Special Tricks, or never paint against the light!

Painting Rooms

Special Tricks to Manipulate the Space

Let's play magician today:

You pick a room you'd like to change, and we'll show you how easy it is to fool the eye by using a magic tool also known as... color!

Small Spaces

Use light, pale colors for the walls and ceilings
Cool colors like blues and greens seem more distant
Add height to the rooms by painting ceilings with a lighter shade of the wall color or a pale sky blue
Paint crown moldings the same color as the walls
Avoid high contrast between the wall color and painted woodwork, furniture and decorations
Avoid wall patterns, borders and anything that draws too much attention to the walls

Extra Large Spaces

Use deeper colors for the walls and ceilings
Warm colors in the red, yellow and orange family appear closer
Enclose the space by painting ceilings a shade of the wall color or deeper (depending on how much you want to bring them down)
Break up the wall and/or ceiling surface with texture and pattern, using wallpaper or faux painting finishes
Create visual breaks - install a chair rail or picture moldings and paint the sections with a different color or shade

Long Rooms

Paint the shortest walls with a deeper shade of the same color
Turn the short end wall into an accent wall, using these decorative wall painting ideas

Short Corridors

Paint the end wall with a lighter shade
Elongate the space by painting stripes on walls (horizontal stripes on the side walls)

Narrow Hallways

Use light, pale colors for the walls
Painting ceilings with a deeper color than the walls will create a more square shape

Boxy Shape

Create a focal point using these wall painting ideas
Change proportions by using a deeper shade on the wall you want to bring forward
Paint vertical stripes to create structure

Featureless Rooms

Choose high contrasting colors for the walls and trimwork
Create an illusion of a chair rail (if you don't have one) by painting the top and bottom of the walls with 2 different shades
Use the right interior paint finishes - flat paint for the walls, and glossy finish to accentuate the trimwork
Use faux painting finishes to add interest and texture

Architectural Eyesores

Paint over vents and electric plates using the wall color and finish
Avoid high contrasts in color
Oddly shaped ceilings or numerous crannies and corners can be concealed by using the same color and finish throughout the room

Try these painting tricks and you'll be amazed at how many design problems can be simply solved, by painting rooms creatively!

Need a quote for painting rooms
in your Philadelphia home?

Call Jim Tyler (215) 964-8505

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