug for some inspiration!
Cooler colours – the blues, greens and purples – offer a relaxed, calming feeling when used in lighter tints over larger spaces. Perhaps consider a paler version of your favourite bright blue, green or purple as the main colour focus in your new nursery room. You could also accentuate the colour focus through your accessory use, and bring in bright pops of the chosen colour in ways other than the wall paint or furniture.
This bedroom rug using blue as an accent colour, as well as the green basket might provide some creative thought:
In keeping with current trend forecasts regarding colour use in fashion, you could look to Pantone and their number one colour for the Spring 2017 season, ‘Niagara’. A classic denim-like blue, this colour or shades similar could be used in bedding, blankets or accessories. Our Steel Blue Forest Friends blanket could be used to create a sense of relaxation in your new nursery.
Neutral colours, such as whites, greys and browns, also offer opportunity in decorating a nursery. Feel free to experiment with these colours in varying shades, although lighter tones are often more favourable when pairing neutrals with other colours. Again, these colours can be brought in as accents throughout your nursery, or used in lighter tones in the wall decoration. Be mindful though – lighter colours also offer a higher chance of staining! Our grey blanket is a good example of effectively utilising a neutral colour.
There is a lot of inspiration online when thinking about decorating a nursery or redecorating your child’s room. We love these examples of colour use!
You could also take some inspiration or ideas from these articles – they offer more information regarding the individual colours and their specific effects, drawing on the theory of Colour Psychology :
http://projectnursery.com/2010/03/how-color-affects-your-baby/
https://www.thespruce.com/color-psychology-for-kids-2504750
http://ijp.mums.ac.ir/article_3204.html
Keep an eye out on our website for lovely bedding and blanket considerations – we’ve got a range of pinks, greys, blues and greens to be used! Happy decorating!
Little Love Kids
