How much color should I put in the nursery? Will it be too bright? Will there be enough stimulation? These are some of the most common questions we hear from our clients wondering how color affects your baby.
While there is still much scientific debate about how color affects infants, there is endless evidence showing how color affects adults—marketing execs have poured millions into this research. It’s no coincidence that most fast food restaurants are red and yellow—these colors can make you feel more hungry.
Why not take advantage of all this research and use it to choose your nursery colors? While your baby may not perceive colors correctly for a while, they will when they get older and as those marketing execs have proven—color does affect us.
Here’s a quick rundown of some color theory and how it can help your choose the right paint color for your child’s nursery.
Red – Passion, Excitement, Emotional – Red is bold and attracts a lot of attention. It can work in a nursery as an accent but should be avoided wall to wall. Red is the “hottest” color and may invoke volatile personality traits to stand out.
Orange – Warm, Comforting, Cozy – Orange is a very comfortable color. It promotes a welcoming feeling and inspires interpersonal conversation. Orange is friendly and puts reservations at ease. Use a darker orange for a super-cozy atmosphere or bright orange for a punch of modern!
Yellow – Lively, Energetic, Cheerful – Yellow is sunny and bright but use with caution. Too much or too bright yellow can agitate a baby. Subtle yellow (think legal pads) promotes concentration and emotive thoughts.
Yellow and Gray Baby Boy Nursery by Victoria Elizabeth Design
Green – Calming, Refreshing, Nurturing – Green is the best color to use in a learning environment. It promotes calmness of thinking and concentration. It is also very serene, calming and natural. Green is one of the best colors in decorating because it is so abundant in nature—you can’t go wrong!
Girl’s Nursery by Wit & Delight
Blue – Healing, Subtle – Blue is calming, but be careful with the shade. Gray-blues can lean towards sadness. Blue increases productivity, but should not be used around food. If you have a child who refuses to eat, avoid blue plates! In the nursery, use warm or bright blues and avoid overusing navy or dark shades. Blue is also cooling, which is good for a baby who gets warm easily.
Classy Coastal Nursery by Emily Alexander
Purple – Dignified, Mysterious, Luxurious – Purple has long been associated with royalty, and that still holds today. Jewel tone purple is as regal as it gets. Pastel purples, like lavenders and lilacs, are more calming and serene but still have that luxurious feel. Purple is rare in nature therefore it is the most “unnatural” color.
Purple Buffalo Check Nursery by Style Your Senses
White – Clean, Pure, Innocent – White is angelic and sweet but can also promote secretiveness. Stay away from all white—use splashes of color to evoke emotion and openness. And beware—white is definitely prone to stains!
All White Nursery by Little Crown Interiors
Pink –Romantic, Loving, Feminine – It’s no coincidence that little girls love pink. It is the universal color of all things girly. Pink is very calming as well, particularly with children who are prone to throwing fits or tantrums. Feel free to go nuts with pink in a girl’s nursery—the only ill effect may be a bit of a princess attitude!
Gray – Introspective, Intuitive, Emotional -Gray inspires you to contemplate—the same way you may feel a bit down on a cloudy day (which is why raincoats are yellow). Be careful with gray. It’s advantages are that it promotes thought and emotion, but that includes sadness and loneliness. Many famous poets and writers have been known to retreat to overcast locations to write, like Seattle. If you want to use gray, use a warm tone and mix in some brighter colors.
Brown – Earthy, Grounded – Brown is the color of our earth, which makes it a great choice for a nursery. However, brown is also the color of, er, other things, so use with caution. Go with a dark chocolate brown or a very light beige/tan. Avoid any of the middle shades as they can tend to look, well, poopy.
Black – Authoritative, Powerful – Black is another color to use in moderation. It is strong and dark. Make sure to use in a room with big windows and lots of natural lighting. Black should be used as an accent color—black walls are a nightmare to repaint!
Monochrome Modern Nursery by Marley Chambers
There is an endless amount of information on color out there. If you’re planning your baby room colors, take a few minutes and do a little research. After all, your baby will be in this room until you decide to repaint.
See more: Gray Nurseries, Blue Nurseries, Pink Nurseries
We had exactly the same. Funny!
We went all red on the nursery. It was finished before we did any research on the subject. After reading how red may bring out a volatile personality trait, understandably we were worried. Too late to do anything we proceeded with red.
After one year our son is calm, patient and so very happy. Everyone who spends anytime with him comments on how content and quiet he is. He’s an absolute joy!
