How to Paint a Kid's Room With Split Complementary Colors

Choose the complementary colors. Look at a color wheel for ideas. You will also need to choose the right shade or tint of those colors. Lighter colors will be more relaxing, calmer and more peaceful. Complementary color pairs are dramatic and emotionally stimulating, but you can reduce the effect of the color scheme by choosing color pairs that have a significant amount of white in them. For example, a light blue and light orange will be less harsh than dark blue and dark orange, which may be overstimulating.

Decide how you wish to paint the walls. You may paint the walls with one color and the trim with the complementary color, or paint three walls in one color and the fourth wall with the complement. You may also pick one color to be the base and designate the other color as the "pattern color" -- for example, paint blue as the base and orange polka dots around the room.

Purchase paint samples of each color and paint sample squares on the walls to determine which shades will work best together as a pair. This is an important step since the paint itself often looks different from the swatches at the store.

Wait until after the bedroom has been painted to purchase accessories to match the color scheme. You may decide that the paint is bright enough and you wish to calm the room down with neutral-colored bedspread, rug and curtains. Or, if you decide that the paint isn't enough and you wish to see more color, reinforce the color scheme by buying accessories to match the colors of the walls.