One of the most exciting parts of welcoming a new baby into your house is getting their nursery ready and preparing their room for their arrival. Before you start playing with paint chips and sample pots however, you might be surprised to hear how colour can influence your new little bubba!
Babies can apparently distinguish colour from around three months of age and in the same way a particular sound can provoke a certain emotional response from them, so too can different colours.
Neutral and white tones
As you might expect, using neutral tones and lots of soft whites promote serenity and relaxation. Pretty ideal for a new baby (after all, if your baby is calm and relaxed so are you!) Yes, whites and neutral can be ‘boring’ but you can always add a little colour with soft furnishing or a mural on the wall.
Yellow
There are lots of positives when it comes to the colour yellow – it promotes concentration, is happy and cheerful and is a great playroom colour.
But bold yellows are also associated with increased muscle activity and if overused can be disturbing. Some studies claim that painting your baby’s nursery the colour yellow could result in lots of crying. So if you’re keen on yellow, maybe stick to pastel shades, or use it as an accent colour only.
Red
Small amounts of bright colour are a lovely way to introduce a happy and attention grabbing feature for baby to look at. And bright colours promote happiness and stimulate the imagination.
When it comes to red however, while it can add a sense of warmth, it can also be over stimulating. So if you’re keen to use red, try toning it down to a more earthy terracotta tone.
Blue
When you think of the colour blue, do you immediately imagine water and cerulean skies? I know I do! And I’ve found the follow on effect is a very pleasant calming of the mind and body.
Blue has been shown to lower blood pressure, heart rate and respiration and decreasing feelings of anxiety and aggression. In general blue slows down the human nervous system and produces a calming effect.
But it’s also worth mentioning that gray-blues can lean towards sadness, so stay with clear blues. These are a wonderful colour for the promotion of baby rest times (these being a key component to a new parent’s sanity.)
Experts believe children who have trouble sleeping or are prone to tantrums may benefit from spending time in a blue environment.
Pink
We do love painting our little girls’ room pink don’t we? And for good reason, pink evokes empathy and femininity and creates a calming atmosphere. However, despite an initial calming effect, pink apparently can become annoying over time and may lead to some anxiety!
Orange
Friendly and welcoming, orange borrows many of its positive attributes from its parent colours (yellow and red). Orange has a distinctly social nature, inspiring interpersonal communication and putting people at ease. Like yellow, too much orange can be over-stimulating so use bold shades sparingly.
Purple
Purple is associated with wisdom and spirituality. Purple also gives out a luxurious feel and has a long connection with affluence and prosperity. Splashes of purple in a neutral bedroom can give out small amounts of energy without over stimulation.
Green
Green embodies nature and you get a sense of serenity and calming environment, as well as promoting health and healing . Green has a soothing effect on the body and mind, reducing anxiety and promoting concentration. There have been some claims, suggesting exposure to green may even increase reading ability.
In the end however, the above points all become moot in the face of your own personal preferences! So take on board what you will and … happy decorating!
