How colour can help children settle into a new home

Child psychologist Lynette Fry explains how colour can help make moving to a new house a magical experience for your children.

“We’re moving home and I’m worried about how my kids will handle it. How can I help them feel more at home?”

Moving home is an exciting time for all the family, but it can also be a bit unsettling, especially for kids. In fact, 40% of parents say they worry about uprooting their children when they move.

“Kids don’t cope with change very well,” says child psychologist Lynette Fry. “They need stability and routine, and moving house is anything but that.”

The colours you choose for your child’s bedroom can really boost the way they feel about their new environment, giving them that sense of security and happiness they crave.

Try these top colour tips for helping your child to feel more at home in their new environment:

Give children a sense of stability after moving house by painting their new bedroom the same colour as their old room.

Create consistency through colour

1) Create consistency through colour

One way to give children a sense of stability after a move is to paint their new bedroom in the same colours as their old room.

This will instantly make the new space feel more familiar and homely and make the kids feel happier about being there.

Create a serene retreat for your children with calming pastel shades in their new bedroom.

Calm down with soothing pastels

2) Keep things calm with pastels

Moving house is a hectic time, so why not create a serene retreat for your children with soothing pastel tones?

You can go for practically any colour you like – the key is to keep the intensity of the hue low for a calm, relaxed feel.

Which paints? Try Vanilla Cream, Virtuoso or Flowing Breeze.

Using warm hues such as sunny yellows will have an uplifting effect on your children’s mood.

Create a happy children’s bedroom

3) Paint with happy hues

Warm tones such as oranges and sunny yellows have an uplifting effect on the mood, so painting your children’s bedroom in these tones could help them to feel more positive about their new home.

Which paints? Try Falling Star and Orangery.

Green promotes a sense of balance and harmony, which is just what kids need after a stressful move.

Team harmonious shades of green

4) Team harmonious greens

Green promotes a sense of balance and harmony, which is just what kids need after a big move.

Layer up different shades of green, from tranquil, muted tones to vibrant, invigorating hues.

Which paints? Try Quiet Nest, Tranquil and Fern Green.

Blue is the most calming of all colours so is a good option if you’d like to create order and stability.

Restore order with calming blue

5) Restore order with blue

Blue tends to radiate order. It’s also the most calming of all the colours – spending time in a blue room can actually lower your blood pressure and heart rate.

If you’re worried that your little ones are feeling a bit stressed out after a move, painting their room blue could give them that reassuring feeling that all is well and everything is exactly as it should be.

And blue isn’t just for boys. For a little girl’s room choose a vibrant shade and accessorise with cushions and bedding in reds and yellows for a colourful scheme.

Which paints? Try Quiet Blue, Elise or Jacob's Room.

Top tip

Let your kids get involved with choosing matching accessories for their room once you’ve finished painting it. This will make them feel more invested in the space and more content about being there.