Spaces can feel very different depending on the finishes that have been applied after construction. A big part that contributes to the feeling of expansiveness, grandness, cosyness, length, etc. can be attributed to the colour choice of the material used for the floor and the paint on the walls. Here are some tips and tricks you can use to achieve different feels in a room;
1. How to make a room feel bigger, brighter and expansive.
It is common to find rooms that are either small, windowless or you may just want to make your room look bright and expansive using colour. The easiest way to do this is to ensure that the colour painted on the walls continues to the ceiling without interruption. This trick works best when you pair a soft coloured floor eg. Beige and light gray with white walls and ceiling. These bright and soft colours also work by reflecting light and making the rooms feel even bigger.
On top of this a trick is usually to add mirrors at high use areas and areas with lighting as they will make the room feel even bigger.
2. How to make a room feel warm and cosy
There is a difference in feel between the room described above with continuous flow of white between the walls and the ceiling and a room where the walls have a different colour, for example, an off white or peach. When trying to warm up a place and keep it classy and simple, colours that are closer to white but on the warm scale are easier to work with.
However, when one wants to make a space cosy with a statement colour, other colours like pink, peach, green, rose, salmon,yellow etc can also be used. Some cool colours such as purple and blues can also be used to make a place cosy but it is important to choose the right shade. When using these stronger colours, ensure that the room in question is well lit.
3. How to make a room appear higher than it is
The easiest trick alongside the ones mentioned in tip 1 is to divide the room horizontally using colour. It is important to ensure that the contrast between the ceiling and the wall is not too big. Therefore the ceiling should be the lightest colour, the wall a light but darker shade than the ceiling.
4. How to create a focal wall
Creating a focal/ statement wall means that you would like all the attention in the room drawn to that particular wall. This works best when you pair subtle colours with one strong colour, probably on the shorter walls of the room.
It draws the eye automatically to the bright coloured wall and is an easy way to add a personal touch. Note that painting the short wall can lengthen the room, while painting the strong colour on the long walls can make the walls feel a little closer and make the room cosier.
I hope the tips and tricks have been useful. Build wisely!