Is it okay to have a pink nursery for a baby boy?
[…] an infant to sleep around. Instead, use the advice in this article, using red in small doses as an accent color only. Stimulation is wonderful and essential; you just don’t want to have too much of it in a sleeping […]
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[…] place, which can help you to choose what direction you want to go in. Also, seeing the different color options and style possibilities all in one place can be a really helpful part of the planning […]
Is it okay to have a pink nursery for a baby boy? Pink is my favorite color, and I think pink looks equally cute on both genders. I don’t have children, but when I do, there is a possibility that they might all be boys. However, I would still like a pink nursery. Many different colors were mentioned, but pink was the only one where gender was mentioned.
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[…] Think about a theme of dinosaurs, angels, pastel hues, cars, or fairytales. These themes will help you select the colors for the walls, the stencils that you might want to apply, and the mural that you might want to create. A theme […]
[…] How Color Affects Your Baby – Project Nursery […]
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Babies are scientifically 100% colour blind until the third month of their life. They don’t care about how warm and welcome you feel with the oranges. They don’t care how apathetic and poetic you feel about grey’s.
People who pick black and white, are people who are choosing to not overwhelm their babies with colour. Imagine being colour blind for your whole life and then hit with insane colours you’ve never seen before, and be expected to focus on anything, and then the bigger humans get mad not knowing why you just cannot or will not sleep.
Babies also aren’t capable of seeing in 3D until usually their 4th month. Which is why high contrast is incredibly important. Simple patterns with such bold contrasts of black and white allows them to clearly define images from a younger age, especially with various textures. Not only is this just for stimulation, you’re teaching your child even earlier, about depth perceptions and spacial sense, making it easier for them to follow moving objects.
It’s not just about how we feel in a babies nursery, with our years of bias on how each colour makes us feel… it’s about trying to give them a jump start allowing them to not only be able to focus, but to relax them in a way that is smooth transitioning from your uterus to the world outside.
In case anyone’s wondering, the first colours they see is reds, then green, blue, purple and brownish yellows. And colours like pinks and yellows can’t even be seen until roughly the same stage of development as their language centres begin to develop.
Thanks admin for sharing this infomative post.
[…] Colors can affect differently on the baby. Click here to know more. So colors that we choose for swings in this list are friendly colors like baby blue, […]
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[…] such as blue can stimulate baby’s attention and make it more difficult for them to sleep, while colours such as orange and red can calm them […]
[…] parents have already chosen the color and theme of their baby’s nursery. So may I suggest that it would be wise to consult them when […]
My wife and I are expecting our first child, and we are looking for ideas to decore the nursery room. It was well said that orange promotes a welcoming feeling and reservations at ease. We will consider your ideas and contact a painter to help us paint the room faster.
[…] Colors affect babies in many different ways. You can use this fact to your advantage. Alternatively, you can choose something that matches their room to create a warm and welcoming environment. […]
[…] fabric, but they also come in a range of beautiful soothing colors and designs to pick from. Certain colors are known to soothe babies more than […]
[…] be too lively and keep the baby from settling. Project nursery did a really interesting piece on how colour can affect your baby’s mood which is well worth a […]
[…] simplest way of creating a soothing environment for your baby is by choosing a calming wall colour, such as a warm shade of green, blue or lavender. Avoid painting the entire room in bright colours […]
[…] fabric, but they also come in a range of beautiful soothing colors and designs to pick from. Certain colors are known to soothe babies more than […]
[…] Opracowując charakterystykę tego koloru nieźle się uśmiałam, dlatego pozwolę sobie przetłumaczyć fragment, który znalazłam w jednym ze źródeł: […]
[…] of the theme you prefer to have in your nursery, as this can determine the colors, shapes, and types of toys the […]
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[…] Visual Appeal: Another factor to consider is the visual appeal of the play mat to both you and your baby. The last thing you want is your main play center being an eyesore. Even worse, if it isn’t visually stimulating for your baby they may not show much interest in it. We suggest checking out this article by ProjectNursery.com titled How Color Affects Your Baby. […]
[…] of the theme you prefer to have in your nursery, as this can determine the colors, shapes, and types of toys the […]
Me and my husband are have been thinking to painting our baby room. I suggest him we can paint these with some light colors. What do you suggest about this? Thanks in advance for giving me the clarification.
