Shades of Change: 3 Color Palettes for Growing Your Home

Preparing your home for children is one of the most exciting, stressful, scary, amazing and joyful times in life. That’s a lot of emotions to pack into that small spare room you’re converting into a nursery or playroom, and they’re all perfectly normal. Just don’t forget to have fun. We came up with three Glidden^® playroom palettes that play off these emotions. They’re bright, beautiful and (most importantly) kid-proof.

When you’re planning a child’s room, it’s especially important to use paint that’s washable, scrubbable and holds up to life’s messes. With that in mind, we used Glidden Diamond™ paint for its durability. Because let’s face it: Your future includes walls covered in grape juice and crayon marks, and preparing for it now means easier cleanup later.

Each playroom palette is colorful and playful, but flexible enough to adapt to your child’s personality as they grow up. Take a look at the three, then vote on your favorite below. At the bottom, you’ll see which look Maxwell chose, too!

Background: Blue Cloud 29 BB 75/065
Accent: Orange Tiger Lily 28YR 29/561
Best For: Balanced rest and play

By pairing calming Blue Cloud with energetic Orange Tiger Lily, this palette creates a balanced environment for rest and play. A light gray shade with a blue undertone sets a neutral foundation that looks great with natural wood and white furniture. Orange adds a little lift of happiness and allows you to play with animal accents, from foxes to lions, tigers and bears. Oh, my…cute overload!

Background: Iced Purple 03RB 63/122
Accent: Sublime Lime 90GY 83/114
Best For: Sophisticated softness

An alternative to pink, Iced Purple walls feel sophisticated but still soft. Because it’s on the warm side, it pairs well with woods and natural materials. For a fun retro accent, use pale green trim like Sublime Lime. It’s unexpected but still feels familiar, like a favorite print from a childhood blanket. This is a look that will grow with your child, even after the toddler toys are packed away.

Background: Citrus Punch 13YY 60/475
Accent: Bermuda Bay 90GG 51/211
Best For: Fresh, fun style

Part of what makes decorating a child’s room so much fun is the chance to be a little brighter and bolder. This cute color combination pairs walls in Citrus Punch, a warm earthy orange, with crisp Bermuda Bay blue trim. It’s a fresh palette designed to inspire creativity and play through high-contrast colors, which very young children respond to. Plus, it looks great with durable materials like solid wood, a natural woven rug and easy-to-clean kids’ furniture.

Start Fresh

“Iced Purple is a color to grow up with. The color is bright and welcoming for a newborn. Switch in black-and-white or even bohemian accessories to freshen the room for a toddler room. Glidden Diamond holds up to repeated scrubbing – as a dad I can tell you that’s important.”

–Maxwell Ryan, founder of Apartment Therapy

^{This post is sponsored by Glidden.
Thank you for supporting the brands that make Apartment Therapy possible.}