Beyond Pink and Blue: 7 Palettes for Kids’ Rooms
If you want an alternative to the traditional shades, these color combos might do the trick
There are plenty of reasons to forgo the whole pink-for-girls, blue-for-boys decorating approach. For one, perhaps you’d rather not hew so closely to tradition. Alternatively, maybe you are a fan of tradition, but you’re putting both a boy and a girl in a single room, so decorating with just pink or just blue doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Whatever your reason for wanting to decorate in a more gender-neutral way, know that doing so doesn’t have to mean reverting to the classic pale yellow. Read on for seven gender-neutral palettes to consider instead.
Whatever your reason for wanting to decorate in a more gender-neutral way, know that doing so doesn’t have to mean reverting to the classic pale yellow. Read on for seven gender-neutral palettes to consider instead.
As shown in this photo, you can choose a prominent bedroom wall to paint with chalkboard paint. This allows kids to showcase their creativity, and also gives you the option to highlight interesting wall art against the dark, dramatic backdrop. In this case, two guitars add a playful note.
2. Orange and brown. Vivid orange casts a cheerful, warm glow when paired with brown or wood tones. A bright and fun color for both genders, orange works well with almost any color — remember, those bright and busy toys are going to descend — as well as other neutrals like gray and white.
Orange’s vibrant energy might be best suited for prominent textiles, such as rugs, curtains or bedding, rather than on all four walls. If you do choose to feature a tangerine color on your walls, pick an accent wall. Or, try painting orange and white stripes on one wall for a custom-styled look.
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3. Turquoise and yellow. A bright and happy duo, turquoise and yellow is an excellent color pairing for a room shared by a boy and a girl. Both colors have fresh and sunny dispositions that — especially when coordinated with white — can lend a clean, playful vibe to a kids’ room.
Turquoise and yellow also serve as a cheerful base for almost any vibrant hue. Layer with red, pink, green or navy for a fun and colorful palette.
4. Deep blue and purple. An uncommon color combo that works surprisingly well for both boys and girls is deep blue coupled with purple. These jewel tones shine brightly with neutrals like white, gray and wood.
For accessories, choose lighter-hued counterparts, such as lavender and pale blue. As shown in this photo, even smaller accessories in primary colors will blend in well with this creative palette.
For accessories, choose lighter-hued counterparts, such as lavender and pale blue. As shown in this photo, even smaller accessories in primary colors will blend in well with this creative palette.
5. Red and blue. Red is an iconic color for all sorts of kids’ gear and themes. Think toys like fire engines, or themes like red apples and strawberry patches. When coupled with blue — whether navy, turquoise or even pale blue — this winning palette is a perfect gender-neutral backdrop for a shared bedroom.
Loud and vibrant, red is best suited for smaller textiles and accessories, such as bedding or lighting. Look to blue to balance the room in large swaths of color on the floor or walls.
6. Multicolor explosion. This palette occurs when more than two colors are featured throughout the room — and it’s a great way to please your kids, without having to choose just a few colors for their room.
When going for this dazzling colorful look, try selecting at least one multicolor item to cover a large surface in the room. For example, this rainbow window shade creates a fun design feature behind the red-and-white bed.
In this photo, the rug’s colorful geometric pattern sets the multicolor tone for the room.
To prevent a chaotic feel with this palette, be sure to balance your multicolor explosion with a neutral color on another large surface, such as the walls or a large piece of furniture. Here, the simple neutral walls showcase the myriad colors around the room while helping the space feel a bit calmer.
To prevent a chaotic feel with this palette, be sure to balance your multicolor explosion with a neutral color on another large surface, such as the walls or a large piece of furniture. Here, the simple neutral walls showcase the myriad colors around the room while helping the space feel a bit calmer.
7. Gray and white. For years, gray has reigned supreme as the most popular neutral, especially for walls and floors. Showcasing this serene combo in a nursery or child’s room has become a go-to palette for many parents.
Gray and white is calming for both baby and tired parents. For slightly older kids, it’s an easy neutral canvas to layer with colorful toys and accessories.
When looking to add visual interest to a simple gray-and-white bedroom, try a patterned gray rug or stripes on the wall.
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When looking to add visual interest to a simple gray-and-white bedroom, try a patterned gray rug or stripes on the wall.
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Before you settle on a specific palette for your child’s or children’s room, let’s start with how you’ll build out the colors — whichever you choose — in that room. First, creating a fun, aesthetically pleasing space starts with choosing a gender-neutral color for the large surfaces, such as the walls and rug. Once you have your predominant color in place, you can layer in additional colors specific to each child’s preferences — or, if you would like, gender — via details like throw pillows or bedding.
As you plan, remember to let yourself off the hook a bit in terms of trying to achieve a purely coordinated color scheme. After all, as every parent knows, no kid space is going to stay neat and tidy for long — at least not once your children reach toddler age. It’s best to set your predominant color scheme, then be prepared for it to be joined by pops of color everywhere from all the toys and gear that kiddos inevitably collect. That’s just kids. Still, a foundation of coordinated color just might help the inevitable chaos seem a little more contained.
1. Black and white. Black and white may not be the first colors you think of for a child’s room, but with the help of chalkboard paint, it’s a brilliant gender-neutral choice. It can serve as a (dark) blank canvas for almost any additional color you want to introduce — or no color at all, if you opt for a black-and-white palette as shown in this first photo.