Have you ever thought about what color can do for your room? You may have known that the colors in a room can influence your mood, resemble emotional expression, stimulate a physiological response, or affect behavior. Did you know that color can affect the appearance of a room’s size as well? This is especially true for a small room. There are plenty of ways to make your home look more interesting and spacious by choosing the right colors for your space. This article will help you narrow down your search for interior paint colors and help you choose the right furniture to enhance the space in your rooms. I hope these tips for picking paint colors and arranging furnishings will inspire you and help you make your room appear larger.
Paint Colors
Choosing paint colors: Before you make the decision of paint colors for your home, it’s best to ask yourself whether you prefer cool or warm tones. Your goal is to make your space appear personal and comfortable. No matter the size of the room, it should express the personalities of those who live there. When adding colors to each of your rooms, it is important to consider the integration of your design so that your rooms feel connected, cohesive, and comfortable. You should consider both the emotional effects and aesthetics when selecting a predominant color. Also, you should consider the functionality of the colors you choose and their placement in your design. For example, by painting the walls and trim the same paint color, your ceilings appear to be taller since there are no breaks in the trim.
Start from a focal point: If you are stumped on a color choice, you can apply small doses to stress one area that you would like to emphasize. For example, simply changing the color of one wall, such as behind your sofa, will give you an opportunity to see how this change affects the setting of your room. You can choose a bold, contrasting color taken from a piece of artwork or fabric that you like in that room or a subtle tone darker than the other walls. Another option is changing the focal point by painting your ceiling a different color. One little change can completely transform your room and freshen the feeling of your space.
Soft tones: Light off-white is a good choice for painting, especially for rooms with low ceilings. However, other pure light colors like white, pink, green or blue can also help make your rooms feel brighter, fresher, and larger because bright colors reflect light and can make the walls seem further apart than they are. There is a huge range of pale shades to choose from, and you can adjust the intensity and temperature to create the color you like the most. For example, by adding white to eggplant purple, you can get lilac, which provides a restful and quiet tone for your bedroom but also bounces light back and lightens your space.
Deeper shades: While a light color makes a space feel larger, a dark color can make your room feel cozy and also influence the impression of a room’s size. If you choose to go with a dark tone in a small space, consider going with a dark shade on all of the walls and pairing them with white moldings and furnishings. A collection of dark shades, such as grey or blue, can help trick your eyes into thinking a room is more expansive than it is because the color makes the boundaries a bit hazy. In addition, deep colors influence your perceptions of depth because they create shadows and visually open up the dimensions of your room. Try a black lacquered or dark blue shimmery wall for your bathroom; you will be surprised by the mysterious and dramatic tone that it creates.
Connect with the natural surroundings: Colors that appear in nature will remind you of nature and perfectly blend the exterior of your home with the interior. For example, yellowish green can make your space feel extended from the outside. This trick expands your space by leading your eyes to the greenery outside. If you love the sun, you can figuratively bring the sunshine in by painting your walls a pleasing yellow tone. Moreover, yellow can make an interior space more cheerful, which means that you can enjoy a sunny vibe even on a cloudy day!
Furnishings
Choosing the right size of furniture pieces is very important because it affects the feeling of your space. For example, you can avoid furniture eating up your floor space with a mix of small to medium-scale items as opposed to large furniture items. Along with size, color also matters when considering furnishings. You will want to integrate the color of your furniture with your paint design.
Use clever contrasts: Combine dark shades on your walls with white moldings and furnishings to create more spatial magic. If you paint the walls a neutral color, it is best to balance the walls with furniture that is a deep, rich color. Colorful furniture helps brighten up your space, and contrasting colors create visual interest. Adding colorful pillows and curtains to a room with neutral colored walls is a wonderful way to add energy to a room and unify your interior design.
Furniture styles: While contrasts enhance the space, it would also be good to consider having some of the furniture pieces along the walls be the same color as the walls. Even bigger items, such as armoires and chests, will begin to blend into the wall and, thus, expand your room visually. In addition, you should be cautious about tall furniture because it makes the ceiling seem lower than it actually is, and you may not want to detract from the ceiling that you just painted. Furniture with legs provides plenty of space between your furniture and the floor and allows light to filter under the furniture and benefit you with an airier room.
Create interesting patterns: The first thing you need to know is to make sure to unite your patterns with a common color and repeat your pattern around the room. This will tie your room décor together and keep your space from feeling divided. Furthermore, try to avoid complex small patterns that have lots of things going on in them because it can dizzy your small room. Just remember simple small and repetitive patterns work the best. Stripes can work well in a small space because they can be used to create the illusion of height or length. If you choose bold stripes, choose smaller textures or go with solids throughout the rest of the space.
Factor in lighting: Allowing natural light inside the room opens up the interior and makes it look larger. If you are unable to use natural light in your space, applying lighting fixtures is another great way to change the perception of a living space. For example, you can paint walls in whitish colors and apply track lighting fixtures to help visually extend your room. There are many small and beautiful lights, which are less expensive and fit in a small space much better than large tracks with huge lights. Keep in mind how the lights you choose will affect the appearance of your paint colors when choosing lights because the type of light you use will affect the shade of color you see. For example, the same shade of grey can look purple in one room with the natural light of a large window while it looks blue in another with more limited natural light and an artificial light fixture.
Placing mirrors: Hanging mirrors on white (or off-white) walls is a great form of decoration and helps illuminate your room. Glossy surfaces, glass, and mirrors reflect both natural and artificial light to make a room brighter during the day and night. An effective spot to place your mirror is near a window because it can reflect the outdoors and bounce light deep into the room. Mirrored glass tabletops can also make your room look more open. By getting creative and combining fixtures with mirrors, you can vary the amount and direction of light reflected from the walls, ceiling, and floor. You may be surprised how this trick transforms your space and makes it more welcoming, open, and inviting.
Adjusting even a portion of the colors and furnishings in your space will instantly change the tone of your room. Changing your interior design can be quick, easy, and very affordable. You can simply apply these recommendations for a home beautification project in a weekend. I hope your beautiful new room color and furnishings will make you feel as if you are on vacation without ever leaving home. More importantly, I hope by following these tips you make your space feel more inviting, airy and spacious.
Ning Qin
Home & Yard Magazine
