The 30 Best Colors for Kids’ Rooms

Your child’s bedroom is their sanctuary, and the right color can go a long way toward making their room feel like home. But if you’re trying to choose a color for a bedroom, it can be hard to know where to begin. Below are some ideas to help you start brainstorming.

Kids’ Room Color Ideas

Here’s a list of the best colors for kids’ rooms.

1. Sky Blue

Sky blue and pink children's room with a desk and toys.

Lots of kids love bright, cheerful colors. Sky blue has an energetic and youthful appeal, but it’s cool enough to not be overstimulating. It excels as a wall color, and you can even pair it with other pastels as shown in the photo.

Sky blue also looks great with white, and some parents even choose to paint white clouds on the walls of their child’s room. But if you’d rather paint the walls another color, sky blue is also a great shade for quilts, rugs, and bedspreads.

2. Lime Green

Children's room decorated in lime green colors.

Lime green is another cheerful color you often see in children’s rooms. Generally speaking, most interior designers suggest using bright colors like this one in small doses. But in a child’s room, it’s more common to see larger amounts of brighter colors. 

One common design strategy is to combine lime green with another color. The pictured room does this well. As you can see, it incorporates both lime green and blue in various shades and saturations. White curtains and pale wooden flooring help prevent the overall palette from becoming too overwhelming. Of course, blue isn’t the only color that looks nice with lime green. Try pairing it with pink, orange, or even electric purple! 

3. Sunny Yellow

Baby bedroom with sunny yellow walls.

Yellow is a pretty, unisex color that’s a great choice for baby rooms. Pastel yellow is a common choice, but as the pictured room illustrates, brighter and more saturated shades work well if you want something with a little more energy.

Like many bright colors, yellow can sometimes feel like too much if it’s used to paint every wall in a room. It’s a good idea to start with an accent wall and add more if necessary. You can also create a layered look by incorporating various softer shades of yellow throughout the room. Lampshades, sheets, bedspreads, and rugs are all good choices.

4. Taupe

Stylish Scandinavian kid room with taupe walls.

Taupe might sound far too dull for a child’s room. But if you’re a fan of Scandinavian-style interiors, it makes the perfect canvas for a palette of layered neutrals. Taupe is a wonderful wall color, especially if you’re looking for something more nuanced than the more typical beige. Try including pale wooden furniture, cream-colored rugs, and white wall trim. If you want to sprinkle in some non-neutral colors, soft and gentle shades add some visual interest while still maintaining a serene mood.

5. Cobalt Blue

Young girl reading book in stylish bedroom with cobalt blue walls.

Various shades of blue will work well in virtually any room in your home. If you’re looking for a bold color scheme for your child’s room, try building a palette around cobalt blue. It’s a deeper and more unusual shade than sky blue. As you can see in the pictured bedroom, it makes a dramatic choice of wall color in a room that is otherwise mostly white.

Cobalt still looks good in smaller doses. It’s also especially striking when patterned with white. Try including a white bedspread, cobalt blue pillows, and a white and cobalt rug in a mostly-white room. Patterned wallpaper is also a great choice.

6. Soft Pink

Children's bedroom with soft pink colors.

Lots of young girls choose pink as the main color for their bedrooms. Softer shades are a versatile choice: they’re easier on the eyes than hot pink, and they pair surprisingly well with a variety of other colors. Soft pink walls and white wooden furniture come together to create a wonderfully youthful palette. You might even add in some string lights for an extra-dreamy aesthetic!

Alternatively, if you want a more grounded, high-contrast look, soft pink also looks good with black. This combination can become garish if it’s used too heavy-handedly, so be sure to start small! Try black furniture and a black and white rug in a kid’s room with pink walls. If black seems too dark, gray is a great middle ground.

7. Olive Green

Child's bedroom with camping theme and olive green walls.

Olive green will bring an outdoorsy vibe to your child’s room. Some shades of olive are even close enough to brown to work like neutrals. But green-leaning olives like the one pictured tend to have a more youthful energy.

In more subdued spaces, olive usually mixes well with taupe, beige, and other earthy neutrals. But in a child’s room, it does well when paired with contrasting colors like orange or yellow. In color schemes like this, be sure to include enough white to break up the colors and add some light.

