How to Enlarge a Room with Paint Colors

CT Interior Painting

CT Interior PaintingIf you have a small room that you wish didn’t seem so confined, don’t push out a wall and expand just yet. Painting the walls and trim may be all that’s required to transform the space, making it feel roomier and less cramped. Paint colors can profoundly affect perceptions of the depth, shape, and size of a room.

Light vs Dark

Cooler, lighter tones appear to be further away. Warmer, darker colors have the effect of moving toward us. Dark shades also absorb light instead of reflecting it. These perceptions can be very useful guidelines when choosing paint colors that will help to open up small spaces and enlarge a room. With the countless colors to choose from, you get the benefit of significantly narrowing down your options to brighter, cooler hues.

Another thing to keep in mind, as regards light versus dark, is that the amount of light in a room also affects perceptions of size. Rooms appear larger when they are brightly lit. Natural light is always nice, but artificial light does just as good a job of creating a sense that a room is more spacious than it would seem with poor lighting and darkened corners.

Paint for an Illusion of Space

You can use a lot of creativity and various strategies when painting a room for the purpose of making it appear more spacious than it actually is. One option is to choose several calmer, lighter colors that have the same intensity. They can be bright or soft shades. Either way, you will still achieve the desired effect. More tips follow:

  • To make the walls seem to move further back, paint wall trim in a lighter color than the walls.
  • Paint the ceiling a lighter color than the walls. This will give the effect of a raised ceiling and a more expansive room.Vertical Stripe Interior Paint, Franklin Painting CT
  • Paint all of the rooms and the trim the same bright or light color. This way, the eyes are able to move across the room continuously. With nothing breaking up the various features, the entire space feels larger. When there are color changes and edges, the eyes stop, making boundaries of the space seem more closed in and crowded.
  • If your space is narrow and long, you can use paint to make it feel more like it’s square. Paint the shorter walls on each end of the space a shade or two darker than the long walls. This will cause the end walls to feel closer, changing the perception of shape.
  • You can also create more space by making the walls seem taller. Painting vertical stripes can create this effect.
  • When your home in general is small, you can make it look larger by painting adjoining rooms in the same color. This results in the eyes moving from room to room as opposed to from one end wall to the next.

The best way to get superior results on an interior or exterior paint job is to call the professionals at Franklin Painting. Whatever you want for your home–to look larger, cozier, more elegant, etc.—we can make your vision a reality. Get things in motion for your project by calling 860-678-7701, or you can book your own appointment with Franklin Painting online. Contact us today.

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