Playing with color and perspective
ENLARGE OR INTIMATE YOUR SPACE
Light colors reflect light, while dark colors absorb it. A contrast-free color scheme with light-colored walls and coordinating ceilings can make your space feel larger than it is. Whether your room is feeling too small, or it’s a place you use for gathering, this monochromatic look instantly creates a soothing space that feels bigger and brighter.​ If you’re looking to make your room feel smaller, rather than bigger, turn to bolder hues. Because these rich colors reflect less natural light, they’re often used to blanket a room in comfort. This cozier look is suited for places where you’re looking to relax and unwind, making it a natural fit for bedrooms.
WIDEN OR NARROW YOUR SPACE
When you’re dramatically altering the width of your room, stronger contrast is needed. Painting your back wall and ceiling in a dark color while keeping side walls a lighter hue can make your room seem broader. This visual line holds your attention and adds a spacious look to your abode.
If you’re less interested in widening your space and more interested in narrowing it, all you have to do is reverse the color combination. Adding dark colors to the side walls instead of the top and back can make them feel longer and closer together. This dramatic illusion comes in handy when you’re looking to keep a room with uneven dimensions balanced.
RAISE OR LOWER THE CEILING
Wish your ceiling was higher instead of lower? Lift it with a light color. Painting your overhead space a few shades lighter than the surrounding walls is a small space secret that can open your room. A hue like white can often disappear, drawing your eye away from the fifth wall and onto your furnishings instead.
Dark color? Up there? Absolutely! Another way to make a space cozy is by painting your ceiling a contrasting color from the walls. When you use a darker hue to highlight your fifth wall, it creates the inviting illusion of a lowered ceiling and a lived-in look. Choosing a bold neutral for this daring feat ensures your overhead color blends seamlessly with the decor below it.
SHORTEN YOUR SPACE
Want to make a larger room feel more personal? Look to darker colors that draw you in. An accent wall surrounded by lighter tones is great for immersing yourself in a space, instead of making you feel removed. This bold contrast is also a great way to anchor your area.
Color blocking has always been a two-toned trend we love, but when used a certain way, it can also play with perspective. Adding a bolder color to the bottom of your walls helps to make them look shorter. This simple technique has an overall effect of visually shrinking the height in your space to make it feel more welcoming.
HIGHLIGHT A WALL
Whether you’re gathering to binge your favorite shows or put your gallery wall on
display, highlighting a section of your room is the perfect way to draw attention to an area. Surrounding a light-colored accent wall with darker colors from above and each side instantly frames the room and draws the eye to the focal point of your choosing.