Small Space, Big Color

Designing a small space can be a struggle to get right. Ensuring an interior space feels open and vibrant is especially key during fall and winter as our living shifts to primarily indoors. Collective wisdom tells us over and over again that when it comes to small spaces, we should keep walls completely white. Although this is a good strategy for adding visual square footage to a space, painting a room entirely white is not the only way to go.

For those of us who love color there’s an alternative. Painting a space with lighter colors can be just as effective at cultivating spacious interiors. Light colors add interest and personality while maintaining the illusion of a bigger space that feels open and airy.

Photo Credit: Bethany Nauert

Here are some ideal light colors to add to a small space:

• One of this year’s hottest color trends is Millennial Pink, a small space variation of this color is Dunn-Edwards’ July Color of the Month, Rosy Cloud (DE5182).
• Berry Mojito (DET565) is a beautiful and tranquil shade of green that would work in any room.
• If you’re looking to brighten up a space and for a more cheery atmosphere, Gentle Yellow (DE5421), would be the perfect choice.

Photo Credit: STRUKTR Studios

Dark colors too, applied smartly (and with a matte finish), can make a small space appear larger. Dark colors have the ability to disguise a room’s edges and boundaries, giving the illusion of more space. Blur the lines with an accent wall in the below dark colors, or with any of our 5 favorite accent wall colors for fall:

Photo Credit: Bethany Nauert

• Black Spruce (DE6308) is another tone that’s perfect for fall. Its deep, moody green-gray hue will have you wanting to cuddle up with a cup of tea and listen to the sounds of falling rain in no time.
• Refined Green (DEA181). This color was the star of the bedroom designed by Denise Bosley Interiors at the 2017 Pasadena Showcase House.
• Add a luxurious feel to your space with the blue tones of Yankee Doodle (DET578).

A good trick to keep in mind when opting for wall colors in small spaces (especially if you go for
a dark accent wall) is to paint the ceiling white to make the room feel taller. Not only does Dunn-Edwards Paints carry a huge variety of colors but our interior paint contains low and zero VOCs, with little to no odor. This makes it easy to transform your space at any time of the year — no more waiting for summer to roll around so you can open the doors and air out your home while the paint dries.

Whether you’re looking for a nice accent wall or an all around paint job, with Dunn-Edwards’ Insta-Color® app, you can easily upload a photo from your personal library or choose one from ours, to give your space an instant paint job. You can also order up to 100 color samples to help narrow down your options.