[…] an das Thema Sie bevorzugen es, in Ihrem Kinderzimmer zu haben, da dies die Farben, Formen und Arten von […]
[…] How Color Affects Your Baby – Project Nursery […]
[…] How Color Affects Your Baby – Project Nursery […]
[…] How Color Affects Your Baby – Project Nursery […]
[…] Spare rooms are usually not known for oozing personality, which is why colour is the first step to take when changing a dull bedroom into one that is exciting and suitable for children. Long gone are the days of pink for a girl, blue for a boy or yellow if you are uncertain. […]
[…] little research and I found a great article on how color effects your baby…. You might love […]
[…] an das Thema Sie bevorzugen es, in Ihrem Kinderzimmer zu haben, da dies die Farben, Formen und Arten von […]
[…] How Color Affects Your Baby – Project Nursery […]
[…] How Color Affects Your Baby – Project Nursery […]
[…] How Color Affects Your Baby – Project Nursery […]
[…] How Color Affects Your Baby – Project Nursery […]
[…] an das Thema Sie bevorzugen es, in Ihrem Kinderzimmer zu haben, da dies die Farben, Formen und Arten von […]
[…] the psychology of colors, people have come up with color patterns perfect for a nursery. You can combine this with drama imposed by modern trends and carefully use accents and contrasts. […]
I found out we’re having a little boy a week ago and thinking about how to paint his nursery stresses me out! I wanna do something not too generic but I’m not a fan of super bright or neon colors.
[…] time in a room and what its main purpose will be. For example, if you’re painting a nursery, green is a great color option because it promotes calmness, thinking, and […]
[…] Color has profound effects on both the space and, more importantly, the brain and moods of your little one. You can read more about the effects and some interesting ideas on the ProjectNursery site here. […]
[…] Always choose calm and nurturing colors. When they get older, kids start having their own ideas about their bedroom, so use this time to choose something that will make you feel relaxed. Mums need calm more than anything because of the demands of a newborn. Here is a good blog on how the colours impact on your child. […]
[…] The general findings are that green is the best colour for your child. Green has a calming, refreshing and nurturing effect. It promotes thinking and concentration and is the best colour for a learning environment. (Project Nursery) […]
My wife and I are expecting our first baby in 8 months and we were just discussing what to paint the baby room. I suggested green and she thought grey. When I found this article, we both agreed that green would be better.
My cousin and his wife painted their baby room a decade ago bright yellow, bright red and bright blue. They said they wanted an exciting and creative environment for their child. Turns out it might have encouraged his aggressive behavior that he exhibited untilt they moved away from that house three years ago.
[…] What is the existing furniture and colors? Your goal is to create a unified space that is aesthetically pleasing. Be sure to consider these elements before choosing any art for the walls. Do you plan to change the colors or other elements of a room? If you are planning to make changes, then knowing that will make it easy for you to match the colors or fabrics to the art to ensure a cohesive look. […]
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[…] Paint can be an expressive form of decoration. If you have a baby girl painting the crib pink would give it a girly theme and would also add some life to the crib. You can also paint the crib according to your bedrooms matching the theme or any color that you would want for your kid to grow with. […]
[…] colours in your children room can influence them in different ways, check this article explaining the effect of colours. But independently of the colours you can chose to decorate the […]
We went all red on the nursery. It was finished before we did any research on the subject. After reading how red may bring out a volatile personality trait, understandably we were worried. Too late to do anything we proceeded with red.
After one year our son is calm, patient and so very happy. Everyone who spends anytime with him comments on how content and quiet he is. He’s an absolute joy!
[…] in there sleeping from day one, I imagine they will be in there for at least a change of bum. The colour of the nursery wall may affect how your baby feels believe it or not. Not that they can see colour for weeks […]
[…] and stuff that you stored there. Once the room is completely empty, repaint the walls and ceilings. Fresh paint will do wonders in preventing mold and bacteria from forming. If you’re preparing the room for […]
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[…] is clearly not on Alice in Wonderland, but I had to sneak her in there somehow. And according to this post by Project Nursery painting a room gray requires some fun pops of color throughout the rest of the […]
[…] style nursery, as it’ll blend in to any colour scheme without clashing. Research suggests that different colours can have different effects on your baby, from the cosy atmosphere of orange to the energetic sunniness of yellow. So get creative and […]
[…] mean primary colours, it’s just any strong shades in any combination you like. This post on Project Nursery was a really interesting starting point to know what personality traits can be brought out in your […]
[…] time in a room and what its main purpose will be. For example, if you’re painting a nursery, green is a great color option because it promotes calmness, thinking, and […]
I found out we’re having a little boy a week ago and thinking about how to paint his nursery stresses me out! I wanna do something not too generic but I’m not a fan of super bright or neon colors. The room we have for him is currently lilac and pink, I want it to fit a more gender neutral feel. Any color scheme suggestions?
brown is not “poopy”, there are brown people, just think is not nice to read something like that of your skin color.
