A Rainbow Playroom – Getting creative with colorful decor.

Hello there! Dawn here, visiting again this month from DesigningDawn.com, and I’m in the mood for some bright fun color! I LOVE color, and May is the time of year that I always get an itch to add a little extra around the house. Everything outside is in bloom, and it just feels like the indoors need a fresh dose of bright to match, ya know?

So for my mood board this month, I decided to go all out with color. That’s right… a rainbow room. I realize that some people probably don’t want crazy colors all over their main living spaces. Or maybe they do (in my house, for example, the more color the better!). Either way, I played it a little safe by leaning my mood board design towards a children’s space. But that didn’t stop me from finding some awesome inspiration photos from all kinds of rooms, kid and adult spaces alike!

 

If those photos don’t make you want to inject some bright color into your home decor, nothing will. With all that inspiration floating around, I got to work crafting my own mood board for a kid’s space designed to foster fun and creativity.  Here’s what I came up with:

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Find sources for the idea board and similar products below.

 

Decorating a Colorful but Stylish Rainbow Playroom

Doesn’t a bright, colorful play space like this just make you smile? Here are a few of my tips for decorating with bright colors, whether in a kids space or not:

• Balance with neutrals – If you look back through the inspiration photos above, you’ll notice that every single one has something in common: the colorful decor is the star. Meaning all that bright color is balanced out with a neutral, usually white, backdrop. Color can be fun, but if your eye has nowhere to rest, color can quickly become overwhelming. Make sure you let your bright choices shine by pairing them with a toned down background. (Alternatively, maybe you prefer colorful walls and neutral furnishings… either way works!) In the mood board above, I’ve mixed in a healthy dose of black, white, and natural tan/wood colors to set off the bright tones of the louder pieces.

• Mix and match – Mixing colors can be a little tricky, but when you’re going for a whole rainbow of hues, where no one color is the star, it’s important that the tones you choose match. For example, if you select a pastel pink, pairing it with loud, saturated colors elsewhere will make the paler pink recede, meaning you won’t end up with that rainbow impression you set out for. Instead, keeping all the colors the same intensity (whether that is light or dark, bright or muted), keeps any one individual color from overtaking the color scheme. Similarly, make sure you mix your colors throughout the space. If you use a bright yellow ottoman, try to spread that yellow around the room, using it in other places as well. A bright color in just one spot can make the piece seem out of place, rather than a piece of the overall design plan.

• Have fun – My last bit of advice for decorating with color might seem obvious, but if you’re going this bold with color, you can’t go half way. Have fun with it, and don’t take it too seriously. There’s no place for stuffiness in a rainbow room!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this injection of color into your day today. Thank you again to the Remodelaholic team for having me back each month. If you like what you see, you can revisit all my past mood boards by clicking here. And for even more of yours truly, visit me over at Designing Dawn, or follow along with me on social media. Have a great day, friends!

-Dawn

See more from Dawn:

A Bright, Built-In Dining Nook

A Bold Half Bath Makeover

Campaign Night Stand Makeover

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Ready to DIY some color for your rainbow playroom? Try these:

DIY mosaic art — make it in multiple colors, or multiple canvases in different colors

confetti polka dot painted curtains (or other styles here)

make a wall-hanging pen holder

or stain wood any color with this easy tip!

and see some more colorful rainbow room inspiration here.

Published: May 20, 2015Filed Under: Contributor, Design Inspiration, Mood Boards Tagged: decorating with color, Kids, kids spaces, Play Rooms, rainbow

About Dawn Sailors

Dawn is one half of the team behind the creative blog, AD Aesthetic. By day she works as the VP of Creative for a design and marketing company (getting paid to make things look good!), while by night she renovates her Midwest home, refinishes thrift-store furniture for fun, and works with her husband on raising two tiny humans. Dawn believes in the potential to design your surroundings and your life one day at a time, and lives by the motto, 'Make everything beautiful.' Get to know her better by visiting her blog, ADaesthetic.com, or following along on Facebook and Instagram.