8. Tangerine Orange

Yellow and orange accessories in modern teen room.

Most designers would advise you to use tangerine orange with caution. That’s generally good advice, but this playful color is a welcome addition to a child’s room. If you’re concerned about orange becoming too high-energy for a child’s sleeping space, try including it as an accent color in a palette full of cool neutrals. Soft shades of gray are good for this.

Alternatively, you can take the same neutral palette and create a single orange focal point. A lively orange bedspread will pop against gray walls and/or beside a gray rug. If you want to add a touch more orange, a bright poster or other wall hanging will work well.

9. Cool White

Kid bedroom with bunk bed and cool white walls.

You might think cool white is too cold and commonplace to use as the main color for your child’s room. It certainly can be, but when used well, cool white can create a summery, nautical-inspired look.

If you want cool white to be the central color in your palette, the pictured room shows you a great way to do so. Blue printed sheets and a blue chair pop against white, and the dark brown chest grounds the look. If you think the room needs more blue, try adding some blue wall hangings, rugs, or even an accent wall.

10. Charcoal Gray

Modern bedroom for boy and girl with charcoal gray mountains painted on walls.

Charcoal gray has become a trendy color for upscale interiors, but it’s also great for decorating the walls of children’s bedrooms. You can use it as a solid wall color, but as you see in the example, charcoal gray can be used to create mountains or other fun designs on the walls.

Charcoal gray is also the ideal backdrop for pops of brighter, warmer colors. Red, yellow, or orange sheets or furniture create a dramatic contrast. As a bonus, charcoal gray is also roughly the color of chalkboard walls, a fun and unusual addition to any kid’s room!

11. Cardinal Red

Nice children's bedroom with Cardinal Red accent wall.

Red is a hot, high-energy color, so it might not seem like the best idea for a bedroom. However, when you balance it out sufficiently, bright red actually does well in a bedroom. If the red accent wall in the pictured bedroom is too much, you might consider including a red and white striped or patterned wall, quilt, couch, etc. 

Patterns with white can tone down red’s energy a bit, and they also have a classic look that’s perfect for a child’s bedroom. If you really want to play up the classic vibe, consider sprinkling in a few navy blue accents.

12. Bright Pink

Girl sitting on bed in room with pink rug and boxes.

Soft pastel shades of pink are a common choice for young girls’ bedrooms. But shades of bright pink create a more modern look, especially when you pair them with another bright color. The best way to do this is to include a proportionately small amount of each bright color. Break up the spots of color with plenty of white, and you have a dynamic yet balanced palette!

13. Spring Green

Kids' room with Spring Green walls.

Bright shades of green like spring green give any room a refreshing look. Spring green is an ideal choice if you want something a little warmer than mint but don’t want an overly dark color. This shade is gentle enough to use as a wall color throughout a room, too.

Naturally, spring green looks good with other springlike colors. The pictured bedroom is a great example of a successful palette. The soft shades of pink, yellow, and coral (along with enough white to break up the look) create a soothing environment. It’s perfect for helping your child wind down after a busy day at school!

14. Burnt Orange

Bedroom with burnt orange tones.

Burnt orange is a pretty popular color in the design world, but it’s probably not one you usually associate with a kid’s bedroom. But burnt orange is surprisingly versatile, and you can create interesting and modern palettes with it. Burnt orange looks especially great with shades of blue-gray, denim, and other muted shades of blue. It also partners well with gray and olive green.

The pictured bedroom successfully incorporates just about all of these colors into a striking minimalist design. Since the floor, walls, and ceiling are all cooler shades, they help balance out burnt orange’s warmth.

15. Dusty Rose

Dusty rose bedroom interior for kid.

You might associate this subdued color with vintage aesthetics and older people. But dusty rose actually fits in very well in a room for a child! Just be sure the overall aesthetic of the room isn’t too staid. Youthful accents like the rainbow pillow and the flamingo poster shown are great additions.

Dusty rose also works surprisingly well in a Scandinavian-style room. Start by creating a light, layered palette with white and various shades of soft gray, taupe, and/or beige. Dusty rose is muted enough to fit into this color scheme. It works best if you include a few spots of dusty rose throughout the room, rather than in just one spot.

