Letting a child paint their bedroom bright orange ... would you?

[AChickenCalledKorma]

We have extended our house and everyone is moving into "new" (or heavily refurbished) bedrooms. I promised the children that they could choose their colour schemes.

DD2 - aged 7.5 - wants bright orange walls. We are talking the full monty - think Tango adverts! She is totally opposed to any compromise options (have tried suggesting peach walls and orange lampshade but she was unimpressed)/

The sensible half of me is saying "she'll get tired of it" and/or "she'll never sleep" and/or "she'll have a constant headache". The other half of me is saying "stop sounding just like your mother, if you can't have a ridiculous bedroom when you're a child, when can you".

Would you let her?

You promised so yes... Orange isn't that bad. You could have a bright colour theme? Ikea and Argos do loads of brightly coloured accessories. Maybe look into different wall stickers/ stencils too... Worst case scenario is a day with a big tub of white emulsion...

My partner let his son paint one wall lurid orange. Not ideal but better than 4. It's not too bad now there's furniture in it. Could one wall be a compromise?

Yes but only if she promises to paint over it when she's fed up with it, because covering up bright orange will be a pita.

Yes. But I wouldn't be offering to repaint if she dislikes it 6 months down the line.

My stepson's room has dark blue walls. Really not my cup of tea at all and I think it makes the room much too dark. But what he wanted and it's his space.

www.google.co.uk/search?q=childs+orange+bedroom&hl=en&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=DawXUaSxLsis0QW7m4DgDA&ved=0CDcQsAQ&biw=320&bih=508

Yes let her. Remembers my mother saying this but wouldnt let me have the colour i wanted and it grated me for years.

freshome.com/2010/08/06/simple-decor-ideas-for-children%E2%80%99s-rooms/#.UResoaMYbJs

I like this one

My son has 1 orange wall as it goes with his rocket pictures but one wall is enough. Can you suggest one wall and do the others white maybe and then accessorise ?

Covering orange will take several days of painting with white emulsion. softened with stickers, posters, neutral carpet it'll be fine. Try and con persuade her into having just two walls orange if you can.

I wouldn't. You should ask them to choose from within a range you find acceptable.

Lord, no! Maybe an accent wall at the most with some wall stickers to detract from it. Apart from the fact an orange room would look awful, it's hardly going to provide a relaxing and quiet atmosphere for sleep!

What about bright orange and white stripes? Or orange spots on white, or a similar pattern that you could easily do with masking tape or stencils? It's still bright and eye-catching, but not so much need for sunglasses maybe she'd go for that? Otherwise you might just have to bite the bullet and do it, if you promised her.

When my DS's were little they shared a bedroom and I did an Action Man theme. The walls were bright orange, woodwork all black and I painted a huge Action Man logo on one wall in enamel paint.

We were still able to "neutralise" it before we sold the house.

Go for it!

www.housetohome.co.uk/galleries/show?id=25308&categoryslug=/galleries/popup_gallery&friendlyname=Children_039_s_bedroom_-Best_of_2009&img=10

Or the orange and red flowery one?

But Flat OP told DD she could choose colour without specifying limits. If she now overules her DD she will have a seven year old who will probably still be resentful at 27.

I would let her have it.

what I would insist on, though, is that it's painted onto wallpaper so that when you need to cover it, yoy can scrape off the wallpaper and start again.

if you don't like tge idea of the colour, then jyst make sure that everything epse in the room is understated - whites andcreams etc. maybe even blues and greens to tone it down.

I think it looks like it could be really nice actually.

Have blackout blinds and then they'll sleep despite any colour as it'll be pitch black.

You did say they could choose. If you go back on it, then I would feel as a child they may be upset the you overruled them after saying they could pick.

And I think I am actually going to steal the idea for one of my kiddos!

And OP has a daughter who doesn't demand PINK.

Why not? Orange can look amazing (and cheerful!). And you did promise...

I would be unimpressed as well about peach walls and orange lampshades. That isnt a compromise at all.

Yes I would let my dc's have an orange bedroom. They always choose their colours, with the understanding that is has to stay like that for at least a year. And accessories only replaced when they have to.. Putting a limit means that they really consider the colours. We've had some really mad colours over the years, including the lime green phase.

I dont know why you wouldnt let her?

Presumably as you have extensively refurbished you arent decorating to sell so I dont see what the problem is with orange walls.

I think my DD would choose black if she could, including the ceiling.

That'll teach you, you only do that sort of thing once.
I know say would you like this yellow wallpaper or this pink one, both of which I like. Everyone's happier.

dd's room is half very darkblue and half lime green [green]
it's a space theme and would have been completely dark blue, but I was convinced I was going to have a boy and didn't want everyone to assume i'd gone for a "boy's theme" room.