35 Painting Ideas for Kids Room (Fun Tips You Can Use)
Kids’ rooms are so much fun to design. Their imaginations are so big and their minds are so open, that they really don’t have many limits when it comes to how many colors to use or even what style they want. However, kids are fickle, they might like Ninja Turtle Green today and Minecraft dirt brown tomorrow. And that princess mural that your 9 year old loved isn’t so cool once they turn 13. So how do you come up with cool paint ideas that will work with a variety of fads, and styles, and last a few years? Here are some tips on the trade for creating a cool look with paint.
Chalkboard Paint
Paint that is a multi-tasker is a good starting point. And there are many multi-tasking paints out there, the most popular are magnetic paint and chalkboard paint. Paint an entire wall in chalkboard paint, supply your kiddo with some chalk markers or paints, and watch them create a new masterpiece every day.
Make a calendar with some colorful washi tape so they can chalk in their sports schedules and homework assignments, making it easy for them to stay on task and organized. Younger kids might choose to draw dinosaurs or make menus for their pretend tea shop while older kids might try their hand at graffiti-styles or making study charts or wish lists.
If a whole wall of charcoal grey chalkboard paint is a bit much for you, create a faux chair rail and just paint the top or bottom part. Or simply paint a few squares of chalkboard paint on the wall and frame them out, your child will have an ever-changing gallery at their disposal. Magnetic paint is another great multi-tasker.
Magnetic Paint
Paint a large stripe of magnetic paint around the room and give your kids a space in which to hang artwork, schedules, and even small magnetic shelves and pencil holders. Layer this paint under another type of paint, such as chalkboard paint to make a functional, fun, focal wall. As an alternative to this, you can purchase a large sheet of magnetic galvanized steel from a local hardware store to create the same effect. Magnetized steel will allow you to avoid using paint which may take many coats to work properly.
A coat of magnetic paint on this lime green wall turns the whole surface into a display board. You can pin up photos, schedules, and artwork without making a single hole in the drywall.
Creative Paint Designs
Painting techniques can also be useful when painting a kid’s room. You can get creative with your child’s favorite colors and use two colors with great results. A striped painted wall gives an uplifting and fun vibe to the space. A girl’s bedroom design with a princess curtain can add a touch of fairy-tale ambiance to the space.
Another idea is to paint the middle ¾ of the wall in a neutral grey, then paint the top part of the wall whatever crazy color your kid is into this year. You might be repainting it more often, but it is only ¼ of the wall so it isn’t time-consuming and won’t use that much paint. It also allows the color to act as an accent rather than take over the whole room. To add more visual interest leave a roughly 2” stripe of white between the paint colors.
Zig-Zag and Geometric Paint Patterns
Instead of leaving a stripe of white, indicating a faux molding, you can use a wavy line or zig-zag to make it more visually interesting. For even more interest, leave the walls white and paint a silhouette of a city skyline with black paint. This creates a backdrop that can be used in a variety of ways. For your superhero lover, it can be Gotham or Central City, for your fashionista it can be New York or Milan, it can change and grow as they change and grow.
Teal and orange is a bold combo, but the geometric triangle border along the ceiling line keeps it feeling structured instead of chaotic. Painting the door orange is a small move that makes a big statement.
Paint the Ceiling
Painting the ceiling and the walls can have a dramatic effect on the look of the space. When selecting a paint for the ceiling make sure it is flat rather than glossy, does not splatter, and has a long drying time (also known as long open time.) A deep navy wall painted with gold constellations turns a kids room into a full-on observatory. It’s the kind of design that keeps a kid up past bedtime, but for the right reasons.
Paint the Child’s Name on the Wall
Having your child’s name painted on the wall is a fun way to provide them with their own space and allow them to let their own creativity shine through. Adorning the name with their favorite flowers, animals, activities, sports teams or characters is a fun way to personalize the design.
Get A Personalized Sign
Purchasing a personalized sign that can be hung on a wall can give the child their own ownership of their space. You can find signs with lights, or even different color LED’s or neon to add an interesting ambiance they will love.
Teens Bedroom Graffiti Wall
A teen’s personalized name graffiti wall is a good way for them to unleash their own creativity and sense of style. By selecting their favorite paint colors they can get a design that’s unique and meaningful to them.
Themed Bedroom Design
A themed bedroom such as an under-ocean design can harness your child’s creativity. Consider using two types of paint to color the undersea environment with painted fish and coral on the walls and even jellyfish-themed lighting for added effect.
A movie-themed bedroom like a Star Wars themed design is the perfect way to share your child’s favorite movie interests. For this design consider creating the inside of the spaceship with other decor items related to the movie throughout the space.
Paint a Wall Mural
A wall mural can be a great way to set the scene of your child’s bedroom space. Bring the outside in by adding elements from nature such as trees, mountains, or rivers. The only limit is your imagination for what type of bedroom wall design you can paint. See a DIY wall mural kit you can use here (sponsored) Amazon.
