image1

Colour Blocking

image2

Difficulty: 2 out of 5

Time: weekend

Simple yet oh-so striking, using blocks of colour to give kids rooms instant wow-factor and personality is a no-brainer. It’s a really effective technique for zoning rooms shared with siblings too – without having to resort to putting up a dividing sheet! Bring on the colour with these two blocking schemes…

How to:

 

  1. Paint the ceiling and then work down, applying the palest background colour first.
  2. Measure and mark the areas of the room that you want to add colour to.
  3. Use decorators low tack masking tape to mask off blocks and stripes.
  4. Fill in the shapes with two coats of your favourite colour. See? We told you it was easy.

 

You will need:

 

  • 2.5 litre matt emulsion in your favourite colours (smaller amounts for the small blocks of colour)
  • Roll of low tack decorator’s tape
  • Plumb line (string and a small weight like a ring)
  • Coloured chalk (we recommend children’s coloured chalks, as they stain less)
  • Tape measure
  • Large Roller and roller tray
  • 2-3” paint brush

 

Expert tips:

 

Before you break out the paint, here are three tips to give you bold and beautiful results:

  1. Use the free Dulux Visualiser App to see what your ideas look like on the walls before you buy the paint. There is a nifty masking tape tool in the Visualiser which will help you create blocks and stripes of colour too.
  2. To make marking out straight lines easier, run a piece of string that is the length (or height) of the colour block over a piece of coloured chalk then tie a knot at one end. Measure and mark the area you want to colour in and fix the knotted end of the string to one mark with masking tape. Pull the string across to another mark, stretch it against the wall and then snap it to create a chalked line you can follow with the masking tape.
  3. To get really neat edges to the blocks and stripes, paint over the edge of masking tape nearest to the block you are colouring in using the background wall colour. Allow to dry before painting on the new colour.

 

Suggested colour pairings

Here are some colour pairings that work well to achieve the Colour Blocking theme:

 

Click to purchase

Dulux Endurance+ Matt is an exceptionally tough paint that stands up to the rough and tumble of busy lives. Find out more

 

Colour Blocking - Vertical Blocks & Stripes

image3

Difficulty: 2 out of 5

Time: weekend

Whether you want a more daring colour blocking design or have more than one child to please, using blocks of colour to give kids' rooms an instant wow-factor and personality is a no-brainer. It’s a really effective technique for zoning rooms shared with siblings – without having to resort to putting up a dividing sheet! Bring on the colour with these blocking schemes…

How to:

 

  1. Measure and mark the place where you want to divide the room and use decorators low-tack masking tape to separate the colours then fill in the first colour. Allow to dry.
  2. Mask over the edge of the first colour and fill in the second. Allow to dry.
  3. Measure and mark the place where you want a contrasting stripe and mask either side. Fill in with the contrasting colour using a small roller or brush. Now you’ve really earned your stripes…

 

You will need:

 

 

Expert tips:

  1. To get really neat edges to the blocks and stripes, paint over the edge of masking tape nearest to the block you are colouring in using the background wall colour. Allow to dry before painting on the new colour.
  2. To make creating straight vertical lines easier, run a piece of string that is the length (or height) of the room over a piece of coloured chalk then tie a knot at one end and a small weight at the other (like a pencil or a ring).
  3. Fix the knotted end of the string to the mark at the top of the dividing line between colours and allow the weight to stop swinging. Stretch it against the wall and then snap it to create a chalked line you can follow with the masking tape.

 

Click to purchase

Dulux Endurance+ Matt is an exceptionally tough paint that stands up to the rough and tumble of busy lives. Find out more

 

Nature - Flowers

image4

Difficulty: 1 out of 5

Time: One day

Bring the outdoors in and make sure they wake up on the right side of the bed every morning with a cheerful flower mural. A great way to bring a pop of accent colour to a space, an abstract design like this won’t be quickly outgrown (excuse the pun) as they get older.

