The Best Paint Color for Classroom Walls

Years ago, most school walls were painted a shade of green, which everyone soon came to recognize as institutional green. Since the 1960’s, many school systems have decided that classroom wall color affects the learning abilities of a student and have since strayed from the original institutional green. Research and teacher workshops have been held concerning the link between wall color and a student’s alertness, focus and mood.

• Researchers discovered that it is helpful to paint one focal wall a darker or lighter value than the sidewalls, such as almond or pale yellow on the focus wall with a medium shade of the same color on the remaining walls. Most people find this color choice non-irritating and excellent for school hallways. 


• Light blue is a good color choice for science and math classrooms. Computer screens are often blue because of the soothing attributes of this color. Bright vivid colors cause students to fidget and have a shortened span of concentration. 


• Dark brown or navy blue shades may cause eyestrain, which is definitely harmful in a classroom where students are required to read the chalkboard, such as mathematics. Dark colors on classroom walls induce a feeling of monotony. New York’s public school system has recently switched from the brown walls that were first introduced in 1943 for this reason. 


• Green is known to spark creativity for students. It is often used in an art classroom or creative writing classroom. Schools should abstain from using a high gloss finish and choose an eggshell, flat or satin finish for the green paint instead. Although high gloss wall paint is easily washed, the finish causes glare and students do not need glare when producing a creative masterpiece.   


• Orange seems to agitate students and cause disruptions in the classroom. Classrooms for students with behavior disorders should definitely not be painted this color.


• A classroom for students with behavior disorders or kindergarten classrooms where activity level is high are often painted light pink or rose because of the colors' soothing effect on students. Basketball teams have been known to paint the opponent’s locker room pink in hopes of calming the visiting team before the game.


• Red stimulates hunger signals in the body, and a student that is focused on hunger is not thinking about the history assignment. A student sitting in a red classroom may be tempted to bring snacks to class.