[…] They’re also not dexterous enough to play games than require hand-eye coordination. Instead, bright colours and interesting textures will be what captures and keeps their […]
The grey and yellow is my least fav and they are going to have one upset baby! Never use yellow for babies – they hate it! http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-03-15/news/9201240411_1_pale-blues-carlton-wagner-color-research
Elke I absolutely love the idea of what you have done, I’m having a little boy and decided I wanted to do a beach themed room, you saying how well your room went has really made me feel like mine will go down well too so thank you
[…] First, make sure you pick the right color for a baby boy’s room decor. Project Nursery has a great article on how color affects your baby. […]
Where is the grey rug with the white accent design from?
My daughters room is all aqua. Her carpet is a deeper shade of Aqua. So for her nursery I went for an underwater theme and decorated with fish and mermaids (not Disney little mermaid, but think whimsical artwork) and pink and green accents. I have an oversized white fur floor rug too. Her older brother lives hanging out in her room! It’s very calm. Blue works for boys and girls. Hey, the sky is blue and the ocean is blue and they work for everyone, right?
[…] dan zullen de kleuren van de babykamer er echt niet de grootste invloed op hebben. Maar, ik las dit artikel op http://www.projectnusery.com en vond het wel interessant. Sowieso zijn de foto’s leuk om inspiratie op te doen. Voor het […]
[…] [3] How Color Affects Your Baby http://projectnursery.com/2010/03/how-color-affects-your-baby/ […]
[…] these colors, such as blocks or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. On the same note, if the child loves the colors blue and red, Spiderman and Superman are two options that will work perfectly. Of course, you can […]
You guys gotta check out Lolly&Me Inc. The cribs they offer are amazing. Great new line of COLOR ME cribs offering unique bright colors. They also have a made in the USA line exclusive to target.com.
Lastly they just launched a UDESIGN line where you can actually create and design your own crib.
They do it right
[…] can learn more about how colors affect you and then you can decide which color scheme you want for your baby off […]
[…] this useful! It turns out, different colors in the nursery can actually have an impact on baby. (Read more about that here!) We both want to keep things fairly reasonable – just because it’s a girl nursery […]
I’m not sure if I completely agree with this article. I don’t think color has anything to do on how a child will develop. IMO- start out with a neutral color and wait to decorate your child’s room with the their favorite color. Their choice may surprise you. My son a lively and happy little boy chose a bluish grey and my daughter, the princess that she is, went with a beautiful lavender with pops of pink. Their playroom is decorated with their artwork on light tan walls with pops of rainbow colors.
[…] The color you choose for your walls sets the tone for the entire nursery. Do you want a room that’s soothing and relaxing, or one that’s bright and cheery? You and your baby will be spending a lot of time in the nursery, so grab a few paint swatches and think about the atmosphere you want to create. It’s also helpful to know how color affects your baby. Read up on color theory and how to choose the right paint color for your nursery. […]
[…] The color you choose for your walls sets the tone for the entire nursery. Do you want a room that’s soothing and relaxing, or one that’s bright and cheery? You and your baby will be spending a lot of time in the nursery, so grab a few paint swatches and think about the atmosphere you want to create. It’s also helpful to know how color affects your baby. Read up on color theory and how to choose the right paint color for your nursery. […]
[…] The color you choose for your walls sets the tone for the entire nursery. Do you want a room that’s soothing and relaxing, or one that’s bright and cheery? You and your baby will be spending a lot of time in the nursery, so grab a few paint swatches and think about the atmosphere you want to create. It’s also helpful to know how color affects your baby. Read up on color theory and how to choose the right paint color for your nursery. […]
[…] The color you choose for your walls sets the tone for the entire nursery. Do you want a room that’s soothing and relaxing, or one that’s bright and cheery? You and your baby will be spending a lot of time in the nursery, so grab a few paint swatches and think about the atmosphere you want to create. It’s also helpful to know how color affects your baby. Read up on color theory and how to choose the right paint color for your nursery. […]
[…] The color you choose for your walls sets the tone for the entire nursery. Do you want a room that’s soothing and relaxing, or one that’s bright and cheery? You and your baby will be spending a lot of time in the nursery, so grab a few paint swatches and think about the atmosphere you want to create. It’s also helpful to know how color affects your baby. Read up on color theory and how to choose the right paint color for your nursery. […]
