Painting Rooms
To Manipulate the Space

Can you really manipulate the living space just by painting rooms creatively?
Yes you can! I am going to share with you special room painting tips and tricks, and if you use them to paint your room, you can visually dramatically alter that room's dimensions.

So let's play illusionists today: you pick a room you'd like to change, and I'll show you how easy it is to fool the eye by using a magic tool also known as... color!

Painting Small Rooms

Use light, pale/pastel colors for the walls and ceilings
Choose cool paint colors to paint a room (e.g. blues and greens seem more distant)
Add height to rooms by painting ceilings with the lightest shade of the wall color or a pale sky blue
Paint crown moldings the same color as the walls
Avoid high contrast between the wall color and painted woodwork, furniture and decorations
Avoid wall patterns, borders and anything that draws too much attention to the walls

Painting X-Large Rooms

Use deeper/darker colors for the walls and ceilings
Choose warm colors to paint a room (e.g. colors in the red, yellow and orange family appear closer)
Enclose the space by painting ceilings a shade of the wall color or deeper (depending on how much you want to bring the ceiling down)
Break up the large wall or ceiling space with texture and/or decorative painting patterns, using wallpaper or faux painting finishes
Create visual breaks - install a chair rail or picture moldings and paint the sections with a different color or shade

Painting Long Rooms

Paint the shortest walls with a deeper shade of the same color
Turn the short end wall into an accent wall, using these decorative wall painting ideas

Painting Short Corridors

Paint the end wall with a lighter shade
Elongate the space by painting stripes on walls (horizontal stripes on the side walls)

Painting Narrow Hallways

Use light, pale colors for the walls
Painting ceilings with a deeper color than the walls will create a more square shape

Painting Boxy Rooms

Create a focal point using these wall painting ideas
Change proportions by using a deeper shade on the wall you want to bring forward
Paint vertical stripes to create structure

Painting Featureless Rooms

Choose high contrasting colors for the walls and trimwork
Create an illusion of a chair rail (if you don't have one) by painting the top and bottom of the walls with 2 different shades
Use the right interior paint finishes - flat paint for the walls, and glossy finish to accentuate the trimwork
Use faux painting finishes to add interest and texture

Concealing Architectural Eyesores

Paint over vents and electric plates using the wall color and finish
Avoid high contrasts in color
Oddly shaped ceilings or numerous crannies and corners can be concealed by using the same color and finish throughout the room

Try these simple room painting ideas and you'll be amazed at how many design problems can be easily solved, just by painting rooms creatively!