7 Easy Ways to Paint a Small Room to Look Bigger
Posted on January 22, 2019
Tips From the Experts On How to Make a Room Appear More Spacious With Paint
- Paint can help a room look and feel bigger.
- There are many color options in both light and dark to suit the homeowner’s taste.
- Most projects are surprisingly easy and affordable.
Decorating small spaces can be challenging. Luckily, there are many tricks professional painters use to transform the look and feel of your rooms to take them from feeling cramped to comfortable.
Low square footage areas may be physically tight, but this doesn’t mean you have to feel claustrophobic. There are many ways professional painters can help make your small space look bigger. If you want to give your home a bit more space without having to knock down any walls you can accomplish that with the right paint (and well within your budget).
Here are 7 tricks with paint you can use to make your rooms look more spacious and inviting – just like the experts.
Make Use Of the Color White
It’s not uncommon to paint your walls white in smaller areas. White can open up a room and make it seem much bigger. Looking for a slightly warmer white? Try Navajo White (Benjamin Moore), White Dove (Benjamin Moore), Chantilly Lace (Sherwin-Williams), Dover White (Sherwin-Williams) or Alabaster (Sherwin-Williams). Want something a little less yellow? Simply White (Benjamin Moore) is a nearly perfect neutral white with a balance of cool and warm. It is a designer favorite in kitchens.
Going for a more modern look? Extra White (Sherwin-Williams) is about as white as you can get and can brighten up dark spaces quickly.
Other classic color selections for smaller areas include neutrals and lighter colors such as grey and blush. Try Ashmead Gray (Benjamin Moore), Original White, (Sherwin-Williams), White Blush (Benjamin Moore), or Dreamy White (Sherwin-Williams).
“White is a great option to help the viewer’s eye travel throughout the whole room. This color is one of my favorites because it can really open up space and create an illusion of height in the smallest of spaces,” says Kathy Hicinbothem of CertaPro Painters® of Cherry Hill, NJ.
Bold Colors Work Too
While using white is a classic painting trick to open up a room, that doesn’t mean you can’t get the same effect from strong colors. Using a monotone scheme in a bold color like Hale Navy (Benjamin Moore) can open up a room as well. Incorporating furniture and accessories in softer tones to add balance to your room in cases where the bold colors feel overwhelming.
Black can even be a favorite to open up space if you use it the right way. Colors like Bohemian Black (Sherwin-Williams) or Black Panther (Benjamin Moore) can blend walls and soften corners. But be careful with the color black; you’ll need to use the correct undertone or sheen. Consulting a home painting expert can help you avoid amateur mistakes.
A Small Project With A Big Impact
If a bold tone is outside of your comfort zone, you can make a significant impact to your space with an accent wall without painting an entire room.
Soft tones like Sherwin-Williams’ gray Evening Shadow are useful for creating emphasis. This works well for two reasons.
- A different colored accent wall gives an optical illusion. It also helps to make the room seem like there is extra space inside.
- Accent walls direct the eye to a focal point. This helps when decorating and can also help when deciding the best way to place existing furniture.
Try A Pattern
Instead of relying on flat colors alone to make a room look bigger, think about strategically placing patterns. Vertical stripes can make your room look taller, add to the openness of the space, and create drama.
For some, vertical stripes can make a room feel constrictive. To counter this, avoid painting stripes on all of your walls in smaller areas and stick to wide stripes. For very small rooms consider a single striped accent wall. Smaller patterns tend to look nice in areas with low square footage and add to the interest of your walls.
Focus On The Ceiling
Painting light colors on ceilings can create the illusion that a room is taller than it really is.
Darker ceilings are not usually helpful when painting a room to look bigger. If your walls are dark, any shade of off-white or even light pastels or greys could work on ceilings.
A common scheme for nurseries is to paint light blue and white clouds on the ceiling and then have a deeper (yet still calm) blue on the walls.
“Using lighter color tones will make a space absorb the surrounding light, while the brighter colors can help give the impression of a larger space,” says Kathy Hicinbothem of CertaPro Painters® of Cherry Hill, NJ.
Experiment With Different Hues
If you have a particular paint color in mind but are struggling with knowing how to make the small space appear bigger, think about sticking with the color you like and using different hues or shades of it. Small homes can also look larger if you paint adjoining rooms the same color.
Even different shades of the same color can maximize your square footage. It can also help to capture interest, and can gently guide the eye through the rooms of your home creating continuity throughout your entire house
Use Technology To Cut Down On Guesswork
If you don’t know what you want, but don’t have a lot of time to experiment, use an online visualizer tool to save time and stress.
Colors that can make a room look big can be virtually painted on your walls, helping you to visualize the final result while also making the decision much more manageable.
Paint can work wonders in a small room. Smart color selection alone can transform how big a space feels, from a half-bath to a small guest room.
About CertaPro Painters®
To see more interior painting ideas, CertaPro Painters® Cherry Hill, NJ has many color options and designs to explore. A color consultant can help with any areas that you’re unsure about.
To schedule a free painting estimate, give a trusted service advisor at CertaPro Painters® a call today.