How to:

 

  1. Paint the background colour and allow to dry.
  2. Draw around plates and bowls to get the circular flower shapes.
  3. Use decorators low tack masking tape to create the stems and fill in with colour then allow to dry.
  4. Fill in the circular shapes with two coats of your favourite colours.

 

You will need:

 

 

Expert tips:

 

Cultivating your nature-inspired room will be a breeze if you follow these helpful tips:

  1. Use the free Dulux Visualiser app to pick flower colours from bedding and favourite things in the room.
  2. Use children’s coloured chalk to draw around the circle templates.
  3. Use a good quality 1” or 2” synthetic bristle brush to fill in your shapes.
  4. Have a clean damp cloth handy to neaten up any wobbles before they dry or have an artist’s brush to correct any after they dry.

 

Click to purchase

Dulux Endurance+ Matt is an exceptionally tough paint that stands up to the rough and tumble of busy lives. Find out more

 

Nature - Tree Mural

image5

Difficulty: 3 out of 5

Time: One day

Kids can often have difficulty ignoring distractions. They find it much harder to focus when there is clutter around them. That’s why this nature theme works so well. Calm, peaceful and uncluttered, it’s the perfect area to help a child focus, especially on reading.

How to:

 

  1. Lightly draw the outline of the tree onto the wall using pencil or chalk. If you're not confident drawing freehand, trace around a large salad bowl to create the circle shapes that make up the curved edges of the tree. Use a small brush to paint around the inside of the outline.
  2. Use a roller to paint the interior of the outline. Don't worry if you go slightly outside the lines - it doesn't need to look perfect.
  3. When the tree is dry, use a lid, plate or bowl to mark out the circular outlines inside the tree. A small brush and a steady hand is all that's needed to complete the job. For an additional splash of colour, you could even add some shiny red apples or flowers to your towering tree!

 

Click to purchase

Dulux Endurance+ Matt is an exceptionally tough paint that stands up to the rough and tumble of busy lives. Find out more

 

You will need:

 

 

Number Murals

image6

Difficulty: 5 out of 5

Time: weekend

Whether they’re learning to count or are already well into double digits, a cool number stenciled wall will bring a graphic twist to their lair. Use numbers which mean something to your child, such as birthdays, favourite footie positions or lucky numbers to add (sorry!) even more personality to their space.

How to:

 

  1. Paint the ceiling and walls white.
  2. Use coloured chalk to draw on the numbers and mask off the straight edges with low tack decorators tape. Mask off the inside of the white letters on the red wall and the outside of the red letters on the white wall.
  3. Fill in the red wall and paint carefully around the rounded number shapes, leaving them white.
  4. Fill in the red numbers on the white wall.

 

You will need:

 

 

Expert tips:

 

Before you get started on these stylish little numbers, read these expert tips to make your transformation as easy as one, two, three:

  1. If you have one, you can use a projector to project large numbers onto the wall and draw round the shapes before you mask them off and fill them in.
  2. To get really neat straight edges on the red numbers, paint over the edge of masking tape nearest to the letter with White Cotton. Allow to dry before painting the number in Red Pepper. Ditto for the white numbers using Red Pepper.
  3. Use a good quality 1 or 2” synthetic decorating brush to fill in and paint round the numbers.

 

Click to purchase

Dulux Endurance+ Matt is an exceptionally tough paint that stands up to the rough and tumble of busy lives. Find out more

 

The Dulux Kids' Bedrooms Workbook

image7

Ready to get started? Download the free kids' bedrooms workbook to help make their dream room a reality.

More themes

The positive impact of involving kids in decor decisions

image8

Decorating your kid’s room isn’t just about how the finished space looks. It’s about the experience you and your child undergo throughout the process – and their feelings of pride and ownership in their new-look bedroom they helped to create. Here’s what happened when we gave a little girl free rein to design her own bedroom…

Easy and safe payment Paypal visa master card maestro ideal cb