[…] The color you choose for your walls sets the tone for the entire nursery. Do you want a room that’s soothing and relaxing, or one that’s bright and cheery? You and your baby will be spending a lot of time in the nursery, so grab a few paint swatches and think about the atmosphere you want to create. It’s also helpful to know how color affects your baby. Read up on color theory and how to choose the right paint color for your nursery. […]
[…] The color you choose for your walls sets the tone for the entire nursery. Do you want a room that’s soothing and relaxing, or one that’s bright and cheery? You and your baby will be spending a lot of time in the nursery, so grab a few paint swatches and think about the atmosphere you want to create. It’s also helpful to know how color affects your baby. Read up on color theory and how to choose the right paint color for your nursery. […]
To anyone worried about their baby’s room looking “too girly” or “too boyish,” don’t worry about it! Your baby isn’t going to care what colour you make their nursery, they’re too busy learning about the world and most of them don’t care about how pink or blue you see them :) So don’t worry about being too masculine with a girl or too feminine with a boy, they know who they are
[…] alone will help time pass quickly! Since there are so many decisions to be made — from nursery colors, and styles to furniture and accessories — you’ll have fun exploring nursery […]
[…] bedroom or playroom color choice affects your child. For example, green is one of the best colors to use in a learning environment. […]
[…] more information on the impact of different colors, check out the article here on Project […]
[…] it in in small doses like stripes or just below a chair rail. (Check out Project Nursery for how color affects your baby and more on color psychology at […]
[…] out this article, “How Color Affects Your Baby” for nursery paint […]
such fun to see your color translations! Thanks
Awesome article, thanks for the info.
Why can’t a girl’s room be blue? I personally don’t understand this adult need to draw gender lines with such arbitrary things like colors and patterns. Babies don’t recognize such differences, and parents shouldn’t teach or encourage them.
Shut up
this is bullshit
[…] We wrote a post a while back about how color affects your baby, but this time we want to talk about how color affects you. There is a lot of research covering […]
[…] This article will explain how different colors affect your baby’s moods. And while you’re thinking about summer baby projects, check out this adorable afghan. […]
Thanks for the help, my painters used green and it came out great.
[…] If you are having trouble deciding on color for your nursery, this is another great article. […]
[…] Photo Credit: http://projectnursery.com/2010/03/how-color-affects-your-baby/ […]
Nice complete analysis. If you liked that you might find this funny
http://michaelekelley.com/2012/10/05/pretty-in-yellow/
Have a sunny day!
We are going with a green wall, and LOVE the tree decal on the wall in the ‘green’ photo.
Where can we get one of those?
I just painted my 9 mo. old a almost lime green color and my husband and mom kept telling me it will agitate the baby, tks so much for such a great article. I will keep my green wall ;)
[…] going to be a parent and you’re planning everything from the nursery wall color to the crib accessories so that your baby grows into the smartest and brightest they can be. […]
[…] Read the full post here: Project Nursery […]
I did an aqua/blue for my daughter’s room and her bedding had hibiscus flowers with pinks, corals, and greens. It was one of my favorite rooms!
Thanks for all the ideas! You’re absolutely right, the shade can make a difference! Juna, that’s a fun group of colors for your toddler’s room :)
I am now working on my daughters new toddlerbedroom, she turns 2 in a week. I was thinking about using lime green and pink for her walls, and adding a bit of yellow and blue to the mix. This article has made me stop doubting if these are the right colours!
Thanks, J
If you choose a light aqua blue (think Tiffany’s) or a violet blue like periwinkle, the room will definitely feel more feminine. If you want to stay with a straight light blue, pair it with a more girly accent color like magenta. I also love the idea from LaLaFin of adding florals to the mix!
-Naomi
Little Crown Interiors
I think you could pull off blue if you add in some floral prints…Maybe think along the lines of Beach Property instead of Beach Nautical? Just an idea :)
I have a little girl on the way and we’re trying to figure out paint colors right now. We want her room to have that open beachy kind of feel. Naturally we thought blue when going with a beach theme, but I’m afraid of it looking like a boy’s room. Any tips on complimentary colors so we can have that serene blue feel, but still keep it gender neutral?