Play around with colour for fun children’s bedroom schemes

Children relish having their own bedroom to play, read and sleep in and will likely want to make their mark with colour on the walls, floors and furnishings given half the chance.

While the traditional 'pink for girls and blue for boys' is still popular in nurseries and babies' rooms, older children are more likely to go for a stand-out bold colour, which really reflects their personality.

Luckily, a child's bedroom is the perfect room in the house to really have some fun. Be it with additional themes such as blues and reds of marvel bedrooms or even bright yellow Minion bedrooms, the right colour scheme will make the room an inviting space to enjoy - and might even encourage homework (we can but dream...).

To avoid endless requests for re-painting every year, try and go for a block colour that will still be loved a few years on. You can add accessories to perk it up which can be changing regularly without breaking the bank.

Pop in some purple

Introduce whimsical and cheery purple to bring a sense of cohesion to a white space. Place a magnificent mulberry chair next to a minimalist iron bed; it's perfect for story time and instantly draws the eye to make a great focal point. Enhance the rich tones with a vibrant print and a vase of simple hydrangeas on the mantel. Add kitsch cushions for additional pops of colour.

Balance pink with grey

Create a contemporary bedroom for an older child with soft grey and hot pink. Start with a simple white bed and layer with trendy cloud motif textiles and textures. Give the space personality with cheerful fuchsia pink; such a vibrant shade only needs a few pops dotted around the room to change the dynamics. Keep the room young with a white tent and sugar pink doll's house.

Give yellow a go

It’s quite common for little girls to like pink, but why not add some zing to the mix? Make a toddler bed a statement piece with happy yellow. Channel pink into patterns, such as polka dots and checks, rather than plains and limit it to accessories - these can easily be changed once (or if!) your little one outgrows pink. Avoid the look becoming sickly by choosing white for walls.

Pretty up with patchwork

Mix bright fabrics and a deep olive green backdrop for an enlivening theme. Dress a plain daybed with a mismatched patchwork-patterned duvet cover and cushions. Introduce other elements of character, such as an Indian papier-mache animal head and homemade posters. Finish the gypsy style with a round rainbow rug and bright wooden instruments.

Add a fairytale flourish

Make the most of a conventional theme with fairytale features. Hang a corona and pom-pom-trimmed netting over a white wrought-iron bed to create a princess-like haven. Counteract sugary pink walls with bold check bed linen, creating a balanced and harmonious decorating scheme. Add grown-up elegance to high ceilings with a beautiful rose pendant light.

Go retro with red

Never let your child tire of bedtime with a Wild West theme in retro colours. Turn to the colourwheel by using an harmonious combination of red and green for this vibrant look little cowboys and cowgirls will adore. Place a red throw on a chunky oak bed to break up the busy pattern and pick out the adventurous tones.

Be modern with monochrome

Capture your baby’s attention with contrasting black and white. Start with a simple white cot and matching walls and then introduce black features using soft furnishings, such as a patterned rug and cushions. These versatile items can easily be replaced with vibrant accessories as your baby becomes a colour-seeking toddler. Keep the look friendly with a cheeky black bunny print.

Get the look
Buy now: Similar Whitman Hand-Woven Black/White Area Rug, £62.99, Safavieh at Wayfair

Be subtle with a theme

Combine colours and carefully chosen furniture to suggest a polar theme. Use the connection between cool blue and cold climates to fuel a sense of adventure. Choose a bed suggestive of a tent and add a voile throw. Accessorise painted wood floorboards with ice-blue rugs and an oversized cushion topped - of course - with a polar bear toy.

Colour code storage

Revamp reclaimed furniture in fabulous colours. Bring an air of schoolish play to a bedroom with a recycled locker painted in an array of bright shades. Children will love the cubby holes and it puts a unique stamp on the space. Point your compass towards fun with a giant map of the world to complete the carefree look.

Get the look
Buy now: Similar Antique Aged Map Wall Mural, £36 per m sq, Murals Wallpaper

Perk up pastels with pattern

Choose a powder-toned pastel as a gentle backdrop to your child's room - duck-egg blue, pastel pink and pale green all work beautifully. Contrast pale walls with a mix of patterns, all kept in check within a limited colour palette. Layer a traditional day bed with an inviting ditsy rose quilt for vintage charm and jolly up a tall chest of drawers with pretty handles.

Have we convinced you to add colour to your room?