Snips and snails,
And puppy dog tails,
That’s what little boys are made of.
~ Author Unknown
Boys’ bedrooms must be painted light blue
Ahh … we know all too well, that little boys are full of mischief and fun and their pockets contain a treasure trove of items that only impish little boys would collect. In the past, having a little boy or boys in the house usually meant bedrooms created to look like a pit stop with a bed that resembled a race car with matching accessories. If you were blessed with more than one boy and they shared a bedroom, then bunk beds were de rigueur.
Nowadays, boys’ bedrooms are more streamlined and reflect our modern electronics age. Brothers don’t share bunk beds, but there are twin beds now with room for each boy to claim their own space without creating a line of demarcation across the middle of the room. Along with the streamlined look of gleaming electronic devices, like plasma TVs and gaming devices, desks are groaning with the usual computer paraphernalia. My, but we’ve come a long way, haven’t we?
There are many exciting options for creating a bedroom that will take your heir or heirs from youngster to teenager and beyond. You don’t have to saddle yourself with blah blue, just because it is the most-common color for boys. Have a look below to see what is trending on today’s color palette for boys:
Don’t be singing the blues
Medium blue – Everyone knows that pastel blue is associated with baby boys and while that is fine for the nursery, you might want to kick that blue color up a notch or two and go for a trendier blue color for a boy’s room. Different shades of blue are soothing and what better place to create a soothing atmosphere than in the bedroom? A combo of soft blue and a darker blue is soothing and the lighter colors can be used in places where little boys don’t get into mischief like behind bed headboards, behind bookcases or computer desks. Use the darker hue in areas where the inevitable smudges and scuff marks will occur, like a play area. This color scheme will lend itself to pairing with brighter and bolder colors for furniture, like open box shelving or even crate-type shelving in exciting shades like tangerine or red. Those bright colors paired with bedding and curtains and interchangeable pillows in similar help to create a fun look for your little boy’s room.
Ahoy matey – If your heart is set on a blue boy’s room, it is also fun to paint in a lighter shade of blue with mock dark-blue waves around the perimeter and accessorize with a nautical theme. This clean, coastal look is definitely blue, but not blah and boring!
Stray from the traditional
- Dark neutral – A dark neutral color like dove gray works well in a boy’s room. A popular look these days is to paint three walls in a neutral color, then have a focal wall or accent wall, in a totally different contrasting color. The focal wall might be behind the bed. For example, a look of dark gray behind a light-colored headboard is a great contrast color. Your accessories for a room with a dark neutral color like gray would be lighter, to soften the look and keep the room light and airy looking. If you choose the look of one contrasting wall, or focal wall, you could put a large piece of fun or funky artwork, maybe even his own, a mural or a scattering of smaller pictures with picture frames to match the lighter-colored walls.
- Light neutral – Bones and beiges also work, but, as you probably know, are harder to keep clean of scratches and smudges. But the plus of these neutral colors is that any type of accessories can be used to freshen up the room. If you go for all four walls in a light neutral color, painting the shelves the identical color might sound blah and boring, but not if you add bright-colored bins, baskets and bedding which will just “pop” the colors more. If you’ve got the budget for it, you can have lighter and darker accessories and swap them out for the Spring-Summer and Fall-Winter seasons respectively. If you use an alternate wall color for the accent wall, why not use consider using a big splash of color behind the bed? Some bright wall art that complements the two shades would definitely be the highlight and focal point of this boy’s room and then accessorize around the brighter shades to give that room some pizzazz.
- Naturalistic – Is your little boy all about climbing in tree houses and spending as much time outdoors as possible? Why not cater to that naturalistic spirit with three soft sage green walls and an accent wall in soft brown? It may sound yucky on paper, but the right accessories to complement these tones will add zest and zing to one energetic little boy’s room.
Neutral colors are safe
Black and white or red and white – Both are contemporary, edgy looks and can be used to create energy in the room and are easy to accessorize. Try two walls in the darker contrast color and two walls in bright white. Black furniture or white furniture give neutrality and the ability to accessorize with bright and flashy colors without the room looking overdone.
Radical pairings
- Dark blue and fire-engine red – How’s that for a powerful pairing that will bring some vitality to a young man’s room? This look would work for a young boy or a teenager. Dark blue walls and an accent wall in red, and it is always very easy to find accessories in red, white and blue. A fun and frivolous look if your little boy loves trains would be doing one accent wall in railroad ticking wallpaper and combining train accessories around the room.
- Dark green and white – If you’re looking to keep fingerprints, smudge marks and scuffs marks to a minimum, consider the wainscoting look for your boy’s room. Try bisecting the vertical wall with a wooden molding trim all around the room and painting a light or neutral color like white, or even ecru, on top and a darker color like spruce green or a similar dark green on the bottom. It is a contemporary look that will save you repainting and touching-up costs and you can accessorize with either color.
- Orange and dark gray – There are many shades of orange and gray, but to capture a contemporary look go for squash- colored walls and one focal wall in dark gray and then accessorize in colors that complement. This color combo works well in larger rooms and dark-colored wood furniture will complete the look perfectly.
- Stripes – Pick your son’s favorite colors and create horizontal or vertical stripes (please not both ways or your child will get dizzy) … this is the hottest paint trend of the season for boys’ bedrooms. Use a neutral color for three walls and the neutral color can be light or dark … blue and red are super for this look. The focal or accent wall takes on the striped pattern and gives the room a trendy look. Striped patterns work well for ages that span from youngsters to young adults – even your teen will give this look a thumbs up.
- Glossy versus semi-glossy or matte – Of course semi-gloss or glossy paints will help keep the walls more pristine and the room looking good, but, for a fun and contemporary look, why not try alternating the walls with different paint finishes – matte for behind the headboard, glossy or semi-glossy for the balance of the walls. This can be done with the same color or alternate colors. It’s a great idea, easier upkeep and a contemporary look as well.
Sports and favorite teams
Consider painting a boy’s room in his favorite professional team’s colors. You can choose those primary colors and alternate the walls with the contrasting colors, or use the accent wall concept for just one contrasting colored wall. Match the trim on windows, windowsills and baseboards to the accent wall for a well-coordinated look. If your child plays sports, why not cover that accent wall with mementos of his favorite sports? This can be accomplished with pictures or awards, even old sports equipment, all which will personalize his room and make him feel very special. Instead of framed artwork, consider using large decals of sports figures and sports scenes. If you can imagine it, it’s available on the internet.
Boo-boos in picking a paint color ….
A whole-house neutral paint color works okay. Painting is a big job and you don’t want to be changing your paint color on an every-year basis. But for children’s’ rooms, it is okay to try out some different colors. After all, they are kids, and kids are not always mindful of being careful not to mar the paint; scuffs and smudges occur necessitating more frequent paint jobs. One of the easiest ways to completely change how a room looks, is to give it a fresh coat of paint. So why not try to go with different looks. Sure, sooner or later, you are bound to pick a color that maybe looked great on the paint chips, or even online, but after it dried, you were clucking your tongue and calculating how soon you could re-paint that room again. Did you know that if you hire a contractor who specializes in bedroom painting, that expert would not only be able to provide you with the expertise of a quality interior paint job, but also would counsel you on what colors would look best in a room’s size and shape? There is more to picking a color for a room, than simply choosing it because you think that color will give the room an edgy, contemporary look. Why not consider consulting with a professional painter today?
