Pro designers offer best kid bedroom paint colors

When I was in third grade, I volun-forced my stepdad to paint my bedroom ceiling with a blue sky and puffy white clouds (he happily complied). Childhood bedrooms are made for creating your own little dreamland as you begin to dip your toes into the wider world. Now that I have kids, I realize that the full-nest period passes in the blink of an eye. That’s why designers encourage parents to go ahead and indulge them while you can.

“Going all out for kids’ spaces is really important,” said Maggie Griffin, a designer in Gainesville, Georgia. “I think it shows that they matter, that their spaces really matter. I want them to love where they are and be excited when they have people over or they walk into their room and it’s first set up.”

It’s a great opportunity to give your kid some agency. Even if it’s not a color you would choose, paint is a short-term relationship. “I don’t think it has to be a lifetime commitment — you will have to repaint in five years no matter what,” said Jess Knauf, a designer in Denver. “So might as well make it specific to wherever they are in their aesthetic choices at this phase of life.”

That said, you have to spend plenty of time in that room, too, so it’s OK to push back a bit on their whims; Ninja Turtle puce green isn’t for everyone.

Here, designers share paint colors that achieve the rare trifecta of designer, parent and child stamps of approval.

Benjamin Moore Sapphire Ice

“I try to let rooms reflect the kids’ personalities,” said Gideon Mendelson, a designer based in New York City. “I’m all for color, and I’m all for something a little more neutral if a kid needs that. Every kid’s a little different.”

In this bedroom, Benjamin Moore’s Sapphire Ice feels like a cloudless July sky. “This was a kid who loves planes, trains and automobiles, so to speak. So we went a little bit more playful there, a little more thematic,” he said. “The track on the ceiling was actually a plastic decal that you can remove. And we found these hubcap clocks that represent different time zones.”

Farrow & Ball Dead Salmon

Even for Farrow & Ball, a British paint brand famous for its unexpected color names, the idea of “Dead Salmon” shocks — and doesn’t exactly conjure sugar and spice and everything nice. Yet the earthy, deep pink color really spoke to designer Michael Hilal’s young client.

“For this dreamy girl’s room, we wanted to create a space that she could grow into,” Hilal, who is based in San Francisco, said in an email. Instead of going for a typical pink, they paired this shade with a bed in the same color and some lively art by Elise Ferguson for a decidedly grown-up look.

Benjamin Moore Silver Cloud

Knauf selected Benjamin Moore’s Silver Cloud for a young boy who loves Americana. “It just reminded me of the sky,” she said. “I think kids’ rooms should be light and airy and not too serious. And I thought it was complementary to the red, white and blue without being too serious at all.”

Pratt and Lambert Pink Puff

When designer Christine Markatos Lowe was searching for just the right shade of pink for a bedroom with lots of natural light, she settled on Pratt and Lambert’s Pink Puff. (Pratt and Lambert’s paint colors are now sold under Valspar’s label. Lowe says Valspar’s Shell Pink is the best match.) “This soft shade of pink bounces off the white ceiling color and gives the whole room a rosy glow,” the designer, based in Santa Monica, California, said in an email. “Rather than selecting a saturated color, this hint of pink does the trick and allows for more saturated tones in the fabrics and furnishings to pop against the wall.”

Benjamin Moore Antique Pewter

One of Griffin’s sons loves green, “but I really didn’t feel inclined to paint his room emerald green or Kelly green or grass green,” she said. “I found this cool shade of green-gray-blue that I felt like would really grow with him.” That color: Benjamin Moore’s Antique Pewter, which has long been one of her favorites. “I have used it in almost every client project in some way. … It’s the most beautiful shade of eucalyptus green that has green in there and blue depending on the light,” she said. “And I just loved that it gave the space so much more depth in the room.”

Benjamin Moore Shell Pink

Knauf went with Benjamin Moore’s Shell Pink in this bedroom for two “pink-obsessed” sisters, to coordinate with the paper doll dresses they made with their grandmother that hang on the wall. “It’s still subtle and glowy and charming without being Pepto Bismol,” she said. “It checked all the boxes for everybody.” Another sweet touch: Heirloom furniture from their great-grandparents’ home. “Those were the beds [her father] slept on as a child, and we recovered them to be more appropriate for these two very fun and active little girls,” Knauf said.

Benjamin Moore Brewster Gray

Griffin’s 8-year-old son “loves his dinosaurs,” she said. To create the perfect backdrop for displaying them, she went with Benjamin Moore’s Brewster Gray, a soothing shade of blue that felt a little more unexpected. “We see a lot of icy blues, pale blues, and then of course a navy,” she said. “This one just felt that much more exciting.”

Benjamin Moore Adriatic Sea

If you want to go bold, as in this room done in Benjamin Moore’s Adriatic Sea, consider using it in smaller doses. “I love a saturated blue, but in this little boy’s room I wanted a light, crisp quality to balance all the primary colors,” designer Caroline Kopp said in an email. “Painting the wall blue part way up the wall (stopping around eye level) and doing a clear white across the top of the space gives a brightness to the room and pops out the windows, which are also in blue.” The white — Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace — on the upper wall, crown molding and ceiling makes the ceiling feel higher, said Kopp, who is based in Westport, Connecticut. “You could use this approach to cut the intensity of any color you are looking at using,” she added. “I’ve also seen it done with two contrasting colors and it looks super cool that way too.”

Benjamin Moore Bright and Early

Knauf used Benjamin Moore’s Bright and Early to achieve a classic Americana look in this room shared by two brothers. “What’s more fun than red, white and blue, and some denim?” she said. “The paint color is not too babyish; I would use it in an adult room as well.” The trim, in Benjamin Moore’s Denim Wash, adds contrast.