How to Choose the Interior for Your Baby’s Room
Why is it important to know how to make decisions when planning your baby’s daily life at home? Not only do shapes and patterns matter, but colors can also influence your baby’s development and the creative thinking they will develop later in life.
Affects of environment
1. When does the environment start affecting development?
Prenatally: Environmental factors influence development already during fetal life. For example:
Maternal stress and anxiety → increased fetal stress hormone levels
Maternal nutrition → affects brain development and nervous system function
Toxic environmental substances (e.g., heavy metals, cigarette smoke) → neurological and cognitive problems
From birth: The postnatal environment, including visual, auditory, tactile, and social stimuli, has an immediate effect:
Safe, stimulating environment → faster cognitive and motor development
Poor, overly noisy, or stressful environment → slower developmental progress
2. How can the environment support development?
Physical environment:
Safe, clean, and comfortable space
Natural light, appropriate temperature, quiet resting areas
Variety of colors, shapes, and textures for visual and tactile stimulation
Sensory stimulation:
Soft textures and different materials to touch
Gentle music and nature sounds → supports auditory development
Movement, baby exercises, tummy time → supports motor development
Social/cognitive environment:
Interaction and eye contact with caregivers
Emotional security and consistent routines
Talking, singing, reading → supports language and social development
3. Studies supporting environmental effects
NICHD Early Child Care Research Network (2006): High-quality environmental stimulation and warm parental interaction promote cognitive and language development.
Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000, From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Early environmental influences are fundamental to neural and emotional development.
Luby et al., 2013, JAMA Psychiatry: Early emotional security and a stimulating environment reduce vulnerability to depression.
4. Disadvantages and pitfalls
Stressful or chaotic environment → chronic stress, hormonal imbalance, later anxiety
Excessive stimuli or noise → overload, sleep disturbances
Social neglect → attachment issues, later social skill difficulties
Toxic substances → developmental delays, neurological problems
5. Why is it important to identify and control environmental factors?
Early intervention is crucial: the brain is most receptive to stimulation during the first 2–3 years due to neural plasticity.
Identifying harmful factors → allows modification, stress reduction, and creation of an optimal developmental environment.
Prevents cognitive, motor, and emotional problems and supports long-term quality of life.
6. Developed sensory/motor functions
Sensory functions:
Refinement of touch, vision, and hearing
Development of body awareness and spatial perception
Strengthening emotional perception and attachment
Motor functions:
Development of fine and gross motor skills (grasping, crawling, walking)
Balance, coordination, hand-eye coordination
Cognitive and language benefits:
Attention, memory, problem-solving abilities
Language and social skills
General Tips:
Mix bright and calming colors to balance stimulation and rest.
Ensure a safe environment, free from overwhelming visual clutter.
Let children choose colors freely to support individuality and self-expression.
Combine colors with textures, music, and interactive play for multisensory development.
Suggested Age-Appropriate Color Chart for Children’s Environments
Age Recommended Colors Purpose / Effects Notes 0–3 months Soft blue, soft green, pastel pink Calm, safe, restful environment Ideal for nurseries and sleeping areas 4–8 months Green, yellow, soft orange Exploration, sensory stimulation, focus Visual contrast helps attention 9–12 months Red, yellow, green Encourage crawling, interaction, play Moderate brightness, alternating calm/bright tones 12–18 months Orange, yellow, purple Creativity, social play, fine motor development Combine with textures for sensory richness 18–24 months Red, orange, green, purple Cognitive stimulation, role-play, independence Allow choice and experimentation; avoid strict gender coding
Suggested Age-Appropriate Color Chart for Children’s Environments
Practical environment-friendly development tip list for newborns to 2-year-olds
Newborn – 3 months
Goal: Safe attachment, basic sensory and motor stimulation
Environmental tips:
Quiet, stable, warm room with natural light
Safe sleeping area (crib, mattress) with minimal distractions
Soothing colors and simple patterns
Sensory stimulation:
Soft blankets and toys with different textures
Slowly changing light and gentle natural sounds
Caregiver voice, singing, talking → auditory development
Motor stimulation:
Tummy time 2–3 minutes several times a day
