Color can have a significant impact on the overall look of a room. If you are looking for a change from standard builder white walls, choosing the right color for your rooms can make a difference in the feel of the room, the mood it invokes, and whether it looks larger and airier or smaller and cozier. If you live in a small space, you probably want to create the visual illusion of a larger room and the right paint colors and techniques can do just that.
Light Colors
Light colors are one of the easiest ways to make a room look larger. Cool colors visually recede, so a very pale blue, green or lilac may make your small space feel larger. If you prefer neutral tones, you could try a pale dove gray to take advantage of this effect. Consider painting your walls a pale shade and the trim a lighter color. You might also opt for a paint with slight sheen as opposed to a flat paint. The reflective quality of a pale cool color can help to create the a visual illusion of space.
Darker Colors
If you prefer darker or richer colors, these can still work in a small space. Consider using a dark color on one wall and a coordinating paler shade on the remaining walls. Apply a satin finish polyurethane to a darker wall color to create a reflective sheen. Darker or richer tones can also work as part of paint treatments or creative paint techniques. Consider applying a dark color as a translucent wash over a lighter color or using two coordinating colors to create painted vertical stripes.
Making Any Paint Color Work
One of the best ways to make your small room look larger with paint is to match your upholstery to your paint. If you have pale gray walls and light gray furnishings, the large upholstered pieces will begin to visually fade into the walls. Choose solid colors for your upholstery and add accents with smaller pieces. This can create more visual space. Adding light and mirrors to increase the reflective quality of your painted room is another helpful way to visually make the space look larger, regardless of your paint color. These tips can make your room look larger whether you opt for a cool or warm color or a dark or light one.
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