Need Help with Daughter's Bedroom Paint Color!

by Kathy
(Allenton, WI)

Dilemma:

We are remodeling our home and building a bedroom for our 8 year old daughter upstairs.

The room gets somewhat low natural light from a window on the north wall. The ceiling is covered with light pine wood, and it slants down on two sides.

We put a forest wallpaper mural on one small wall. Some of the greens in the mural are very bright green, which doesn't exactly show in the photo (it's a bit more yellowish in the photo than in person).

We are trying to decide on a color to paint the other walls. We are thinking green, only because green would be best with the mural (I think?).

I would like it to be something more "grown up", that will not need to be changed as she gets older, yet a color she will like. We are going for a "nature" or "forest" feel for her room.

I've been told to go with a greyish green with the mural, but I don't think I like any greyish greens (nor would my daughter). I was told Grass Cloth or Corn Husk Green by Behr; I bought samples of each, but not sure if both maybe too blah?

I don't want a really bright color or really dark color. Maybe a very pale outdoorsy green with a hint of grass green to it (not too bright or dull, and not celery or mint - something that would look good with the other greens in the room) and then bolder greens as accents such as pillows, etc.

If green is not the way to go, I would be open to consider another color, I just think green makes the most sense. Any suggestions of exact name of colors and brand, I would appreciate it. Photos would help.

We are looking at Behr, Valspar, Glidden, Pittsburgh Paints and Sherwin-Williams. I am very confused, as I have gotten several suggestions and paint samples and am now more confused than ever.

Looking forward to your advice.

Thanks!

Critique:

Kathy, you are moving in the right direction with your "forest" theme for the room. But green and brown are not the only color options available here - because there is also a sky up there above the trees! ;)

So... what do you think about painting a blue accent wall around the window?

A light sky blue color will add some freshness and an element of surprise to your earthy color scheme, but at the same time look very organic on that particular wall.

You could try Duck's Egg Blue 250-2 (from Pittsburgh Paints):



... or Fond Farewell 151-2 (same brand) if you want something a little bit brighter:



Now, back to the green for the remaining walls - you have enough brown/wood colors in the room already.

Both Grass Cloth and Corn Husk Green you mentioned are great options, and there is nothing "blah" about them.



In fact, I wouldn't go any brighter than that because you don't want to compete with the mural for attention.


These green shades will also age better as your daughter grows up, and you won't get tired of them as quickly as with more intense greens.

The job of your green wall color is to relate to the mural and unify the room. If you want more excitement, add it via accessories - throw pillows, lamps, etc.

So if one of these greens blends with your mural (in person), look no further. Otherwise just try to pick up an overall green color that's in the mural.

When you're trying to pick a color from a complex/blended print or wallpaper, always go for kind of an overall color - that seems to work the best. If you get too specific and try to match an exact color in a complex blended pattern, you just go crazy and it still ends up looking off.

Besides, all kinds of green shades coexist beautifully in nature, so don't stress about it too much!

It's a great idea for your daughters room, I'm sure she'll enjoy it for years to come.

TIP: if you have to put something on the window, see if you can find a long tree branch. Spray-polyurethane it and set it up like a curtain rod, then put some sheer fabric in off-white - either draped or on rings.

She'll feel like she's in an enchanted forest!