Making a Room Look Bigger
As a painting professional in Temecula, one of the most frequent questions I receive is “will this color make my room look bigger?” In fact, for several decades now, that’s been a recurring concern among homeowners. They feel that they have to make a choice between the colors they want, and the colors that will somehow magically make a room bigger.
First, the bad news; it’s simply paint, and no color will grant you additional square footage. The good news is, unless you’re trying to sell your home, there’s no real reason to try and make your room appear larger than it is.
If you’re still not convinced and you’re trying to force the perspective of your rooms, there are a few things you choose to do.
Use Off-White Paint
Off-white is a widely used wall color choice, especially in new construction. The reason being is that if you use off-white, especially on trim pieces. There’s two ways you can use off-white; either paint everything in off white, giving your home an “open” and bright feeling, or paint your walls one color and the trim off-white. The contrasting colors will create an illusion that the room has expanded.
Paint the Ceiling
It always makes me chuckle when I suggest to a homeowner that they paint their ceiling. A lot of people don’t know that it’s “allowed”, because, to be fair, almost every home ceiling you see is white. Popcorn ceilings especially tend to retain their white color. However, your ceilings are just another wall, except it hangs overhead. When you paint your ceilings, you take attention away from the room itself. People’s eyes become directed away, giving the room a feeling of being larger.
The Brighter, the Better
Perception is a funny thing. Darker paint colors can make a room feel smaller and constricted, while a brighter color will make it appear larger. As a local Temecula painter, I always advise homeowners to save the darker colors – red, dark blues, blacks, etc. – for areas such as the dining room. This will help create a more intimate setting. Conversely, bedrooms can benefit from brighter colors to make them feel larger. Even if your favorite color is a darker one, you can typically find a lighter shade or have your paint store try to match it by lightening it up with a little white.
Contrast Your Colors
If you have furniture or other items in a room that have bright colors to them, you can keep the attention on them and not the walls by keeping the room’s paint bright and subdued. For instance, leaving the walls white, off-white, or a similar shade will keep the attention focused on the contents of the room rather than the walls. This can be combined with other techniques, such as hanging mirrors or keeping items away from the wall and angled in the center of the room.
For more ideas on how to make your rooms look larger, you can always schedule us for your painting needs. Whether you’re trying to expand the look of your room, or just need great quality painting, we are here for you!
