If you have ever stood on the white sands of a deserted beach or in the depths of a dimly lit cave, you have experienced colors effect on dimension. In the outdoors, the effects are literal and effortless. To create the same feel in interior spaces, a bit of effort and sense of how color and dimension work together is essential.
Are you unable to make structural changes to your abode? Consider using color to transform your cottage into a castle or your castle into a cottage. Here are some proven tips to alter size with color.
Cozy Up
When looking to minimize the size of a space, look to darker colors. Using warm tones on walls can create intimacy and a sense of security. You may choose to do this in spaces such as a library, sitting room or dressing room. Accenting with darker shaded textiles and furniture can enhance the cozy effect in even the largest of rooms. If the room is disproportionately large for its intended purpose, consider using the same color on the walls and ceiling.
Grand Scheme
If cottage to castle is more your style go white! Always fresh and always inviting, the absence of color creates openness. Older homes are filled with character but rooms tend to be smaller. Put that character to work by using white to expand. Sound too boring? Use other light, neutral colors on walls and consider white furniture and trimmings. This works exceptionally well in smaller bedrooms and dining areas.
Long and Short of It
At times, adding an addition to an existing property or building rows of apartments creates rooms with less than desirable measurements. Color can help in this case too. Have a long, awkward living area? Consider painting the most distant wall in a darker color and the side walls in a lighter shade. This creates the sense that the farthest wall is closer, in effect shortening the space. Do the opposite to lengthen an uncomfortably short room like a bathroom or small office.
Heights Above
Dreaming of the endless space only a royal dining hall can offer? If you are on a pauper’s salary; turn to color. Generally, ceilings are painted white but consider using that white paint to extend the ceiling two to four inches down the wall. Seems counterintuitive but this faux molding, especially when used with a wall color at least a few shades darker, draws the eye upward. Again, the opposite can be achieved by painting ceilings a dark, regal color to match walls.
So whether you are already settled into your Neal Signature Home or you are making due until your dream home is realized use color to ground your rooms, improve your perspective, or expand your horizons.
Need help? Our expert team of designers are poised to help you personalize your home with depth and dimension so that you have the feeling you're looking for when you step into your home.