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Painting Kids Rooms...
Awesome Room Painting Ideas

Painting kids rooms? Read these room painting ideas first!

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Are you planning to re-paint your child's bedroom? Wow. This is so exciting.

I love the instant freshness a new coat of paint gives to the entire room. Not to mention, a complete clean-up, because, of course, you are going to have to empty the room before you begin.

And choosing the new colors for the room...Ex-cit-ing!!

Do you know the best part of this project? There are soooo many options to choose from! Chalkboard paint, Magnetic paint, Glow in the Dark paint...and..oooh!...Glitter paint (my favorite).

Glow In the Dark Paint

Okay, so this is really beautiful but I don't know if I could get this look by myself. But if you have an artistic bent or plan to hire a mural designer, something magical like this is sure to appeal.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. 

1. How to choose the Right Paint Colors?

We have discussed this before. In a nutshell, you ask the kids for their input or gran their comforter and go for the palest color in it as the main bedroom color. 

The brighter colors should be used sparingly, either in the stenciled design (polka dots or pirate ship flags) or an accent wall.

One wide horizontal strip around the room can be a great backdrop for art display.

2. Understanding the Types of Paints

Interior paints come in Latex or Oil-based forms. The most popular are Latex paints as they are water-based, easier to apply and dry faster than oil based paints.

You should go for low VOC or non VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paints around your house and especially when painting kids rooms.

There are also different gloss levels to choose from : flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss and high gloss.

The most popular choice being eggshell or satin for the main walls and semi-gloss for the windows and doors.

Remember to paint the ceiling first, followed by the walls and finally the trim.

Painting the floor is another popular new trend and works especially well in the kids room. You have to use specially formulated , hardwearing floor paint only.

3. Faux Finishes for Texture

An excellent way of adding texture to the walls is by giving them a faux finish. 

  • An easy way is Color Washing - after your base color has dried, dip a soft cloth or sponge in a glaze mixture and go over the walls in a circular motion (as if you are washing the wall).

You can achieve the aged patina look by covering a dark glaze with a lighter glaze. 

Tip: Do opposite walls first to give each wall enough time to dry out.

  • Dry Brushing is another easy way to give your wall more character. After 2 base coats, dip just the tip of your brush (and dab out any excess paint), then paint at 45 degree angles. You can add 135 degree angles to achieve a different pattern.

You need to apply at least 2 more coats to soften the effect and highlight other areas.

Painting Kids Rooms - Geometric Faux Painting
  • My top favorite pick is more time consuming, but doesn't it look just awesome? Paint geometric shapes on the wall in different colors and you don't really need any other accessory in the room. 

You need to plan the layout in advance, tape off the different shapes, find yourself several rags (one for each color) and get yourself these yummy Metallic glazes.

There are many more types of paints and finishes  to choose from such as smooshing, sponging, strie and more. Whichever one you choose, the walls are sure to look amazing.

4. Choose a Specialty Paint

Painting kids rooms completely with these would not work, but if you placed them right, you would get a room that will be a magical and special place for your child.

  • Chalkboard Paint  - Paint a small area with chalkboard paint. You can even stencil in a design of your choice. Like one mom mentioned, if her daughter remembers some point in the middle of the night, she simply writes it on the chalkboard beside her bed and it is there for her when she wakes up!

Tip: Did you know that you can make chalkboard paint in any color? Head on over to 'A Beautiful Mess' for the simple tutorial.

For chalk dust manic's, it's Chalk Ink Pens to the rescue!

  • Magnetic Paint- Imagine having a ton of space for all those tiny magnets, not to mention the masterpieces they have to hold from your daily artists. Now imagine your fridge sporting a clean, no-magnets-on-it look. 

Tip: You do need to put several coats of the paint to actually get it to work. See how ScaryMommy has done it and her lessons learned the hard way!

  • Glitter Paint - Disney has created an entire range of specialty paints including Glitter Paints and Glow in the Dark paints. And they are exclusively available at Walmart. Add the sparkle while painting kids rooms to give them that extra oomph factor.
  • Glow In the Dark Paint  - We have already shown you how magical that can be!

What more is there to say? Paint is your best ally when painting kids rooms. We will leave you with an awesome bedroom reveal that will inspire you to head for that can of paint right away.

Kudos to mom Valerie on creating such a beautiful space for her daughters. Check it out at Making It Worthy!

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Hi, I am Richa and am super excited to see you here. I enjoy interior designing so much I went back to study it. Now armed with knowledge, passion and a vision to make 'happy homes', I hope this site will give you all the tools you need to make your kid's room happy too.   Read More...

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