How to Choose Interior Paint Colors
Make a small room look larger by painting the walls a light color., Widen a room by painting the walls a color that matches the furniture., Add visual weight to a wall by choosing bold, bright colors., Reduce visual weight by selecting neutral...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make a small room look larger by painting the walls a light color.
A small bathroom or cramped den will look more open if the walls are painted white or in a pastel shade.
Cool pastels are especially effective in opening a room. -
Step 2: Widen a room by painting the walls a color that matches the furniture.
The furniture does not need to be the same color, but placing furniture in a room with walls that fall within the same color family will make the colors blend more, creating an overall space that looks wider and more open. , Bright colors draw the eye.
If you want to draw attention to the walls, one wall in particular, or to the ceiling, consider using a color that is bolder than any of the other colors found in the room. , Neutral colors, especially shades of white, fade into the background.
As a result, they show less of the surface they are painted onto, giving it less presence and less visual weight. , This technique causes the dark color to recede, creating an illusion of width, and balancing out the room's proportions. , Darker shades force your eye to look at head level, keeping the focus on your walls and furnishings.
However, dark colors can make a low ceiling appear too overbearing. , Light colors on the ceiling attract attention.
In doing so, however, they make a room look taller than it actually is, making light colors especially well suited for low- to average-height ceilings. -
Step 3: Add visual weight to a wall by choosing bold
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Step 4: bright colors.
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Step 5: Reduce visual weight by selecting neutral colors.
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Step 6: Paint the end walls of a narrow room a darker shade than the long
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Step 7: narrow walls.
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Step 8: Keep the focus on your walls by painting your ceilings a dark color.
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Step 9: Create an illusion of height by painting the ceiling a light color.
Detailed Guide
A small bathroom or cramped den will look more open if the walls are painted white or in a pastel shade.
Cool pastels are especially effective in opening a room.
The furniture does not need to be the same color, but placing furniture in a room with walls that fall within the same color family will make the colors blend more, creating an overall space that looks wider and more open. , Bright colors draw the eye.
If you want to draw attention to the walls, one wall in particular, or to the ceiling, consider using a color that is bolder than any of the other colors found in the room. , Neutral colors, especially shades of white, fade into the background.
As a result, they show less of the surface they are painted onto, giving it less presence and less visual weight. , This technique causes the dark color to recede, creating an illusion of width, and balancing out the room's proportions. , Darker shades force your eye to look at head level, keeping the focus on your walls and furnishings.
However, dark colors can make a low ceiling appear too overbearing. , Light colors on the ceiling attract attention.
In doing so, however, they make a room look taller than it actually is, making light colors especially well suited for low- to average-height ceilings.
About the Author
Jerry Murray
Specializes in breaking down complex organization topics into simple steps.
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