Aga Artka Interior Design, LLC

The theory behind designing a nursery

April 7th, 2009 3:53 pm

Does a baby care whether its room is decorated in green or yellow? Can it even see color? Where did the trend of “blue for boys/pink for girls” come from and do you have to follow it? When designing a nursery, it is important to understand the color theory as it applies to a newborn eye.

Not until six months of age do babies start differentiate colors. At first, newborns see black and some shades of gray. A 2-month-old baby starts to see primary colors like red, green and yellow. They can see blues shortly after. All parents and designers should know that babies are attracted by the value (otherwise brightness) of a hue rather than a color alone. In other words, no matter how much you may believe that your baby prefers one color over another, it is most likely the contrast between the colors and the intricate pattern that they are drawn to. Technically, they don’t care if their bedding is pink or blue…they can’t really see it.

About that pink and blue theory. In the early XIX century, all babies were dressed similarly. White clothing was a symbol of purity and innocence and there was no difference between boy and girl outfit. As a matter of fact, sometime mid century other colors than white were introduced to the baby fashion and to my (and I’m sure your surprise too) pink was associated with boys for its close relation to red, a firey and manly color, whereas blue had a strong girl association, which symbolized Virgin Mary. Who would have thought that this trend was soon to be reversed and pink was the only (not kidding) choice of color for girls and blue for boys. Assigning colors to gender is tricky and doesn’t seem fair as it limits the baby’s exposure to other hues. On the other hand, the more pastel and tone-down colors you choose, the less noticeable the design scheme will be to a baby. Luckily, retailers have significantly broaden the selection of decorative items and clothing besides the cliche. The sky is truly the limit!

Most newborns do not have a good color vision developed, nor do they have an advanced sense of depth. The more crisp the design elements are, the better. Although curved lines and complex patterns are proven to be of more interest to newborns than straight/solid lines.

Now that you know all about the “right” colors to use when decorating a nursery, do not forget about making healthy choices as well. Many paint manufacturers offer low or no-VOC products. I personally think that either Natura by Benjamin Moore or AFM Safecoat are the best paints available. Do remember that your baby’s safety comes first when making furniture and toy purchases, so refrain from buying toys with tiny elements/parts, hand-me-down cribs and other furniture with high-levels of formaldehyde used in manufacturing process.

Understanding the color theory and the effect color has on newborns is the first step in designing a nursery. Secondly, make healthy choices. Thirdly, have fun with it. Good luck and if you ever need help…..you know where to find me.