7 Hues That Expand the Appearance of a Tight Space
Maximizing Small Spaces with the Right Paint Colors
Tight quarters can be challenging, but a few clever tricks can help you make the most out of your limited square footage. Multipurpose furniture and minimalistic designs are solid options, but the perfect paint color can work wonders. Here's a roundup of the top paint hues recommended by interior designers to make even the tiniest room feel twice its size.
9 Paint Colors to Reveal Your Room's Hidden Space
- Calm: Benjamin Moore's Hidden Secret Elana Tenenbaum Cline, founder, and creative director of Carta Creatives raves about this soothing white, stating, "Calm is one of my go-to paint colors to make a space feel more expansive." Painting both walls and ceiling with this soft, neutral shade eliminates visual breaks, making the room appear bigger.
- Gentleman's Gray: The Oceanic Illusion Surprise, surprise! Darker hues can open up a space too, as demonstrated by Yena Jung of By Yena Designs. "Gentleman's Gray feels like looking out into a vast, never-ending ocean at night," she says. On the walls, this effect can make a room feel more spacious and open.
- Black Berry: Doing Dark Right Black paint can be cold and overwhelming, but this shade boasts a lovely purple and blue tint. "Black Berry feels warm and inviting and makes you want to be in the space," shares Jung. A correctly applied dark color looks best when it's not too streaky.
Acquire Expert Tips for an Impeccable Paint Job
- Alabaster: Perfected Perfection Shaolin Low, founder of Studio Shaolin, uses Alabaster in almost all her projects because it's the perfect soft white. Its warmth and slight greige undertones create an effortless feeling of openness in a room.
Looking for a Room That Feels Both Crisp and Cozy?
Tallow: A Neutral Fave Heather Kate, lead designer at MDI Luxury Design, vouches for Tallow as an excellent option for maximizing square footage. It's a soft, creamy yellow with warm undertones that helps make a room feel larger and more inviting.
- Sea Salt: Breezy Interiors If you're after a calming coastal vibe, consider the cool tones, says interior designer Ania Agárdy. "Lighter, cooler tones tend to visually recede, making walls feel farther apart and the room more spacious."
Chantilly Lace: Timeless and Elegant White Agárdy's go-to soft white is Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore. Its versatility, crispness, and airiness create a sense of openness in any room.
These paint colors do more than just color your walls; they can transform small, cramped spaces into dramatically larger ones. So, grab that paintbrush and get ready to unlock your room's hidden potential!
- According to Elana Tenenbaum Cline, founder of Carta Creatives, the calming white paint color 'Hidden Secret' by Benjamin Moore can help make a small space feel twice its size by painting both walls and the ceiling with this soft, neutral shade.
- Yena Jung of By Yena Designs recommends the paint color 'Gentleman's Gray' to create an oceanic illusion, making a room feel more spacious and open by painting the walls darker shades like this one.
- Heather Kate, lead designer at MDI Luxury Design, suggests 'Tallow' as a soft, creamy yellow paint color with warm undertones for maximizing square footage and making a room feel larger and more inviting.
- Martha Stewart's Pigment collection includes 'Sea Salt', a cool tone interior paint recommended by interior designer Ania Agárdy for creating a calming coastal vibe and visually receding walls to make a room feel more spacious.