Gentle arm and leg movements
Emotional/cognitive:
Eye contact, smiles, hugs
Consistent routines (feeding, sleeping) → sense of security
4 – 8 months
Goal: Movement, exploration, and sensory discovery
Environmental tips:
Soft, safe area for free movement; non-slip surfaces
Safe objects to grab and explore
Sensory stimulation:
Alternating loud and soft toys, rattles, music
Different materials (wood, fabric, rubber) to touch
Mirror → self-recognition and visual attention
Motor stimulation:
Practice sitting and crawling
Fine motor: grasping, pulling apart, and putting together small objects
Rolling, gentle ball games
Emotional/cognitive:
Imitation, gestures, simple interactive play
Short interactive stories and songs
9 – 12 months
Goal: Coordination, independence, early language skills
Environmental tips:
Play areas with safety barriers
Colorful, varied objects for visual exploration
Sensory stimulation:
Different sounds (drums, rattles), exploratory play
Alternate textures: hot-cold, soft-hard
Motor stimulation:
Encourage crawling, standing, cruising
Rolling balls, transferring objects
Emotional/cognitive:
Simple hide-and-seek, object permanence games
Short words, repetition, using names
12 – 18 months
Goal: Independence, fine motor skills, creativity
Environmental tips:
Safe climbing and play area
Everyday objects for exploration: cups, spoons, colorful containers
Sensory stimulation:
Finger painting, sand play, water play
Musical instruments, rhythm games
Motor stimulation:
Balance, walking, running, climbing stairs with support
Build-and-take-apart toys → hand-eye coordination
Emotional/cognitive:
Simple rule-based games, labeling objects
Short sentences, questions → language development
18 – 24 months
Goal: Cognitive skills, fine motor, social play
Environmental tips:
Play corners with building blocks, drawing materials, simple puzzles
Safe space for free movement and exploration
Sensory stimulation:
Drawing, clay, watercolor, sand play
Listening: stories, music, sound imitation games
Motor stimulation:
Running, climbing, ball games
Fine motor: buttoning, scooping, simple construction toys
Emotional/cognitive:
Role-play, social interaction
Practice independent decisions, simple problem-solving
Important considerations throughout all stages
Safety first: avoid toxic substances, sharp edges, small objects
Emotional security: loving, consistent attachment
Balanced stimulation: not too much or too little
Environmental monitoring: noise, light, temperature, air quality
Color Effects on Children
1. Red
Psychological effect: Energy, activity, attention-grabbing, stimulation.
Developmental effect: Encourages physical activity and movement-based play.
Color therapy: Energizing; ideal for short periods, e.g., playtime.
Gender associations: Neutral – traditionally considered “boyish,” but unisex in modern practice.
2. Blue
Psychological effect: Calm, concentration, sense of security.
Developmental effect: Reduces stress, supports sleep and focus.
Color therapy: Relaxing; ideal for resting areas, reading corners.
Gender associations: Traditionally “boyish,” but neutral in modern perspective.
3. Green
Psychological effect: Balance, calm, security, nature-connected feeling.
Developmental effect: Reduces stress, promotes focus and creativity.
Color therapy: Harmonizing; ideal for play and learning spaces.
Gender associations: Completely neutral; positive for all children.
4. Yellow
Psychological effect: Cheerfulness, optimism, attention-grabbing.
Developmental effect: Encourages creativity and communication.
Color therapy: Good for creative corners, art activities.
Gender associations: Neutral; stimulating for all children.
5. Purple / Violet
Psychological effect: Intuition, imagination, inner world development.
Developmental effect: Stimulates creativity and self-expression.
Color therapy: Calm, inspirational; suitable for meditation or quiet corners.
Gender associations: Neutral; traditionally considered “girlish,” but modern practice sees it as creative and open to everyone.
6. Orange
Psychological effect: Warmth, energy, social activity.
Developmental effect: Encourages social interaction and play.
Color therapy: Energizing; ideal for social spaces.
Gender associations: Completely neutral, friendly for all children.
7. Pink
Psychological effect: Calm, love, sense of security.
Developmental effect: Enhances emotional security and attachment.
Color therapy: Soothing for resting or sleeping areas.
Gender associations: Traditionally “girlish,” but unisex in modern approach.
Color Therapy & Development Tips
Emotional balance: Calming colors (blue, green, pink) reduce anxiety.
Activity & motivation: Bright colors (red, orange, yellow) stimulate movement and creativity.
Cognitive development: High-contrast colors improve visual attention and learning.
Gender neutrality: Modern pedagogy encourages letting children choose colors freely, without enforcing gender stereotypes.