Coastal Colors That Make Your Room Look Bigger
By Laura Mueller
Living in a small home? There are a lot of ways to increase the visual appearance of your space, even if you can’t increase your actual square footage. This includes a wide variety of paint colors that make a room look bigger — and feel bigger, too.
By making smart choices with your home’s color schemes, you can give the illusion of more space and help make better use of the space that you have.
Pale blue
Pale blue is a gentle shade that offers a soothing, calming touch to any room. It also works to make a room feel bigger, particularly when combined with other light colors on the ceiling, trim, and doors.
Our picks:
Benjamin Moore Bright and Early
Behr Beach Foam
Dark blue
If you’d rather go dark with your blue, consider dark blue shades like navy and indigo. When used wisely — such as on an accent wall, with color blocking, or paired with similarly hued accents — these rich tones can heighten the drama of your space, and by default, its sense of size.
Our picks:
Valspar Indigo Streamer
Blush pink
Blush pink is an unexpected but inspiring neutral, taking on an almost peach-like hue in rooms where natural light is lacking. Complement it with other, more conservative neutrals like beige and white for balance and you should end up with a room that feels bigger and brighter than it did before.
Our picks:
Benjmain Moore First Light
Behr Rosewater
Cool gray
Grays in a variety of shades are another great replacement for white, though when you’re considering room size, opt for a cool shade to add brightness and depth, particularly in rooms that only receive moderate amounts of light.
Our picks:
Behr Platinum
Benjamin Moore Graytint
Crisp white
We’d be remiss if we left white off of this list of colors that make a room feel bigger. That being said, white isn’t foolproof for this purpose, and might look drab (and have the opposite effect) in an otherwise dark room. Stick to a crisp hue and keep it bright and airy with natural wood accents and plenty of plants, plus a pop or two of color where appropriate.
Our picks:
Benjamin Moore Decorators White
Light green
The perfect light green can quickly open up your space while also providing soothing aspects similar to light blue. For an updated look, opt for a muted sage or moss tone instead of going more traditional.
Our picks:
Benjamin Moore October Mist
Backdrop Road to Todos Santos
Other Creative Ways to Make a Room Look Bigger With Paint
How you use paint in a room can be just as important as what colors you choose for making a room look and feel bigger than it is. Try these techniques to expand your space and make the best use of your available square footage.
Paint an accent wall
Accent walls serve as de facto focal points in a room. They can also lend an additional dimension to a space that needs it. You can choose to paint one accent wall or mix it up by painting two walls in a darker shade and two walls in a lighter shade within the same color family. As a good rule, keep your accent wall (or accent walls) to the longer walls in a room and go lighter with the shorter walls.
Paint the ceiling
If you want to add the illusion of height to a room, look up. In smaller rooms, painting the ceiling a light color can heighten the overall feel of the space. And it doesn’t have to be a shade of white, either. Turn tradition on its head by using a crisp white on the walls and trim with a pop of color on the ceiling.
Consider what direction your windows face
Some things that you’ll want to keep in mind when picking and choosing what paint colors and techniques will help enlarge your space include what direction your windows face (east and west will provide you with the most natural light, while north and south will have the opposite effect),
as well as what other color accents you have in the room.
Pay attention to clutter
Clutter – whether it’s in the form of actual stuff or too many hues – will close in your space, while opening it up with a monochromatic palette could work in your favor.
Frequently Asked Questions About Colors That Make a Room Look Bigger
What color makes your room look bigger?
There are quite a few, though most people tend to choose lighter paint colors like off-whites, light neutrals and pastels.
Do darker colors make rooms look bigger?
Surprisingly, yes. Contrary to traditional thinking, dark colors can create an illusion of depth thus enlarging the room visually. Plus, they make a bold statement.
Do warm colors make the room seem bigger?
Cool colors tend to open up a room more than warm ones, but peach-like hues can work well. Taupes with pink red or yellow undertones are good options as well.