16. Mustard Yellow

Kid's bedroom with mustard yellow curtains.

Like burnt orange, mustard yellow isn’t often associated with kids’ bedrooms. But it forms a beautiful contrast with blue (especially blues with grayish undertones) to help you create a dynamic color scheme.

Mustard yellow looks great with saturated blues. But to make sure the palette has enough room to breathe, be sure to include a good amount of cool white. Try layering slightly different shades of mustard yellow and slightly different shades of blue for a more interesting look.

17. Pale Blue-Gray

Girl's room with pale blue-gray walls.

The word “blue-gray” covers several different shades. Some lean more blue, some lean more gray, and some seem to be a perfectly balanced mix of the two. Most shades of blue-gray (especially paler shades) work similarly to neutrals, and they also look great in palettes with a few other shades of blue, gray, or both.

Paler shades of blue-gray tend to fit in with a variety of aesthetics. Try pairing blue-gray walls with white furniture for a quaint, vintage-inspired look. Alternatively, you can create a modern color scheme with pale blue-gray and deep charcoal gray.

18. Sage Green

Kids' room with bunk bed and sage green walls.

Sage is one of the most popular colors in the design world right now. It’s earthy yet sophisticated, but it still works well in a child’s bedroom. If you want a more colorful, youthful palette, try pairing it with bright pink. You can also include shelves with stuffed animals or other kid-friendly accents.

Whimsical printed wallpaper is another way to make a sage bedroom calming yet fun. And if you want to create a relaxing, cocoon-like feeling, try painting both the walls and the ceiling in the same shade of sage.

19. Electric Purple

Kids' room with Electric Purple walls.

If your kid is a fan of bright colors, electric purple is a great choice. Despite the fact that it’s a cool color, it’s a high-energy shade with a lot of personality. Like other bright colors, electric purple can get overwhelming if it’s used too heavy-handedly. Using it as an accent wall color is a smart strategy. But if even that feels like too much, you could include a purple bedspread, rug, or an accent pillow. If you want to include something that really pops, try going for a 90s aesthetic with teal accents!

20. Warm White

Little girl's bedroom with warm white walls.

Warm white is great for adding some subtle coziness to a child’s room. It’s an effective base for Scandinavian decoration schemes, but it’s versatile enough to be used with just about any accent color you choose.

If you find warm white walls to be too plain, warmer shades of white also look nice when incorporated into patterns. Gray, sage green, soft orange, and various shades of blue all look great with warm white. Or if you like the look of black and white color schemes but find the contrast a little harsh, warm white with espresso brown is a great combination.

21. Seafoam Green

Bedroom with Seafoam Green tones.

Soft pastels always seem to be good choices for kids’ bedrooms. Seafoam green is somehow calming yet cheerful, and it works harmoniously with white and most other soft neutrals. If your child’s room has wooden furniture, try including pale wooden bedframes, bedside tables, etc.

In a palette that’s largely seafoam green, you have the option of including an accent color, too. You can lean into the cooler aesthetic with navy, cobalt, or other shades of blue. Alternatively, you can go with a pop of yellow or another warm color. As you can see in the photo, you can accomplish that easily with a couple of yellow accent pillows. 

22. Lavender

Girl's room with lavendar walls.

Lavender is a soft, soothing color perfect for little girls’ rooms. It’s a quiet purple shade with blue undertones, so it tends to pair well with other cool colors. Try pale lavender walls with sheer white curtains for a dreamy look, or energize the palette with some lime green. 

Lavender tends to look good with pale furniture, whether that’s white-painted wood or just wood finished with a very light stain. When lavender is used in a bedroom, you most often see it as a wall color. But even including a white bed with a lavender quilt in a room with white walls is a great way to start your palette.

23. Black

Kids bedroom with bunk bed and black and white stripes on wall.

Black probably sounds like a strange choice of color for a child’s bedroom. And while painting the walls black would probably be overkill, including black accents and patterns that feature black can be a great way to liven up a child’s room.

