Choosing Your Nursery Colours

It is a well-known fact that colour affects mood and behaviour but should that have any impact on your choice of nursery colours? 

Various colours have been associated with improving sleep, increasing memory power, creating a calming environment, creating an active imagination and so on.   

The sheer amount of research and some rather fascinating results lead us to believe that it is worth understanding the impact of your colour choices.  

Red

Associated with high energy and excitement but also linked to aggression and over-stimulation, red should be used in moderation within a nursery setting.  

Orange

Friendly, warm and welcoming, orange is perfect for the odd nursery accessory but should be avoided as the primary shade as it can be over-stimulating.

Yellow

Known as a happy colour, lighter shades of yellow are deemed to be good for concentration.  Brighter shades however can over stimulate the brain and therefore should be kept to a minimum in a nursery to avoid irritating baby.  

Pink

Traditionally feminine and known to have an initial calming effect.  Bright pink can be distracting and even irritating so it makes sense to keep to lighter shades for large areas and only use stronger tones as accent colours.

Green

Symbolising nature, green is possibly one of the best options for a nursery.   Green shades are said to reduce anxiety and stress and can help to create a calming environment for a baby.  Some studies have even shown that green can help with developing reading skills!

Purple

A very royal colour that is associated with wisdom, spirituality and wealth.  Purple offers a sense of luxury and can be used very effectively to create a soothing environment.

Grey

Associated with emotion and thoughtfulness, grey can work well in a nursery as a base colour but ideally should be complemented by a different colour to prevent it from evoking sad and lonely feelings.  If using grey as your main colour, it is recommended that you use a warm shade.

Brown

An earthy colour, brown works well as an accent colour but too much of it will make the room depressing.

Blue

Subtle blues are cooling and calming and are ideal for little ones that struggle to sleep well or get to sleep.  Tantrum prone children are said to benefit from a blue environment.  Very dark shades are said to be depressing and should be used sparingly.  Very bright blues can be energising.

 White

Perhaps the most innocent of colours, white is a popular choice for a nursery.  An ideal choice for those who like to frequently change their décor as it can be teamed up with any other colour depending on the age stage and interests of the child.  (White is also very unforgiving when it comes to stain removal) 

Will you be bold with your choice or will you stick to a more traditional colour scheme?  We would love to hear what you ideas are. 

Check out our Pinterest boards, keep an eye on our blog for inspiration and feel free to throw some ideas at us – we love to get our creative juices flowing with our nursery mood boards!