There are so many exciting aspects of designing a baby nursery that it can be challenging to decide on exactly how to start. I suggest that you start by browsing the internet and magazines for inspiration. Find one thing that inspires you the most for your nursery. This "one thing" can be an adorable crib sheet, bumper or bedding set, or it can be a piece of art, furniture, or an accessory. When designing a nursery, my inspiration piece usually ends up being crib bedding because it is one of the most prominent elements in the nursery, it's a great inspiration for color, and, well let's face it, the designs of crib bedding these days are just adorable.
With your inspiration in hand, the next step to planning your baby nursery, is to select a color scheme. It's good to have about 5 colors in your palettes so that you have an assortment of colors to choose from to bring the whole room together. Your color scheme can be used for more than just wall and paint trim colors, it can also help you select coordinating artwork, accessories, and even drapery.
With your color palette selected, which one is your favorite in the bunch? A certain color may even work particularly well with your inspiration piece. You will want to select the color that you think would work best, and this will be your primary accent color for your nursery. Usually, the primary accent in a room is a non-neutral like pink, blue, green or even yellow.
Next, select the neutral colors that compliment your primary accent color. This will typically be a medium/light color that you would use on the main walls and a very light color that would be used on the trim and door. Use your accent color as a guide when selecting these colors as the tones in your accent color will dictate what undertones you should look out for in your neutral colors. For instance, if your accent color is pink, look for whites for your trim with either no undertones or with a slightly pink undertone.
The three colors that you have chosen make up your base for your color scheme. Now, you will want to choose 1 to 3 other colors or shades that compliment your base colors. This is where it is especially helpful to have used bedding as your inspiration source because often times there are other colors in the bedding that can inspire your next color choices. Let's use the example of your primary accent color being pink; if you had a pink accent color, and your neutrals were taupe and white, you might consider different tones of pink or brown for your other colors. If your accent color was pink and your neutrals were cream and white, you might look at greens or yellows for your other colors.
As I mentioned earlier, working with a paint fan deck and actual paint samples from your local paint or hardware store can help you through the process of selecting your colors. A great way to select your colors is to place a piece of bright white paper behind them to create a neutral surface. This way you will be able to see the tones of your paint swatches better and decide the amount of each color that you would like to use. For example, you may want to have white or cream walls with small accents of blue, green, or pink, or you may want to paint an accent wall blue and incorporate smaller amounts of the other colors.
An advanced color selecting approach is to follow a 60-30-10 color selection. This means that one color is used 60% in the room which can usually be the wall color. Another color is used 30% in the room which can typically be draperies, rugs, and furniture colors. The last 10% of the room includes accessories and artwork. A great way to keep your colors together and in proportion is to tape the backs together and display them on a mood board or in a folder. It's always a good idea to keep these colors handy as you will find yourself referencing back to them frequently!
You should pick your paint to tie into your bedding or central inspiration piece for the room. But many times during the process of designing your nursery your vision changes and your color palette needs to be adjusted. This is normal and why we suggest that you wait until you have selected all the key pieces of your nursery design before actually purchasing any paint.
And last of all, never be afraid to ask for the assistance of a professional when designing your color palette. It can always be challenging to select colors that work well together due to the difference in color undertones. Contact an interior designer or paint specialist to help you achieve your design goals.
With your inspiration in hand, the next step to planning your baby nursery, is to select a color scheme. It's good to have about 5 colors in your palettes so that you have an assortment of colors to choose from to bring the whole room together. Your color scheme can be used for more than just wall and paint trim colors, it can also help you select coordinating artwork, accessories, and even drapery.
With your color palette selected, which one is your favorite in the bunch? A certain color may even work particularly well with your inspiration piece. You will want to select the color that you think would work best, and this will be your primary accent color for your nursery. Usually, the primary accent in a room is a non-neutral like pink, blue, green or even yellow.
Next, select the neutral colors that compliment your primary accent color. This will typically be a medium/light color that you would use on the main walls and a very light color that would be used on the trim and door. Use your accent color as a guide when selecting these colors as the tones in your accent color will dictate what undertones you should look out for in your neutral colors. For instance, if your accent color is pink, look for whites for your trim with either no undertones or with a slightly pink undertone.
The three colors that you have chosen make up your base for your color scheme. Now, you will want to choose 1 to 3 other colors or shades that compliment your base colors. This is where it is especially helpful to have used bedding as your inspiration source because often times there are other colors in the bedding that can inspire your next color choices. Let's use the example of your primary accent color being pink; if you had a pink accent color, and your neutrals were taupe and white, you might consider different tones of pink or brown for your other colors. If your accent color was pink and your neutrals were cream and white, you might look at greens or yellows for your other colors.
As I mentioned earlier, working with a paint fan deck and actual paint samples from your local paint or hardware store can help you through the process of selecting your colors. A great way to select your colors is to place a piece of bright white paper behind them to create a neutral surface. This way you will be able to see the tones of your paint swatches better and decide the amount of each color that you would like to use. For example, you may want to have white or cream walls with small accents of blue, green, or pink, or you may want to paint an accent wall blue and incorporate smaller amounts of the other colors.
An advanced color selecting approach is to follow a 60-30-10 color selection. This means that one color is used 60% in the room which can usually be the wall color. Another color is used 30% in the room which can typically be draperies, rugs, and furniture colors. The last 10% of the room includes accessories and artwork. A great way to keep your colors together and in proportion is to tape the backs together and display them on a mood board or in a folder. It's always a good idea to keep these colors handy as you will find yourself referencing back to them frequently!
You should pick your paint to tie into your bedding or central inspiration piece for the room. But many times during the process of designing your nursery your vision changes and your color palette needs to be adjusted. This is normal and why we suggest that you wait until you have selected all the key pieces of your nursery design before actually purchasing any paint.
And last of all, never be afraid to ask for the assistance of a professional when designing your color palette. It can always be challenging to select colors that work well together due to the difference in color undertones. Contact an interior designer or paint specialist to help you achieve your design goals.
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