As you can see in the photo, there are a number of ways to incorporate black. Black and white striped or patterned wallpaper looks great, as do patterned rugs, sheets, and quilts. Don’t be afraid to mix and match; including a few different black-and-white patterns in a room is a great way to add visual interest without making the overall palette too chaotic.

24. Warm Gray

Stylish child's room with warm grey walls.

You don’t see warm shades of gray used as often as cool shades. But soft, warm grays impart a gentle energy that’s perfect for a younger child’s room. Warmer grays are surprisingly versatile. You can layer them into a Scandinavian-style color scheme or pair them with warm pastels.

Warm gray is also an effective backdrop for brighter, more saturated colors. If you want a warm, neutral wall color that isn’t beige, these shades of gray are worth a look!

25. Hunter Green

Posters on hunter green wall in girl's bedroom interior.

Dark shades of green have become a popular choice for living rooms. And though hunter green might seem like a grown-up color, it actually works nicely in children’s bedrooms. As you can see in the photo, the room has a delicate, youthful palette despite the dark walls.

Various shades of pink and coral form a beautiful contrast against hunter green. They do best with plenty of white as white opens up the room and offers a counterbalance to hunter green’s darkness. You don’t see this shade in a child’s room every day, but it’s a great way to create a truly unique kid’s room.

26. Peach

Interior of modern children's room with stylish bed with peach walls.

Peach is a lovely shade that sits somewhere between orange, beige, and pink. It’s warm but not overly so, so it’s ideal for making a child’s bedroom feel cozy and welcoming. You most often see peach incorporated as a wall color, but you can also incorporate a peach bedspread into a room with cream or warm white walls. If you want your child’s room to have a high-contrast palette, peach furniture really pops against emerald green walls.

Peach also can create different moods depending on the saturation. Bold, more saturated shades are reminiscent of summer, and more diluted shades have a springlike air. And of course, you can influence the mood of the room depending on the exact peach shade. Go for a quieter look with pink-leaning peach, or play up the warm energy with an orange-heavy shade.

27. Coral

Teenage girl's bedroom with coral interior.

Coral and peach are somewhat similar colors. But generally speaking, coral is closer to pink while peach is closer to orange. Brighter shades of coral look great when patterned with white, and they go beautifully with teal accents!

However, more diluted shades of coral can also be layered in a palette with various shades of pink. The pictured bedroom does this well. The pale coral bedspread looks right at home with blush pink pillows and a dusty rose wall.

28. Cherry-Finished Wood

White vintage bedroom interior with a cabinet made of cherry-finished wood.

Wood with a cherry finish has a distinctly different look from other wood tones. Its rich red undertones mean that it looks great with burgundy and other reddish shades. Though the pictured bedroom has a fairly minimalist aesthetic, it builds a cohesive palette around the cherry-finished furniture. Warm whites, distressed reds, and deep blues come together to create a look that’s vaguely Americana, but not overly so.

Cherry wood does well in a color scheme with a lot of white or other pale neutrals. Since it’s a powerful and somewhat dark finish, it can seem too heavy in a dark-walled room.

29. Cream

Classic kids' bedroom with cream walls.

If you like warmer whites but need something even warmer, cream is a great base color for a bedroom. It does well as a wall color. But if you’re concerned about it looking too unremarkable, go for a textured finish with white trim.

You can use cream in a gradient color scheme to create some real depth in your child’s bedroom. It looks nice with various shades of white, champagne, and beige. Depending on your child’s taste and personality, you might decide you want to add an accent color. Try various shades of blue or green. Cooler colors will help preserve this color scheme’s quiet appeal.

30. Slate

Gray mattress with colorful pillows.

Depending on the exact shade of slate you use, it might appear bluer or grayer. Deep shades of slate make a dramatic statement, and they’re great for a teenager’s bedroom. This is a great color for quilts, walls, and even furniture. But if you want to get creative, try a mottled, textured wall like the one in the photo. The hints of reddish pink prevent the palette from becoming overly cool, and the blue and purple pillows add a burst of color to keep things interesting.

What Is the Best Color for Your Kid’s Bedroom?

The right color choice for your child’s bedroom depends on so many factors: your child’s age, personality, interests, and more. Of course, the best way to choose a color for your child’s bedroom is to choose a color together!