After a full day of painting over Pepto-Bismal Pink I have decided that I will never let my kids pick their bedroom paint color! Yes, when we bought this house the boys room was this incredibly bright shade of pink. Now it is a neutral modern boys room painted Benjamin Moore’s “Edgecomb Gray”.
Earlier this week I wrote a quick post on a home site talking about why I’ll never let my kids pick their bedroom paint color. I shared our kids rooms from our last two houses, which were also painted Edgecomb Gray. I couldn’t believe what a controversial topic this turned into! I haven’t always been in the “neutral kids rooms” camp… and I’ve got this picture of their old “banana peel yellow” bedroom to prove it.
As “fun” as the banana peel was, don’t you agree that the neutral color makes for a much more calming atmosphere?! Because really… don’t you want your kids to want to sleep in their bedroom?
I’ve got a few reasons why I’m now in the “neutral kids rooms” camp:
- It’s easy to change decor through curtains, bedding and accessories.
- You don’t have to repaint each time your child’s favorite color changes.
- Neutral rooms do better for resale.
- It’s easy to patch and do touch ups when you use the same color throughout your house.
- Neutral kids rooms can give an entire house a cohesive flow.
Because the boys have neutral walls, I’m able to use brightly painted furniture like their dressers which are painted with Annie Sloan’s “Aubusson Blue”. 
Just this week I picked up their vintage mirror from the local Habitat ReStore for just $30! I love it’s rounded corners and the base that matches their leather chair in the corner.
I still haven’t unpacked any of our art or decor, so I still plan on bringing in more pops of color on the walls. Just today I hung their curtains which I was able to reuse from their bedroom two houses ago (and only 1 year ago!)
Their chair is the perfect spot for snuggling up with a book. I got it really cheap as a damaged display at Target, that I couldn’t find any damage on! Otherwise you can find it here. *Affiliate Link*
With neutral walls it’s fun to use bright bedding to bring color into the room. I am reusing their pirate quilts that I sewed for them when they were just toddlers!
Their beds are the Tristen Twin Bed in Pewter, which I absolutely love. *Affiliate Link* They’re super sturdy and I love their industrial vibe. I told the boys that they’ll have them until they’re legs are sticking out the ends! Jack tried to tell me that will be in just a few years. I hope not!
Over on the other side of their room they’ve got two big closets and a lot of space to play. I’d like to find a rug for that side to create a cozy spot to build Legos on the floor. If you choose a neutral wall color, here’s a few ways that you can still add color and character:
- Use Colorful Bedding and Pillows
- Bring in Brightly Painted Furniture
- Use Curtains and Rugs with Lots of Color and Texture
- Decorate with Toys and Bright Objects (see post on decorating kids rooms with vintage pieces)
- Hang Brightly Colored Art, Photos, and Wall Hangings
I know that everyone has differing opinions on letting kids pick their bedroom paint color. Even though I’m going with neutral colors for our house, that doesn’t mean that wild and crazy colors can’t be great too. It all comes down to personal preference… and maybe someday one of our kids will request a crazy color that I won’t be able to say no to! For now though I’m enjoying infusing character and color though their decor.
**2017 Update** To see the ways their room evolved check for the final reveal post here!
To shop their completed room you can click on the images below:
It looks really great! Love the beds especially. It would be great if you
Could find two tailored bed skirts the same color as the dark color in the drapes! I think it would complete the look along with a rug that you talked about.
Yes! Let me know if you find any… it’s on my list!
I love how you bring in color elsewhere other than the walls. This is such a cool boys space that can easily grow with them.
Thank you so much! I love it too!
Absolutely!!! My 12 year old had Pepto pink walls as well. After lots of nail holes and patching we lost the original paint can I decided to repaint her whole room. I entertained her ideas of bright jewel tones till I said wait a minute…let’s just go neutral and I chose a color called Sandy Beach. I think it has greatly improved the look of her room and she has all kinds of nautical accessories that make her room special. I will never do crayola colors on the walls again. Lesson learned also: paint as many rooms the same color as possible. I am moving and have had an impossible time going back and forth to the paint store trying to match every room color!!
YES! I agree on painting many rooms the same color. It’s so nice to be able to frequently just run around with a can of paint and touch up multiple rooms. I’ve pretty much got 4 colors throughout our house, including trim, accents, and wall colors. Glad you were able to convince your daughter to go neutral, good call!
Even though the room looks great, I personally think it is not as important to have a cohesive style I like in the kids rooms, as it is for kids to have a place in which they can develop their personality and taste, and have a place that is not influenced by what their parents think is good or pretty. A kids room is so much more than a place to sleep. In my opinion, it is a place in the house that is their own, and I would like to give kids the freedom to make personal choices about that room, so it can reflect who they are. Be it that they want it bright pink when they are 7 or black and yellow when they are 14. But of course everybody has to make these parenting decisions for themselves, and if your boys are happy with this, who am I to judge.