24-04-2020
5 Ways to Change a Room with Paint
Paint is a cheap and easy way to dress up a room in your home: a few brush strokes and it becomes a completely different space! If you want to know how to make a room appear taller, wider, or longer, here is everything you need to know.
Pro-Tip for healthy living: look for paints with minimal or non-existent amount of V.O.C. (volatile organic compounds). Those toxic and carcinogenic compounds are found in conventional paints, coats, and glues. If you are working with an entrepreneur for a new home, make sure he prioritizes you and your family’s health. At Urbaneco, our indoor finishes are always purchased locally with minimal or non-existent V.O.C.
Give the illusion of more space
You have a small room you wish to make bigger, but you don’t have enough money for a big renovation? Bring space to this room with cool, neutral, or white tones. They will reflect light and make the smallest rooms feel open and spacious! A selection of furniture with light complementary colours will maximize the effect. If your furniture has darker tones, you can also paint the bottom half (or quarter) of your wall with a darker shade. This will make them look like they belong!
Higher ceilings
It’s a classic: apartment ceilings can tend to be lower, especially in basements. To make them appear higher, paint the walls a darker colour than the ceiling and the floor. If you wish to go for a very dark shade, opt for a shiny finish. It will reflect more light than a matte finish, which will maximize the effect you are looking for.
Making a long room or a hallway seem smaller
Hallways and rectangular shaped rooms are often awkward spaces that can seem very long. A dark shade on the back wall, accompanied with a lighter shade on the surrounding walls will break the depth and make the room look wider.
Making a room seem longer
On the contrary, a lighter shade on the back wall surrounded by a darker shade will add depth to a room. Another trick that works just as well is to paint a horizontal stripe on the wall to create a vanishing point. The wall facing the stripe should be painted the same colour. This will trick the eye into thinking that the room is longer than it actually is!
Define spaces
With many distractions around, it can be hard to study or work from home. Defining a clear workspace will help you get in the right zone to be productive, as well as creating a ‘’room within another room’’. This technique can also be used to highlight a piece of furniture in your home.
Finally, choosing a colour palette that is not strictly made of neutral, white, grey, or black tones will add some pop and personality to your home! Colours that you wear well or go with things you already own (furniture, frames, candles, cushions, etc.) are preferred. The entire palette can be used as an inspiration for the overall look and feel of the room.
We are sure that there are plenty of other tips and tricks on how to change the size of a room with paint. If you know them, don’t hesitate to comment below!