15 Nov Safe Paint for Kids’ Rooms

The paint work in a child’s room has to fulfil many roles. It needs to be tough enough to survive marks, scrapes and, yep, crayons. It needs to be easy to clean and safe to breathe. And we haven’t even mentioned the colour choices!

But not to worry, this guide will help you choose the perfect paint for your child’s safety and your own peace of mind.

Keep an eye on VOCs

VOCs are volatile organic compounds, and they’re as unpleasant as they sound. These chemicals are found in many solvent-based paints to speed up drying time, fight mould and add durability. However, they also vaporise when they come into contact with air, which can lead to dizziness, headaches, coughing and potentially more serious health concerns for the elderly… and children.

So, finding a low-VOC paint or, even better, a no-VOC paint would be a good call for a child’s bedroom. To find a great quality paint which is low in VOCs but high on durability might cost a little more, but it’s worth it.

Just note that whatever paint you choose, it’s important to allow it to dry before your kids spend time in their newly decorated bedrooms, thus ensuring all fumes have dissipated safely.

Choose allergy-free options

If your store stocks allergy-free paint, this is a fantastic option due to its lack of contaminants. Even if your child doesn’t suffer from any allergies, the paint can help ensure your child doesn’t develop allergies later in life.

The higher the sheen, the tougher the paint

Kids are active, full of life, and messy. It goes without saying that the paint in their rooms is going to see its fair share of dirt over time.

To make your clean-up job easier, choose a high sheen paint such as eggshell, satin or semi-gloss. These are created to withstand the rigours of heavy use, while still looking attractive.

It’s not just walls that take a beating, doors and skirting boards are also prone to mess. For these, a satin finish works wonderfully.

If your walls have imperfections, a matte or flat finish will be more forgiving and less prone to highlight lumps and bumps than a high-sheen paint would. This type of paint is still cleanable, but you may have to scrub a little harder.

If, however, you’d like to encourage your child’s penmanship and creativity, consider apportioning a section of the room to chalkboard paint and let your child go wild.

Good colours for kids

Choosing colours for kids’ rooms is fun. You’ll be looking for colours which are visually stimulating but also soothing. A lot of it comes down to the age of the children.

Calming neutral tones, such as beige, sage green and warm white are popular choices for the parents of babies.

Bright and bold tones are more popular for the parents of older children, although caution is advised when considering over-stimulating colours such as red, yellow and orange. These could prove too intense for kids and make it harder for them to calm down after a long day of fun.

Pelham Painters can help you make the right choice

We’ve painted many a child’s bedroom in our time, and are well-positioned to offer advice on safe, affordable types of paint, as well as tricky colour choices. So, if you’re in Hobart, make the right choice, and get in touch with Pelham Painters.