Making it modern in children’s rooms

Kids’ rooms can be among the most fun spaces to decorate at home.

They’re a great way to start getting the kids involved in your home renovation projects and get kids of all ages to start thinking about the colours and styles they love and that express their personalities and interests.

As a grown-up decorating your children’s bedroom can also be a place to let your imagination and love of colour run a bit more wild than you might be comfortable with in living rooms and other parts of the house.

What’s cool

What’s cool in a child’s room will very much depend on the child but Resene colour expert Jackie Nicholls says there is a current trend for keeping walls neutral then adding fun and vibrant pops of colour to add individuality.

“Kids’ rooms are all about creating unique spaces full of personality and fun. Start with an off-white neutral like Resene Quarter Truffle or Resene Double Rice Cake, then add your colours for extra interest.”

Clever use of colour is an effective and fun way to create individual spaces in a shared children’s bedroom - while still keeping the look cohesive and clean. The walls are painted in Resene Half Merino with triangles in Resene Kandinsky (left) and Resene Petal (right). Floor stain washed in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy. Drawers painted in Resene Double Merino with detail in Resene Upside, toybox in Resene Dream Big, round box in Resene Amulet, mason jar in Resene Drop Dead Gorgeous, books in Resene Lola and Resene Heliotrope and lamp base in Resene Springtime with shade in Resene Illuminate. Bedding from Small Acorns. Project by Annick Larkin, image by Bryce Carleton.

Try painting your chosen colours in random organic shapes on the walls or other surfaces like tabletops, wardrobes, bedheads and cabinets for added visual interest, Jackie suggests, changing these colour bursts out for fresh colours as your children’s tastes change.

“When you use more vibrant shades over smaller areas, it also helps them stand out without overpowering the space. The Resene fashion colour fandeck is full of interesting colours to try, like warm peach Resene Dawn Glow, rich crimson Resene Very Berry and teal blue Resene Boost.”

Go multi-functional

One of the other trends in modern kids’ bedrooms is designing them to be multi-functional. Today’s kids use their rooms for more than sleeping and homework. Today’s bedrooms are also gaming zones, creative studios and even remote classrooms.

Even in small rooms clever use of paint and design can create multi-use spaces that help keep rooms tidier and more orderly - as well as fun to be in.

Simple bright circles add function and flair to this children’s play and craft area. Wall painted in Resene Wan White with floor stain washed in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy. Large balloon and shelf in Resene Boundless, smaller balloon and shelf in Resene Nirvana, balloon ropes in Resene Top Notch, large floating basket in Resene Rulebreaker, smaller basket in Resene Lakeside, toy box and small shelf box in Resene Soft Apple, table in Resene Transcend, chair in Resene Sunbeam, tall planter in Resene Half Sauvignon, small planter in Resene Aoraki, chair in Resene Sunbeam and desk in Resene Transcend. Project by Annick Larkin, image by Bryce Carleton.

Jackie suggests colour blocking as a good place to start creating different activity zones in a room. It can also be a fun, practical way to help divide space and manage arguments in shared rooms.

“Armed with masking tape and Resene testpots you can create all sorts of colour blocks and patterns to create spaces within spaces,” she says.

A simple example might be to measure the width of your child’s desk or computer table. Paint a stripe in their favourite, bold contrast colour slightly wider or slightly narrower than the table. Paint it not just the full length of the wall, but over a section of the floor and ceiling as well.

If you’ve opted for a neutral backdrop in Resene Quarter Truffle how about a study block in deep violet Resene Paua or for a subtler look, lilac Resene Unicorn? Add glow-in-the dark stars and planets painted in Resene FX Nightlight glow-in-the-dark paint for a quirky touch or choose a shade available in Resene FX Chalkboard Paint so the colour block has a practical and creative use as well.

This colour block concept that includes the ceiling and floor can be used for other use zones as well. Get creative with your paint design and add a mural into a room corner for a play area themed to dinosaurs, space, fairies or whatever your child’s current love is.

Wallpaper can be a great help here too. Try the African safari animals of Resene Wallpaper Collection 363661 or the quirky hot air balloons of Resene Wallpaper Collection 38126-1. For older teens, a backdrop of stylised florals in Resene Wallpaper Collection 33955 or jungle greens in Resene Wallpaper Collection 33304 can carve out personalised spaces for listening to music, or creativity. Just add a bean bag or two!

