Want to know how to use colour to make a small room looker bigger? Find out what colours and paint techniques you can use.

It Is All About The Colour

Just because a room is small does not mean it has to feel small. Carefully considered colours can transform a small room into a beautifully intimate and cozy space, or they can be used to fool the eye and make a room appear larger than it actually is.

Colour is such an important aspect of decorating. It is the most important design element in creating the mood of a room, it also has the power to alter our perception of the size and shape of a space.
Here are some tips on how to make a room appear larger.

1. Light and white

Light colours on the walls reflect natural light and bounce it around, this creates an open and airy space. Ideally a soft white is preferable for walls, as brilliant white can look clinical. Use bright white as an accent colour for accessories and trim. White is a great canvas to paint your walls as it goes with everything, but it can be boring. Create interest by adding bolder accent furniture and accessories or paint a feature wall in a cool light shade, like blue, green or grey.

2. Warm versus cool colours

Cool pastel shades recede, making walls appear further away than they actually are thus making a space feel larger. Cool sky blues are ideal for bathrooms as they create a calm, spacious atmosphere.

Conversely warm colours advance, making a wall appear closer than it actually is, and in so doing make a room appear smaller. If you have a space that is long and narrow - a passage for example - painting a warm colour (red for instance) at one end will make the wall appear closer and the space less narrow.

3. Painting the trim

It is common to paint skirtings and cornices white as this creates a clean edge and frames the walls. However, painting skirting boards and cornices the same colour as the wall will make a wall appear taller than it is, making a room appear larger.

4. Painting the ceiling

Ceilings painted in light colours will make the ceiling recede and appear higher creating a feeling of more space. Another trick is to paint the ceiling and the walls the same light colour, this allows the eye to move continuously around the room without stopping at boundary of the wall and the ceiling, this makes the room appear more spacious.

5. Painting stripes

Stripes are a great way to create an illusion of space. Horizontal stripes will make a wall appear longer than it actually is. Vertical stripes will make a room appear taller than it actually is. Stripes can be done in beautiful bright colours in various widths or keep it simple and stylish with stripes of the same size in neutral colours. The recommended size is for the stripes is 20cm X 20cm.

Anne Roselt is a colour specialist based in Durban South Africa for more information on colour visit Colour Sense.