Painting the child's room: which colors for development

Categories: Decoration Inspiration
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Paint your child's room: ideas, colors and healthy paints

Giving your child's room a fresh coat of paint is much more than a decorating project. It's about creating a cocoon conducive to awakening, sleep, and safety. So, how do you properly paint a child's room while respecting their health and emotions? Here's our complete guide.

Why is choosing the right paint essential in a child's room?

Children spend an average of 12 to 15 hours a day in their room. Their respiratory system being more sensitive, paint choice is a health issue. Paint containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can affect indoor air quality, causing irritation or allergies. Therefore, choose non-toxic paint for children's rooms, water-based, A+ rated.

Understanding labels for clean air

  • A+ Label: guarantees very low emissions
  • European Ecolabel: low VOC content, high performance
  • EN71-3 Standard: certifies safety in case of contact or accidental ingestion (ideal for painted furniture)

Using non-toxic paint: what healthy and sustainable options?

Here are the main categories to focus on:

  • Water-based paint (acrylic): low odor, quick drying, easy cleaning
  • Ecological paint: bio-based, solvent-free, made with natural resins
  • Depolluting paint: absorbs certain air pollutants

💡 Did you know that a child inhales up to twice as much air per square meter as an adult? Choosing solvent-free paint is therefore crucial.

Download our infographic

What color to choose for your child's room?

The choice of room color for your child directly influences their mood, concentration, and sleep. Cool colors (blue, sea green) soothe, while warm colors (yellow, terracotta) energize.

Soothing colors: for a relaxing space

  • Sky blue, sage green, pearl gray: ideal for the sleeping area
  • Pastels (powder pink, light yellow): guaranteed visual softness

At Chambrekids, we offer children's rooms with soft and pleasant atmospheres, to create a soothing cocoon for your child. 

Bright colors: to stimulate imagination

  • Orange, bright yellow, terracotta: perfect for an accent wall or play area
  • Red: avoid using all over, promotes agitation

We also offer rooms with brighter and more pronounced tones, which will stimulate creativity and play in children.

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Chambrekids shows you examples

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The connection between colors and emotions

Color choice directly influences children's emotions, attention, and sleep quality.

Here's an overview of the main colors and their emotional impact:

🔴 Bright red: energy, warmth, excitement, but also anger. Avoid using in large quantities, especially in bedrooms.

🟠 Orange: friendliness, dynamism, creativity. Ideal in touches for a play area.

🟡 Pale yellow: optimism, concentration. Perfect for stimulating without exciting.

🟢 Sea green / sage: balance, soothing, nature. Promotes relaxation.

🔵 Sky blue / pastel: serenity, confidence, imagination. Excellent for sleep.

🟣 Parma / lavender: softness, tenderness, calm. Appreciated for baby rooms.

⚪ White / light gray / beige: neutrality, clarity, adaptability. Ideal base to combine with soft colors.

🟤 Terracotta / natural tones: warmth, authenticity. Use on a single wall or as wainscoting.

By avoiding too bright colors in total look and favoring pastel or neutral colors, you create an atmosphere conducive to dreaming, concentration, and rest.

Need an alternative to white? Pale blue, pastel green, or beige offer a perfect balance between simplicity and softness.

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What color for a baby's room or young child's room?

For the color choice of baby's room, favor light and natural shades. Beige, sea green, or sky blue create a soft and secure universe.

These ideas also work well for a 3-year-old boy's room color or for a little girl's room.

Paint ideas for a personalized child's room

Creating an original decor stimulates the child's creativity. Here are some children's room painting ideas to try:

Paint in 2 colors and play with contrasts

  • Two-tone wall with wainscoting: practical and aesthetic
  • Color zoning: frame the reading corner or bed with a soft color

Graphic patterns and shape play

  • Mountains, circle arcs, or waves to paint with masking tape
  • Chalkboard wall for free drawing (specific paint, EN71-3)

💡 Use terracotta or navy blue paint to create a wall frame around the bed. Decorative effect guaranteed!

The color zoning guide: Combine 2 colors

Color zoning consists of defining spaces through color. It's playful and useful

  • Pastel blue for a calming reading corner
  • Pale yellow or sea green for a stimulating play area

Combine two complementary colors on the walls to visually enlarge the space. Two-tone wainscoting, for example, helps hide stains while structuring the room.

Safely painting children's furniture: method and advice

You can also repaint a child's bed, a dresser or a shelf to personalize the room.

What paint to use?

  • Water-based paint, VOC-free, EN71-3 certified
  • Satin or matte finish, depending on the room and desired effect

Key steps for successful painting

  1. Clean and lightly sand the furniture
  2. Apply appropriate primer
  3. Paint in two thin coats
  4. Water-based varnish (EN71-3) for high-traffic areas

The practical guide for a stress-free project

When to paint the room?

Choose holidays or 3 to 5 days before the child's arrival. Even A+ paints require prolonged ventilation.

Steps for a controlled project

  1. Empty the room and protect floors
  2. Prepare walls (cleaning, plastering, sanding)
  3. Apply the paint (corners with brush, then roller)
  4. Ventilate the room for several days
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💡 To speed up odor elimination, place dry coffee grounds or activated charcoal in the room

Harmonize decor with Chambrekids furniture

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The furniture complements the ambiance. Match wall colors with a solid wood bed, like our Landes Mid-Height Bed in Khaki and Solid Wood.

For a coherent decor, coordinate storage or add colorful touches in the bedding or curtains.

👉 For more advice, also discover: