Our last post on children’s spaces talked about some of the best practices for creative church design, including the importance of color. Color can be added in a lot of ways. You can add it through flooring, walls, furniture, or accessories, or it could be a combination of all of these.
Paint is the most economical way to create a mood in your children’s spaces, whether you’re looking for a fun and playful room for younger kids, or a space that invites older kids to gather and socialize. You can also easily and inexpensively upgrade your color scheme in the future by just painting a wall. Let’s look at some church building examples.
Use Paint to Create a Mood
Notice in this first image the use of primary colors to stylize this space. The colors are applied not just to the walls and the elements on the ceiling, but also through the chairs and the dividers. This is one way you can use paint to create a fun and playful space. You don’t necessarily have to use primary colors, since you want to consider the age of the kids who will be using a particular space, as the next image demonstrates.
In this second image, we see a room designed for a middle-school-aged group. The colors aren’t quite as bright, and stripes have been painted on the wall to add a dynamic element. Notice how just using paint and creating stripes on the wall adds interest to the room, versus all the walls being plain.
Use Paint to Define Areas
You can see in this third image how color in the hallway is used to identify the children’s areas. The check-in desk between the two rooms has the yellow wall behind it to make it stand out. This is a security feature, and a good location for check-in, because parents are able to see their children going into the rooms, as well as see into them through the windows on either side.
In this last image, you can see a color scheme designed to be a bit more universal. The colors, especially the dark blue, speak to older kids, but the green ties into the colors for the younger kids. The hues are welcoming to everyone, but also demonstrate that this is a special place for kids. You can also see, on the left, a wall for families, which is another terrific way to let parents and their children know they belong.
These examples all show how paint can be an economical but effective way to define children’s spaces. It’s a straightforward way to create the type of atmosphere you want in each room, whether you want a play space for the younger kids or a spot for older kids to sit and talk. However, it’s just one creative element. Next week, we’ll focus on ideas and considerations for creating themed children’s spaces.
Looking for more church design and building inspiration? Join us for our i3 webinar series. Each one covers a different topic, such as security, reimagining your space, interior design, funding, mistakes to avoid, and more. These sessions are free and accessible from your computer.