Paint tricks
WITH THE RIGHT IDEAS AND A PAINTBRUSH TO HAND, YOU CAN MAKE COMPACT SPACES FEEL GRAND
1 MATCH PAINT WITH FURNISHINGS
For a space with awkward angles, one idea is to paint the walls and ceiling in a colour and then continue across the furniture. ‘I don’t think there is a single straight wall in this house. Everything is at an angle, so at times positioning furniture and art in a way that felt natural and correct was challenging.’
Chloé Mason Gray, interior designer
2 CAMOUFLAGE ARCHITECTURE
The ‘colour drenching’ trend, where every element from the ceiling down to the skirting is painted in the same colour, is a shortcut to making small rooms feel more streamlined. ‘Enveloping a room in colour and unifying the architecture is a great way to make boundaries disappear and will also calm down any busyness that can feel overwhelming in a small footprint.’
Lane Mcnab, interior designer
3 USE THE RIGHT PAINT
Full spectrum paints don’t contain any black (most paint colours do). This makes them more reflective in light shades and richer and deeper in other colours. ‘Choosing full spectrum paints reflects the full range of natural light, which adds a sense of harmony and expansion to a room.’ They were once more specialist products, but options such as Aura from Benjamin Moore prove full spectrum paints are now more widely available. Philippa Radon, paint specialist for C2 Paint
4 SKEW PERSPECTIVE
If you’re considering a half-painted wall, the height you choose changes how you perceive the dimensions of the room. ‘Simply paint the bottom third in one shade (this should be significantly darker or a different tone to the rest of the walls) and the remaining two-thirds a light shade. This trick works as your eyes are drawn to the darker or brighter tone at the bottom of the wall, which then makes the rest of the space between the wall and the ceiling seem longer, skewing the room’s perspective and making it seem much taller than it is.’ Be wary, though, as reversing the idea can create the impression of a lower ceiling so is best reserved for spaces you want to make feel cosier. Rudolph Diesel, interior designer
5 EMBRACE COLOUR
The idea of keeping it simple in a small room might sound appealing, but more vibrant paint colours can be a useful tool in changing your perception of a space. ‘The use of a bold pop of colour in a small space will make it feel 10 times larger, especially when carried up over the ceiling. Colour actually adds depth to your walls when usually our clients think the opposite is true.’
Jenna Choate-james and Mariana Ugarte, interior designers and co-founders of Interior Fox
6 WELCOME TEXTURED PAINTS
Looking beyond standard matt paint for walls and ceilings can give a small space more dimension. ‘Gloss is a brilliant finish to help bounce light around a small space. As with all paint finishes, there are caveats – one being your walls need to be of the smoothest quality or you will see every imperfection.’ Patrick O’donnell, brand ambassador for Farrow & Ball
7 GO ALL IN ON A DARK SCHEME
Think bright white walls are always the best choice for small spaces? Think again. ‘Dark colours don’t always lead to dark spaces. When combined with the right mix of textures and finishes, they quite often create cosy rooms with a moody undertone.’ Sometimes, trying to fight the natural characteristics of a room will just lead to a design that feels embattled – follow the room’s lead and play up this cocooning nature instead.
Becky Russell, chief executive officer at Kingston Lafferty Design
8 DON’T PAINT THE CEILING WHITE
When using colour on the walls of a small room, it can be tempting to choose white for the ceiling to ensure it is light and bright overhead. ‘One of the biggest pitfalls is thinking you must paint the ceiling in brilliant white. This draws the eye upwards, bringing attention to the ceiling as soon as you enter the room, due to the strength and brightness of the shade. Brilliant white can also often have the effect of creating a harsh, clinical atmosphere due to its blue undertones.’
Ruth Mottershead, creative director of Little Greene
9 STRETCH PROPORTIONS WITH STRIPES
We all know that wearing stripes can change your perspective on your body’s proportions, but the same is true for walls, too. But which way should you paint striped walls to make a space feel bigger? ‘If you want to add height to a room, paint vertical stripes; if length or width, add horizontal stripes. They make for a bold wall, but will also completely change how your eye processes the room.’
Annie Sloan, paint and colour expert
LOOKING BEYOND STANDARD MATT PAINT FOR WALLS AND CEILINGS CAN GIVE A SMALL SPACE MORE DIMENSION
10 TRY AN ACCENT WALL
Painting one wall in a different colour has long been a favourite trick of interior designers – even in smaller spaces. ‘We often think that light walls automatically make a space look bigger, but that isn’t always the case. A dark accent wall can add contrast and dimension, while visually enlarging the space – and going dark in a small space can give your eye a much-needed place to land or highlight a focal point.’ Kathryn Findlay, interior designer and founder of Studio Findlay