“You can also add sections of Resene wallpaper to desktops, inside drawers, the outside of cabinets or in random shapes around the walls to connect the blocked space to the rest of the room.”

Go bold

This colour block idea can also be really fun and effective if you flip the quantities in which you use the bold and neutral colours. If you and your child are feeling bold, paint the whole room in a dramatic shade like forest green Resene Tom Thumb. You could even add it to the ceiling and floor before adding a contrast neutral like Resene Spanish White over a strip of wall, top to bottom, and across a section of floor and ceiling.

It has the dramatic effect of creating negative space - almost shining a spotlight on the desk or work area within the lighter zone. It can be a fun idea for a teen wanting to create their own cosy bolthole.

Even small bits of a fun or joyous wallpaper pattern help carve out a fun play space for kids on this patio. Wall painted in Resene Eighth Spanish White, wall trellis in Eighth Spanish White, foreground trellis in Resene Colorwood Bask and decking in Resene Woodsman Tiri. Cubby wallpaper is Resene Wallpaper Collection 31301. Cubby frame in Resene Raven, table in Resene Petal with stools in Resene Rulebreaker and Resene Highland. Blackboard in Resene FX Blackboard Paint. Gumboots in Resene Cest La Vie and Resene Sunbeam, large rear planter in Resene Baltic Sea, medium pot in Resene Tana, small front pot in Resene Petal, table pot in Resene See The Light, skittles in Resene Manhattan, Resene Vibe and Resene See the Light. Project by Annick Larkin, image by Bryce Carleton.

If you need help getting starting or deciding on the colours that best suit your home, come in and visit your local Resene ColorShop, Ask a Resene Colour Expert free online, resene.com/colourexpert or book a Resene Colour Consultation free instore or virtually or a paid home visit in selected areas, resene.com/colourconsult.

If you don’t want to go all-in on the bold colour, just adding an unexpected colour to the ceiling of your child’s bedroom can be a fun addition for any age, Jackie says.

“Try a touch of sunny colour like Resene Golden Glow, which will warm up a colder room. You could add the same accent colour to other parts of the room, like the back of the door or a headboard.”

Fun features

Headboards are a simple way to add a burst of colour or pattern to a children’s bedroom. Create your own by painting directly on to a wall, an existing headboard or a sheet of ply and slotting it behind the bed - a great option for renters and one that can be repainted easily and cheaply any time, Jackie says.

Simple floral shapes against a sunny backdrop, add huge amounts of personality to this whimsical bedroom. Wall painted in Resene Eighth Blanc, headboard in Resene Fuel Yellow with Resene Eighth Blanc, Resene Valentine and Resene Watermark, drawers in Resene Eighth Blanc, Resene Clockwork Orange and Resene Valentine, grass planter in Resene Soul Searcher, large planter in Resene Ebb, bookends in Resene Moon Mist and Resene Duck Egg Blue, striped vase in Resene Coral Tree and Resene Contented and floor stain washed in Resene Colorwood Breathe Easy. Bedding from Small Acorns. Project Annick by Larkin, image by Bryce Carleton.

Repeat the colour of the bedhead in simple wall hooks and shelves, picture frames or upcycled pieces of furniture and decor.

If you and your children have an artistic bent - or simply want to play with colours, you can create a hand-painted headboard design or wall mural together, using Resene testpots.

If you’re less confident in your artistic skills choose easy to trace geometric shapes or freeform lines and organic shapes. Simple mural ideas include the simple triangular shapes of mountains, a rainbow arch or bold but simple flowers, trees, stars and moon shapes.

Set yourself and the kids up outside with some paper and Resene testpots until you come up with designs you want to recreate inside.

Top tip: Add touches of flair and shine to your murals or designs with products like Resene FX Metallic paints or Resene FX Pearl Shimmer, a beautifully shimmery topcoat - perfect for unicorns!

For more decorating ideas for children’s rooms, see the habitat plus – kids’ spaces book.

If you need help getting starting or deciding on the colours that best suit your home, come in and visit your local Resene ColorShop, Ask a Resene Colour Expert free online, resene.com/colourexpert or book a Resene Colour Consultation free instore or virtually or a paid home visit in selected areas, resene.com/colourconsult.