Paints for children’s rooms: 3 main selection criteria

Caring parents and those who are preparing for the arrival of a baby try to choose beautiful, practical, and safe finishing materials, in particular wall paint, for decorating a child’s room. This will be discussed in the article.

What qualities are important for a colorful wall covering for a kid’s room? First of all, safety and environmental friendliness. The paint should emit a minimum of harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs (volatile organic compounds), including solvents, aldehydes, and ketones. They enter the air from the painted surface even after the completion of work. Of course, as the layer dries, their amount decreases, although Low air temperatures and lack of good ventilation prolong this period, even after a year, the air may contain about 2% of the total amount of VOCs contained in the paint film. 

Environmentally friendly paints and varnishes include water-based (dispersion) paints. In high-quality formulations, the content of volatile organic compounds is limited to 30 g/l (no more than 3%). Such paints have virtually no odor, are hypoallergenic, and dry quickly. These are what experts recommend for the walls of children’s rooms. 

The safety of the paint composition for human health and the environment is also guaranteed by special markings on the packaging. Special marks indicate that the products have been successfully tested by independent organizations and comply with the environmental regulations of a particular country. Moreover, not only the product is evaluated, but also the raw materials from which it is made, packaging, transportation, and disposal.

Among the most famous environmental brands: the Blue Angel (Der Blaue Engel) used in Germany; “Northern Swan” (Nordic Swan), introduced by the Nordic Council of Ministers (Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark); European Eco-Label, which marks the harmless products of the European Union countries; “Leaf of Life” is a sign of voluntary environmental certification developed by the St. Petersburg Ecological Union; VOC Label – indicates the content of volatile organic compounds in UK paintwork materials (minimum VOC from 0 to 0.29%); French NF Environment and American Green Seal. 

5 tips for using paints for children’s rooms 

1. Use safe water-based compounds or paint labeled “for children’s rooms.” To make sure that the material does not harm human health, the corresponding manufacturer certificates presented on the website or in the store will help. 
2. Choose products whose paint coating is resistant to water, dirt, and mechanical stress. Then the surfaces can be cleaned without any problems with a damp cloth or brush with the addition of cleaning products.
3. Apply washable paint not only to the walls but also to the ceiling. Many parents know that splashes from drinks, pieces of food, and plasticine can be found in the most unexpected places. 
4. Don’t be afraid to experiment with color. Large manufacturers of paints and varnishes offer a variety of tinting systems, where the number of colors and shades exceeds 1 thousand. 
5. Write down and save the color number that was used when tinting. Don’t throw away the paint left over after the renovation, then you can locally paint over stubborn stains or renew the entire wall. 

No damage to walls

For painted nursery walls, such a quality as resistance to washing is important. Agree, not every surface can be easily cleaned of the consequences of culinary experiments or the results of creative inspiration of future artists. An ideal option for a child’s room is a coating with high resistance to wet cleaning. But remember that walls painted with them should be protected from attacks for 2–4 weeks, until the paint layer reaches its final strength. You can lightly wipe the surface with a damp soft cloth, but intense rubbing using soap solutions should be avoided. However, within a month after painting, the walls can easily withstand the effects of neutral cleaning agents on a fabric or sponge, and heavily soiled surfaces can withstand weak alkaline detergents (pH 8–10). After using them, the coating must be rinsed with clean water.

It is also worth paying attention to the impact resistance and wear resistance of the paint coating. Materials with a high degree of operational load will withstand active children’s games, including with a ball, as well as scratching with plastic toys without consequences. It is gratifying that the choice of high-quality paints and varnishes on the market is huge. They are offered by international corporations and small companies, among the most popular: Akzo Nobel (Dulux brand), Belinka, Farrow & Boll, Kansai Paint (Plascon brand), Little Greene, Paritet Decor, Oikos, Tikkurila, Empils.

Useful and beautiful 

Any environmentally friendly interior paint is suitable for decorating walls and ceilings in a child’s room. To make the choice easier, many manufacturers began to produce specialized formulations, the name of which indicates the area of ​​application. In addition, there are unique materials on sale that are suitable for children’s walls. For example, lime paint Ales Shikkui (Kansai Paint), which maintains indoor air quality. Its action is based on the properties of slaked lime – but lime compositions are complex and labor-intensive to work with, while Ales Shikkui is applied like regular paint and retains all the beneficial alkaline properties: neutralizes bacteria and viruses, removes odors, reduces the level of formaldehyde and other harmful impurities in the air.

