Painting pointers for kids’ room makeovers
Start by rounding up little helpers
If giving your child’s room a makeover is part of your spring or summer DIY spruce up, no need to tackle the task yourself. Depending on your children’s ages, you’ve got a ready-made workforce to help prep, paint and primp.
Involving kids in the creative process not only keeps them focused during the summer, but gets them excited for the new school year, said Alison Goldman, brand manager for CIL paint, a brand of PPG Architectural Coatings.
“What’s more, when kids take ownership of a project, no matter what their age, they will value and respect the finished project a lot more.”
Paint is one of the simplest ways to revive a room. Goldman offers these tips to get you started: Do some research. Let kids browse through magazines and bookmark pictures of rooms they like. Look for common elements or colour themes to get a good guide for your project and ensure the room reflects your child’s personality. Get clued into colour. When reviewing colour swatches, remember that colour affects mood and behaviour.
Some, like greens and lilacs are soothing; others, like bright oranges and yellows raise tempers. Practise the ABCs (A Basic Colour scheme). Limit the colour palette to two or three, starting with a neutral ceiling and floor. Paint a focal wall in a dramatic colour, and use a muted shade on the other walls.
Add bedding and accessories in bright accent tones. Be playful. Themes like racing cars, sports, animals, flowers and cartoon characters keep the kid-friendly factor high.
Older kids might prefer a theme around their hobby like music, travel or fashion. Break the rules. For finishing touches, add unusual accents such as a brightly coloured rubber boot as a plant pot, or a hockey stick as a curtain rod.
Attach glow-in-the-dark constellations to the ceiling or create a feature wall with old vinyl albums.