A child’s bedroom should be a blank canvas in which to develop their own personality, relax, sleep, study and play. Whilst there are the practical decisions to make when designing your child’s bedroom such as which type of bed and bedroom furniture based on the child’s physical needs, there are also décor decisions to decide upon too.
It's a good idea to encourage children to explore their interests, likes and dislikes without being unnecessarily bound by the rules of colour and gender stereotyping, so keeping their rooms gender neutral can be a useful vehicle in this subject matter.
Let them develop their own personality and style when it comes to their living environment.
- Easily said of course, but how can you actually encourage this, and how can you create exciting, gender neutral colour schemes in kids' bedrooms?
Let's start with a strong hue, red.
Red can be a bold colour, full of energy and enthusiasm. If used sparingly, it can go a long way in punctuating a wall, creating a focal point in a bedroom, and contrasting with white or pale grey furniture.
Deeper, richer reds offer a more sophisticated take on the colour, and are well suited to larger bedrooms and for older children.
Team with navy or grey for an upmarket, warm look.
Prints such as plaids and checks can create a cosy, autumnal vibe and help the look feel overall smart and not too themed. When teamed with dark blue beds and furniture, the same rich red has a very regal, upmarket look which would look fantastic in a more classic bedroom.
Reds that are toned more towards terracotta, rust and pinks are very in vogue currently, particularly when layered together with one another and mixed with different surfaces for texture and depth.
Whilst it’s predominantly known to be a cold colour and often associated with boys (why is that?!), there are so many different shades of blue that can easily be utilised in both girls and boys bedrooms.
Soft, paler blues suit rooms for younger children, whilst Teal and Petrol work beautifully for older teen bedrooms.
Pair blue/green Petrol with Lime accessories for a fresh, punchy twist, and paint the woodwork (skirting and architrave) in the same colour as the walls for a more minimalistic, unfussy finish.
Coordinate deep, navy blues with soft dusky pink and blue for a cottage-style vibe that isn’t the obvious tonal palette. - Still totally dreamy though, wouldn't you agree?
Neutral colours are perhaps the easiest to use when creating a gender neutral space.
Often found in nature, neutral hues such as mushroom, beige and grey can often create a really calming space within which to add pops of brighter colours.
But beige needn’t mean boring …
This Spiced Honey colour by Dulux has been teamed with solid black on the lower third of the wall for a strong, iconic look. The honey colour brings a real warmth into this room, which is echoed through the bedding, and contrasts well with the white bunk bed in front. Punches of black help add contrast to the room.
Beige can make the perfect backdrop for a tonal bedroom. Accentuate and add an unexpected twist by adding pops of satsuma and cobalt blue for a modern take. Don’t be afraid to create unusual palettes in their bedroom, and have fun creating their own look.
The same bedroom space can look and feel very different just by swapping a few of the highlight colours. Below we’ve swapped out the orange and brown for more traditional blue and red for a stronger, bolder look that ties this pop-y retro theme together, and yet the room walls and floor are exactly the same. - It just goes to show how the smallest changes in detail can create the most dramatic effects in a room.
Which do you prefer?
Biscuit tones paired with rusty brown and mustard yellow create a harmonious, tonal palette that could easily sit in a gender neutral space.
When used together, this palette provides an inviting, homely feel that isn’t seasonal nor too themed.
Cool greys work well as a base colour for virtually any other colour on top.- There’s a reason Grey is still the favorite colour for bedrooms!
Team it with tropical brights for a vibrant look but without strong wall colours. Light, airy and flashes of strong colour pulled in through accessories; what’s not to love?!
The grey backdrop prevents the room looking and feeling too stark, and provides a lovely contrast to the white high sleeper bed in front.
For an iconic bedroom space, try creating a charcoal grey and white bedroom.The tiniest additions of beige add a little more interest to this space, and for a shared gender neutral bedroom, you could try letting each child pick their own highlight colour to really make their space their own.
Green is another fabulous gender neutral colour. It pairs beautifully with pink, brown and other greens in particular.
Though it has a strong tone to it, the warm spring green below adds just the right amount of strength to this room to contrast nicely with the grey panelling on the wall and the light grey bedroom furniture. It also adds a subtle modern feel to the otherwise traditional bedroom scheme. The green is pulled through some of the travel themed accessories for a grown up travel inspired space.
Green is another colour often found in the outdoors, and so it makes an ideal base for bedroom schemes such as travel, sports, and flora and fauna.
Softer, more muted greens add just a hint of colour amidst all the warm browns here. The navy blue and charcoal highlights add depth, and the addition of some geometric prints adds a modern edge to this otherwise traditional panelled bedroom.
Stronger, apple greens add a fresh appeal to a child’s bedroom and work really well for younger spaces. Combine with pops of primary colours to create a younger gender neutral bedroom.
And there you have it - a multitude of palettes ideas to help you perfect their gender neutral bedroom!
Happy styling! x
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