Choosing the right colour for small spaces

The power of colour is that it can completely transform a space. You can use it to your advantage! If you have a tight space, for example, using colours cleverly can trick the eyes to make it appear bigger than it actually is.

Here are some ways to use colours wisely in small spaces:

1. Dissolve the lines between two rooms by using the same colour scheme throughout a small space

You can make the room feel larger by painting it the same colour as the area close to it. This technique is clearly applicable to rooms that open to each other — living rooms with an opening to the dining room, kitchens that flow into dining rooms, bedrooms with a small office attached.

Using the same colour scheme makes the two spaces feel more like one, showing more openness and spaciousness.

2. Choose an accent colour and layer it in the room

When selling your home, we always emphasise to keep the walls and upholstery colours neutral. But it doesn’t mean everything should be dull and boring. Used judiciously like the photo above, even the strongest colours of red and black won’t overwhelm quiet neutrals.

You can also bring splashes of colour to the inside of a bookshelf or a windowsill to bring excitement and depth to a room. If you have a foyer or hall, paint that a dark colour and ease into a lighter shades in the living room, which will make it feel more spacious by comparison.

3. Choose sharp colors to expand a space

Designer Mark McCauley, ASID, author of Interior Design for Idiots, suggests choosing a palette of sharper colours as opposed to duller ones. Sharp colours like really hot reds and electric blues or yellows and greens with negative space in between enhances the space’s clarity and openness.

4. Paint the ceiling a lighter colour than the walls

Draw the eye up by painting the ceiling a lighter colour than the walls to make it seem airier. Just remember to keep contrast low — meaning walls, floors, ceilings, and furniture should be in similar tones.

5. Lighting can also change the appearance of a room’s dimensions

Lighting can include window light, wall color, reflective surfaces and artwork, as well as lamps and light fixtures. “Anytime you can modulate lighting and have different levels of lighting in one room, you will create more depth,” says designer Christine Brun of Christine Brun & Associates.

About Belinda Grundy
Belinda is the director of leading Sydney home styling business Property Styling Online. The company helps property owners move and style their properties. They take the pain out of organising a property move and style properties for sale, aiming to save its clients the overwhelming stress of a move and get top dollar for their sale or rent out price of their property.