Paint is used to protect walls and other materials from elements. It’s also a powerful tool that can alter the style, mood, and even space size. For example, using the right paint color provides a visual illusion that a small room is bigger and taller than it actually is. This technique could help people who live in small apartments, condo units, tiny homes, and other places where the space is limited.

Below are some interior painting tips designers use to make a room seem bigger. Read on to start transforming your space with home painting.

Apply the same paint color

Use the same paint color throughout your home, except for your walls which should have a lighter color. The areas where you can apply the same paint hue or shade include the trim, ceilings, and doors. Using a single paint color makes a space appear seamless. However, you don’t necessarily have to use the exact hues all the time.

One of the common mistakes that homeowners make is that they paint their bedrooms and bathrooms a completely different color. It may be tempting to do so, but it could make your home look small. So, choose paint colors that could automatically create a smoothly flowing sight whenever you move from one room to another.

Make an accent wall

While using the same color throughout your space can make it look bigger, highlighting one of your walls can draw your eyes to one focal point. On the other hand, painting the two longer walls of a rectangular room using a contrasting color makes the trick better. Dark paints like navy, charcoal, or black are among the common options, but paint with a couple of steps up the paint chip also makes a room feel bigger.

Use a correct undertone

Understanding undertones can help you avoid using the wrong paint colors in your space. For example, in interior house painting, choosing the right undertone ensures that the colors in a room won’t clash, such as the color of your counters, floors, ceiling, and walls.

An undertone can make a paint color look warm or cool. Undertones can range from blue, beige, and green to purple, pink, and yellow. Warm undertones are colors like pink, yellow, and beige. For cool undertones, you may have purple, green, and blue.

Ask a painting service professional for the right undertone if you’re unsure which to choose for your space.

Go light or dark

Painting a room with a lighter color usually makes the space look bigger. That is because it reflects light. However, white is not your only option. You can also use light taupe paint if you feel like giving a new life to your space while making it look more spacious.

Aside from that, this paint color also provides an elegant and expensive feel. Therefore, it’s best to apply it in a room with minimal architectural detail to emphasize it. Another alternative to white is cool gray paint. It provides a bright and fresh look while making a room look more spacious.

But, if you want to give a dramatic feel to a space in your home, use dark navy paint. However, choose an area where there’s enough natural light. Black paint can also give you the same result, but the navy color is for those who don’t want to dive into the absence of color.

Add vertical space

Make a room feel and look taller by using two paint colors. First, you’ll need a light shade, probably white, to paint the ceiling. Second, choose a deep tone, ideally dark gray paint, to apply to the walls. This technique is similar to accent walls as they draw your eye focus toward the light paint. The walls are dark, allowing them to recede and make the ceiling look higher.

Stretch space horizontally

Another interior painting technique used by pros is to paint white at the bottom half of the wall and the ceiling. Meanwhile, the upper half of the wall is painted with a dark tone. The dark tone between the white walls and ceiling creates a visual illusion of a wider room. Again, it is a tricky paint technique, so entrust the job to a reliable painting contractor if you’re not confident doing it yourself.

Select a suitable finish

A paint’s finish shines and reflects light differently. The most common paint finish types are eggshell/satin, flat/matte, and semi-gloss/high-gloss. Applying the right finish makes a huge difference in the appearance of your space. It also determines how easy your walls are to clean.

Some finishes are ideal for high-traffic areas such as hallways, entryways, kids’ bedrooms, etc. Other finishes also require more effort and time to apply, such as the high and semi-gloss, which need multiple layers of coats to make them look ultra-shiny.

Note the points listed below to find the suitable paint finish for your space:

•   Matte and flat. This finish gives a smooth appearance since it doesn’t directly reflect light. It is ideal for applying flat or matte paints in low-traffic areas like formal living rooms, study rooms, or master bedrooms.

•   High gloss and semi-gloss. To add glam to a room, apply paint with a high gloss finish as it reflects light effectively and is shiny. However, it could make every flaw or brushstroke on your walls obvious. It’s why hiring a professional house painter to apply high gloss paints is highly recommended. On the other hand, semi-gloss is the best choice for areas where dirt, mildew, and stains are most common, like kitchens and bathrooms.

•   Satin and eggshell. Low-luster or eggshell finishes provide a slight sheen appearance similar to an egg’s surface. They bounce light while resisting scuffs and stains your walls could experience. Meanwhile, satin is more reflective and is more durable. This finish is typically used for hallways, family rooms, and kid’s rooms.

In a nutshell, the right color, finish, and paint application can make a room look bigger or taller. Since some painting techniques are complicated for a typical homeowner, ask a professional for help whenever necessary. You should also consider some factors when choosing the right paint color and finish, so take note of the tips mentioned earlier.