Paint can do more than just change the color on the wall and the feel of the room or space. Did you know that painting contractors and interior designers can use paint to alter the perceived physical size of a room? Well, this approach is more common than you might think.

By using certain shades of paints in certain areas of a room, you can alter the perception of the size of a room. For instance, it is possible to make small rooms appear larger than they are or long rooms wider. So if you have one of those irregular shaped rooms with irregular walls, too high/low ceiling, or too long in dimension, you can use painting and color selection tips to give your space a new perspective.

Here are a few examples of how this works:

How to Make a Small Room Seem Larger

The most popular way of giving a sense of space to a smaller room is by painting it in white color. White surfaces are reflective, allowing light entering the space to bounce around the room. Painting both your walls and ceiling in white brings a sense of airiness and openness to an originally cramped room.

But of course, if you don’t want too much white that could make your space look clinical, you have an alternative of choosing one dominate white surface, such as the ceiling and complimenting it with other lighter or neutral colors. Colors such as soft yellow, cool blue or light beige would go along pretty well.

How to Make a Large Room Seem Smaller

If you have a room that seems too big for its purpose, Painting the room in darker colors will seemingly bring the walls closer. If you want to make an otherwise too open lounge seem cozier and intimate, painting the walls and ceiling using darker but complementing colors could do the trick. To add to that, you might also want to use the more reserved matte paint sheens than the reflective glossy finishes.

How to Make a Low Ceiling Look Higher

If you have a low ceiling, decorate it using white paint –most professional painters and interior designers would automatically go for this. Generally, the ceiling should be a color that is lighter compared to the wall to make the ceiling appear brighter and receded. If you can deliberately paint the walls a darker color than you originally intended, you could enhance this effect.

Have a long high ceiling? Simply do the reverse –paint the ceiling in a darker color than the walls and use matte paint if you can. This makes the ceiling seem lower than it actually is while increasing the perceived horizontal space.

Making a Long Room Look Shorter

Large, long rooms can be quite overwhelming, especially when used as family entertainment or dining spaces. A popular way of dealing with this is to separate the room in some way; folding screens, bookcases or shelving. However, using darker and warm color shades on the most distant wall can make it seem closer and this will visually correct your space. On the flip side, using a brighter color on walls that are too close and intimate can add some perceived visual distance in between.

Conclusion

So yes, you can alter the physical size of any room using a clever selection of paint colors. Other tricks such as furniture arrangement, using mirrors and painting in stripes could also enhance a particular effect you’re trying to create.

If you need any help repainting the interior of your home to achieve any of the above effects and more, Eason Painting can help. We have years of experience offering residential interior painting services in Macomb Township, Washington Township, Ray Township, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Romeo, Armada, Troy, Shelby Township, Harrison Township, Chesterfield, and Clinton Township, MI. Give us a call today on 586-465-5081 to find out what creative ideas we have in store for you!