You can totally transform your classroom simply by sticking with a few set colors, and using the palette to guide for decorating choices to create the right atmosphere you desire.
Some color palettes are more modern, so if you want to create a modern theme for your classroom, here are some color palettes you should pick (and which ones you should avoid).
Check them out below!
Modern Color Palettes For Your Classroom
Light, Bright, And Blue
This color palette is excellent for creating a calm environment for your students to help them keep their cool during the school day.
It is made mostly from white, light gray, and beige with splashes of a soothing baby blue. You can also add some dark browns for a nice contrast against the lighter colors, but these should be added in moderation.
The whole point of this modern color palette is to create a calm mood while avoiding any labels such as ‘dull’ or ‘boring’ thanks to the blue.
Warm Terracotta
Terracotta has become a very trendy modern color in recent years. It’s a muted but warm shade of orange that isn’t too loud or distracting.
As a result, it’s great for creating a welcoming, cozy atmosphere in your classroom without being too overbearing.
This makes a terracotta color palette a great option for a classroom. Combine your shade of terracotta with neutral tones like beige or dark brown so that the terracotta isn’t washed out.
You can also add very small touches of other colors like a muted navy or red so your classroom decor doesn’t feel too one-note.
This color palette is great if you want to create a more vibrant classroom environment without going retro or using a color palette that is a headache to look at.
Jungle Paradise
Looking for a color palette that is deep, and modern, but suitable for a classroom setting?
Then try out the jungle paradise color palette. The core color for this palette is a mango orange that toes the line between colorful and neutral.
Add tons of deep greens and beiges to help convey that jungle vibe, with a few touches of dark brown (perhaps a rug or a few cushions, but don’t go overboard).
It’s an adventurous color palette that is modern while helping your students feel they are entering a fun and exciting learning environment.
Plant Life
This color palette takes inspiration from nature by using lots of tones of green and blue to create a cool, calming environment that feels natural and grounding.
It’s a great choice if you want a soothing classroom atmosphere while still keeping your decor bright and colorful.
To achieve this color palette, just follow the main colors you see in nature itself – all shades of green, succulent blues, and touches of navy for contrast. You can even add neutral colors like white and pale brown.
Pastel Wonderland
Too many colors and turn your classroom into a headache to look at, but opting for a pastel color palette with tons of different shades can create a wonderful balance between calm and colorful.
Kids love colors so they are bound to love the wide range of shades in this color palette but the pastel shades help create a calming environment for learning.
Some example colors you can add to this palette include pale pink, pale blue, and a light terracotta orange. Add some neutral shades like brown, beige, and white, along with some deeper tones like navy, mustard yellow, and scarlet to help provide a little bit of contrast.
Color Palettes To Avoid
Black And White
The epitome of modern color palettes is black and white – but this is an unsuitable color palette for your classroom.
It sucks all the joy and excitement out of learning and makes your classroom look boring and unappealing to your students.
Sure, it’s modern – but it’s not going to go down well with your students, and they may act out as a result of boredom.
Dark Tones
This kind of color palette works well for your home, but it’s not the kind of color palette you should aim to bring to your classroom.
Using lots of dark browns, blacks, mustard yellows, and emerald greens creates a very dark-toned color palette that is mature, smoky, and extremely modern.
However, its matureness makes it unsuitable for a classroom setting and something you should look to incorporate at home rather than in your classroom.
Final Thoughts
So, those were some of the best modern color palettes for you to add to your classroom – and some of the ones you should avoid at all costs!
Check them out and choose your favorite color palette from the list above!
Hi, my name is Helena Waters and I was a teacher for 40 years before retiring last year.
During my time as a teacher I dedicated the majority of it to making classrooms as fun as possible, with educational parties, fun activities, and low cost entertainment that made the children excited about learning.
I taught children of all ages, from preschoolers to high school students. Now, with the pandemic having uprooted everything that children once knew about school and learning, I think that the need for my ideas is bigger than ever.
That is why I created School Sparks, a place in which I can write down and share all of my ideas on how to get students excited about going to school again. I hope that you’ll find some useful within a school setting, even at home too!
