Since I am all about keeping what you love and removing clutter from your life, that doesn’t mean that I don’t love decorating! I think people associate having less stuff to minimalism. And with minimalism, they assume everything has to be white with no rugs, wall decor, or any personality. And I am so not a believer in that mindset.
Instead I think when you have less stuff, you are able to use more color in your home to make things feel more cozy! To me, white on white isn’t cozy. But dark colors are! But dark colors can be scary, because we associate that with making a room feel small. So I have some tricks on colors that make a room look bigger. And they aren’t always what you think!
And because paint can totally transform a room, it is an easy way to redecorate without buying a lot of new things for the space. Instead find a color that works with your things and give the room a fresh coat of paint. You will be surprised how quickly just some paint can transform a room!
Soft Grays
While I am not a fan of all white, I am a fan of the soft grays. These colors make the walls feel more inviting than just stark white. But they do reflect the light really well, giving the appearance that the space is larger than it seems. The majority of our house is painted in Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore.
Deep Purples
Another color that makes the room look bigger is a deep purple and a white ceiling. Because of the stark contrast between the two, your eye naturally goes up. This creates the illusion that the room is bigger than it feels. We used Shadow by Benjamin Moore and we ended up having Sherwin Williams create a match color to it to touch up some areas after we painted the fireplace.
You can read more about our paint colors using deep purples below:
The Best Way To Create White Brick Fireplaces
Modern Farmhouse Living Room Reveal: One Room Challenge
Poppin’ Purple Paint (Cans) And A Bathroom Update
Warm Greens
Warm greens give any space the feel of being more grand. Because it is such a warm color, you just feel like the room is larger than it actually is. We used Dard Hunter Green by Sherwin Williams to paint our kitchen and dining room. It was a bold choice, but the room just feels cozy.
You can read more about how we painted it here.
Rich Blues
Another color that makes the room look bigger is rich blue hues. These colors, along with brightly patterned artwork, create a feeling of luxury in a space. We painted the ceiling and main wall of the kids’ playroom Sherwin Williams Naval. The color was dark but the room feels far more inviting. It is like the room gives you a big hug when you walk in. You can read more about painting the ceiling here.
Almost-Black Grays
I actually love having a dark painted bedroom. Not only does the space feel extra cozy, but I feel like you sleep better in such a space. And during the day, the room can feel calm because of the paint colors. Which is why it is great to paint bedrooms dark. They don’t feel small and they keep you cozy at night.
I have more tips for painting dark colors below:
How To Paint Edges Without Tape
One Room Challenge Reveal: Girls Bedroom Decor
I really feel that dark colors that make the room look bigger can be scary at first. But once you get some of your spaces painted, you will find that they are actually cozy and inviting. Some rooms may do better with a painted ceiling rather than walls. Other rooms may have a few walls painted dark with the other walls a lighter color to provide contrast. You have to find a way that you are comfortable to start with dark colors! But once you get used to the dark walls, there is no stopping you from painting everything dark, rich colors!