 The specialized paint Ultra Resist Duluh for children (Akzo Nobel) contains silver ions, which prevent the growth of bacteria on the surface. And thanks to the wax, the coating acquires a lotus effect and does not allow water and dirt to be deeply absorbed. The paint layer can withstand the effects of even such aggressive liquids as Coca-Cola, fruit juice, soy sauce, wine, as well as chocolate oil, etc. To return the walls to cleanliness, just wipe them with a damp cloth, and remove more severe dirt with a cloth with detergent means. 

Thanks to the water-borne matte varnish Taika Glow (Tikkurila), painted walls will glow in the dark. With its help, you can “scatter” magic stars on the ceiling of the nursery or place magical luminous signs. The child’s movement along corridors and stairs marked in this way will be safer. The effect is best seen against a light background in a room without lighting. However, in order for the varnished areas to glow in the dark (up to 6 hours), they need to be “charged” under sunlight or artificial light. 

Do your children love to draw? Decorate part of the wall in the room with Liitu chalkboard paint (Tikkurila). The surface will become smooth, matte, and you can draw and draw on it with colored crayons, erasing pictures and inscriptions with a damp cloth. As an example, another part of the wall can be decorated with colorful wallpaper.

The rich, cheerful colors that children love so much will be restored to old toys by water-based Aqua Buntlack (Alpina) enamel. The safety of the composition complies with the DIN EN 71-3 standard. The enamel forms a colorful coating that is resistant to saliva and sweat. And toys updated with its help will shine with new colors and will remain shiny, bright, and smooth for a long time, without scratches. The main thing is not to give them to children until the paint is completely dry. 

Drawing along lines

A composition of accent or bright contrasting colored stripes creates a festive atmosphere in the nursery.

Reasonable savings

Young parents often designate the children’s area of ​​the bedroom. Paint that differs from the main color scheme of the room will help highlight this space. Baby cabinets and shelves painted in the same color will serve as an organic addition to the corner. 

In large families, the children’s room is often designed for several children. Show your imagination and use special design techniques to create a personal space for everyone. It’s good if parents think through the decor together with their children, taking into account their interests and color preferences. 

It is not at all necessary that all things in the nursery be new. If you spend a little time, shabby beds, chests of drawers, chairs will find a rebirth with the help of paints, and parents will save significantly on purchasing furniture. 

By the way, improper preliminary preparation of the walls can lead to sad results in the form of cracking and peeling of paint due to poor adhesion or insufficient coverage of the layer and, as a result, unnecessary costs. Surface imperfections are smoothed out with plaster, putty, treated with sandpaper and primer is applied. It provides good adhesion and reduces paint consumption. By the way, its values ​​​​indicated on the cans refer to the primed base. However, the actual consumption, as a rule, differs from the recommended one due to the characteristics of the relief, the absorbent properties of the surface, and the method of applying the composition (brush, roller, spray). For highly absorbent (porous) substrates, as well as multi-colored or very dark ones, the calculated amount of paint should be increased by 20–40%.

An unusual color design for kid’s room will help awaken in boys and girls imagination, curiosity and, most importantly, a thirst for knowledge. 

For decorating children’s and playrooms, water-based interior paints with the lowest content of harmful volatile substances are optimal, for example, environmentally friendly and safe paints from the British company Little Greene. They form a breathable, vapor-permeable film that protects the surface from water penetration, but does not prevent moisture from leaving it. The colorful coating does not fade in the sun and is very practical. It is easy to wash, restore, and you can change interior accents at least every season. By the way, these paints are so environmentally friendly that they are suitable not only for walls, but also for toys, even if children chew them. I would like to note that the Little Greene company produces a wide variety of paints and varnishes for the home. Moreover, they all successfully passed the necessary sanitary and hygienic tests in accordance with the standards of England and Europe (British Standard Toy Paint Regulations, BS EN 71-3:1995).

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