Painted floral vines that start on the walls and climb across the ceiling make the whole room feel like it’s blooming. It’s the kind of detail kids grow up remembering.
Personality Paint Colors
Another way to choose paint colors for your child’s room is to consider their personality. If they are active or easily agitated, then a red room isn’t going to suit them no matter how much they love the color. Painting in more calming hues of blue and green would be perfect for the kiddo who has difficulty calming down or sleeping. On the other hand, a teen may benefit from an energizing red or sunrise orange paint color to nudge them out of bed before noon or rouse them to finish that research paper on time. Visit here for more teen bedroom design inspiration.
A jungle themed bedroom uses deep greens and earthy tones to turn a plain room into something that feels like an adventure. It’s a theme that works for younger kids but has enough personality to grow with them.
Bold red and white stripes are classic for a reason. They’re energetic without being over-designed, and the navy furniture grounds the look so it doesn’t tip into circus territory.
Dusty rose paired with sage green wainscoting feels more grown-up than typical kids room palettes. It’s the kind of color choice that still works when they’re a teenager.
The color-block chevron in yellow and aqua gives this shared room a focal point that both sets of bunk beds can anchor around. It’s an easy way to make a shared space feel intentional.
Lavender on the walls with mint green furniture is a combination that shouldn’t work as well as it does. The canopy pulls it all together and gives the room a fairy-tale quality kids genuinely love.
A painted rainbow arch framing the bed is one of those ideas that sounds over-the-top until you see it. Paired with white shelves and neutral bedding, it actually works really well.
Coral peach walls feel warm without being overwhelming, and the fluffy white cloud accents near the ceiling give the room a dreamy, floaty quality. Simple idea, but it sticks.
Painting the built-in bookcase alcove a bold coral orange gives those sunny yellow walls something to play off of. It’s a simple trick that makes a standard nook feel like a moment.
Paint the Furniture
Of course, paint isn’t just for the walls. If you live in a place where you aren’t allowed to paint walls and you really want that pop of color, paint your kid’s furniture. A dresser with chalkboard paint on the drawer fronts will allow your kids to draw and write what is stored in each drawer. Or paint the dresser bubblegum pink for an unexpected jolt of color. Paint the bedside tables with different superhero symbols or to look like Minecraft blocks. Paint the footboard of a bed to look like an aquarium to use as a background for undersea play.
A simple bookcase can be transformed into a stunning focal point with a few coats of paint. Whether you just paint the backing, allowing the color to peek-a-boo from behind the books, or paint the whole thing, you can create texture and interest with just a little bit of paint.
A movie themed bedroom like this Star Wars design is a great way to share your child’s favorite interest. The painted Death Star mural becomes the whole personality of the room.
Painted floral vines that start on the walls and climb across the ceiling make the whole room feel like it’s blooming. It’s the kind of detail kids grow up remembering.
This pink flower mural on lime green walls with a canopy bed and butterfly decor pieces is creative and fun.
This bedroom uses pale pink and white horizontal stripes to create a soft, inviting space. It’s a color palette that feels fresh without being overwhelming.
Paint isn’t just for the walls. Here the built-in cabinetry is painted a cool grey that anchors the soft pink walls and gives the whole room a polished, put-together look.
Mapping the constellations on the wall with hanging string lights is ideal for the young stargazer who wants a space-themed bedroom design.
A painted alphabet wall is a fun and whimsical design choice that sneaks in a little learning. The oversized letters in contrasting purple tones make a big visual impact on a small budget.
A hand-painted tree mural brings nature inside and gives the room an organic, storybook quality. Warm salmon pink walls make the brown and green tree feel right at home.
Instead of a straight stripe, a zig-zag chevron pattern adds more visual interest to the wall. It works beautifully with a safari theme here but it’s versatile enough for almost any kids room style.
Bright blue and orange is a lively color scheme that looks invigorating and fun.
This lime green accent wall is a great backdrop for pinning pictures or cards while at the desk.
Horizontal stripes in blue and white are a natural fit for a beach-themed kids room. Keep the palette tight and let the oversized wave canvas above the bed do the heavy lifting.
A deep teal accent wall with painted sea creatures gives this room its full underwater identity. It’s a great example of how paint can do most of the design work.
Soft pink and mint walls with white wainscoting paneling give this girls bedroom a classic, polished feel. It’s a palette that grows with them well beyond the toddler years.
Blue and white strips across the ceiling with bright green walls give some vibrancy to the dual bunkbed bedroom.
Painting the lower half grey and the upper half mustard yellow is a smart way to add bold color without committing to a single shade on all four walls. The painted polka dots and marquee star add the personality layer on top.
Visit this page for more little girl’s bedroom ideas here.
To showcase highly specific designs, some images on this website use advanced AI-generation software to illustrate ideas and room inspiration. See our editorial policy to learn more.
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