Make Paint Work For You

Guest Post
By Ryan

Painting a room can be a fun and effective way to breathe new life into your home. This year, bright colors contrasted with softer, muted tones are very chic. In addition to being a great way to add some flair to the room, painting can be a great way to expand the size of a room. If you’re dealing with cramped quarters, you might be asking yourself if there is any way to possibly deal with the small space other than taking out a wall. Here are a few tips for using paint to expand your room.


The Two-Inch Rule 


If you’re dealing with a low-slung ceiling, you know the frustration of cramped space. It can feel suffocating and claustrophobic in a cramped room. Fortunately, there is something called the Two-Inch Rule. Before you start painting, go around and put painter’s tape two inches above where the wall meets the ceiling. Paint the walls of your room a color that is bright and will make things pop. When you’re painting the upper part of the walls, go an extra two inches up so that you’re painting for the first two inches of the ceiling. This creates the illusion of more space and is a pretty nifty trick when dealing with a low-slung ceiling.


Cold Colors 


Here’s a good rule to remember: the colder the color, the bigger it will make your room look. Pick an icy blue or a mint green and, because these colors seem so distant, they will instantly add extra square footage to your room. Using a texturizing technique like sponging can also help give the eye something else to look at. Just remember: cold=big.


Striping 


Another good painting technique for opening up a room in your house is to stripe. Always make the stripes vertical, as this will give the eye a distinct line to follow. Painting horizontal stripes will have the opposite effect of closing a room in. You can compliment your vertical stripes with furniture that has strong vertical angles. Bookshelves that are tall and thin can go a long way toward making your room seem much, much larger.


These are just a few tips to help you expand your room without calling a contractor. If paint isn’t your thing, try the vertical furniture idea. The key is to draw the eye upward and try to minimize lateral movement of the eye.
Ryan is a guest blogger who writes about interior design, Austin real estate and Costa Bella homes for sale.