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How to make a small room feel bigger
If your new home is a bit on the small side, make the most of the space you’ve got with these clever colour ideas.
“I love my new home, but there’s one room that’s a bit smaller than I would like. Is there anything I can do to make it feel more spacious?”
If you’re downsizing or just getting your foot on the property ladder, chances are you’ll have at least one room in your new home that you wish was that little bit bigger.
But just because a room is small doesn’t mean you have to admit defeat on the decorating front. With basic knowledge of painting techniques, you can easily create the illusion of extra space.
Interior designer, Henriette von Stockhausen of VSP Interiors, offers up her top five painting tips for making the most of small spaces.
1) Go dark
I don't believe that small rooms always need to be painted in light colours. It all depends on the room’s use. A bedroom might warrant a warmer choice of Dulux colour, whereas a bathroom might benefit from cooler shades. If it's cosiness you’re after, a very dark blue can be extremely effective.
2) Create the illusion of height
Paint your wall colour up to about 10cm below the ceiling, or up to the bottom of the cornice if you have one, then paint everything above this white. The extra band of white wall paint will visually stretch the ceiling height, making the room appear taller. Deep teal tones look smart against a crisp white.
3) Broaden your corridors
I’m not a big fan of feature walls but one situation I would recommend them for is if you have a very long, narrow corridor. A dark Dulux paint colour at either end helps to draw the eye and make the space appear less stretched. Try a rich red for a dramatic look.
4) Try a tonal colour scheme
Choose fabrics and furniture in similar shades to your wall paint to help them blend in rather than stand out. This will help create a calm, uncluttered space that feels bigger than it is. Shades of green work particularly well for this.
5) Define your woodwork
In a small room, woodwork and mouldings should be one shade darker than the wall paint colour. This creates a contrast that allows the architectural bones of the room to stand out and the walls to recede a little, making the room feel bigger. Lighter grey walls with darker grey woodwork set a sophisticated tone.
Top tip
Once you’ve painted your walls, make your room feel bigger still by hanging large mirrors, which will visually double the space.
