Primary Learning

As a palette for a child's room, the primary colors -- bold yellow, blue, and red, in their clearest, most undiluted forms -- are visually stimulating, attracting the eye of even the youngest child, encouraging him or her to investigate the environment. As colors for window treatments, an additional advantage is one parents will appreciate at budgeting time: Their purity make the primary colors safe choices for a lifetime of living.

Single-panel window treatment
©Decorating Den Systems, Inc.
This child's room is given a circus feel with a single window treatment for the pair of
adjacent windows: blinds covered by cotton curtain panels and a patchwork valance.

Furniture may be updated to meet the maturing child's needs and wants, but the colors -- especially at the window -- can remain unaltered. A final bonus of a primary color scheme is its flexibility. Unlike a pattern-themed room, one decorated in primaries can take in all kinds of furnishings and accessories -- newer, more grown-up items can always be found in these three colors.

For more decorating ideas around the home, see: