School Colors A Novel Way To Decorate Kids' Rooms

If you're lucky, the colors of the school or college your child attends (or is aspiring to) will be attractive enough to make for a nice paint color scheme on walls and woodwork.  In that event, you can immerse your child in his or her school colors.

There are several ways to proceed.  You could apply one color to the walls, the other to the woodwork and trim.  Or, apply the color you or your child likes best to three of the walls and reserve the second hue for an accent wall.  If you're ambitious, consider applying school colors in alternating stripes on one or more of the walls.  Another possibility is painting a paneled door in an appropriate pattern. 

But those who select school colors (boards of supervisors, and the like) are not always kind to design.  What if the traditional colors of your child's school look better at a pep rally than in a bedroom or den?  You still have options, says Calderaio:

One idea is to paint just a single piece of furniture in school colors.  It's a way to pay homage to the home team, without totally compromising your aesthetic. 

When the colors are applied to a desk or study area, it serves as a constant reminder that the books matter more than baseball, basketball, or baton twirling.  As a bonus, should your child move on campus, the colorful desk could go to the dorm, where it will be completely at home.

If you just can't see the school colors as part of your interior, you can always "take it outside" -- not by fighting about it with your child, but by regaling deck chairs or other outdoor furniture with the proud colors of the institution your son or daughter is attending.    

There are lots of other possibilities, too:  Painting the mailbox, where your child's acceptance letter and grades will make their appearance; painting a fence to delineate your yard as school "turf"; or raising a painted banner in celebration of acceptance, graduation, or simply as an expression of school spirit and pride.

Whatever you decide, opting to paint in school colors may offer a hidden benefit, says Calderaio:  "With a little coaxing, you might just be able to convince your kid to do the painting, while you supervise."  Now that's an idea worth celebrating! 

For more interior painting ideas, as well as step-by-step instructions on the proper way to paint furniture, visit the Paint Quality Institute online at blog.paintquality.com.

SOURCE Paint Quality Institute