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House Beautiful reports that designers recommend seven paint approaches to make small rooms feel more spacious, including painting an accent wall, color drenching, and carrying wall color onto the ceiling. These are design strategies that affect visual perception; the source does not establish that any approach physically enlarges a room or works equally well in every space.
House Beautiful has published seven paint strategies that interior designers say can make a small room feel more spacious, from extending one color across walls and ceilings to choosing paint with the room’s natural light in mind. The advice concerns visual perception, not changes to a room’s actual dimensions, and the report does not cite measurements or comparative testing; related interior design tips also address how a space can feel.
The recommendations come from designers Joe Waroquier, founder and principal designer of Joe Waroquier Home; Amber Guyton, founder of Blessed Little Bungalow; and Jewel Marlowe, an interior designer. Their suggestions range from restrained changes, such as painting one accent wall or dividing a wall’s color at chair-rail height, to more extensive treatments that cover walls, trim, doors, and ceiling in one color.
For color drenching, Marlowe recommends using one color across those surfaces to blur their boundaries. She says the method can work with light or saturated shades. A variation pairs wipeable matte walls with high-gloss trim or cabinetry. Guyton’s half-wall approach is an option for people reluctant to commit to a full-room color; she describes painting up to four to six feet, or adding wainscoting.
The other recommendations are to consider undertones, paint the ceiling, try deeper hues, and let natural light inform the choice. Waroquier advises testing several large paint swatches in the room at different times of day. He cautions that pale colors are not automatically the best choice: warm, muddy undertones may work against the bright effect someone expects, while stark white in a room with little natural light may read flat or gray.
How Paint Changes a Room’s Feel
Paint can change how a room’s boundaries, height, and color relationships register to the eye without altering its floor area. The designers’ advice matters to renters and homeowners looking for a visual change without structural work, though the report does not compare the cost or results of painting with other approaches such as mirrors or reducing clutter.
The suggestions also challenge the assumption that a small room always needs pale walls. Depending on its light, layout, and chosen finish, a deeper shade or one color carried across multiple surfaces may create a more continuous or enveloping effect. That is a design judgment, not a guaranteed result; the article offers expert opinion rather than controlled evidence that one technique reliably makes every small room look bigger.
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Seven Approaches to Small-Room Paint
The report places paint alongside familiar small-room design tactics such as mirrors, which reflect light, and reducing clutter. Its focus is the designers’ case that color can also influence perceived space. Waroquier says paint changes visual perception, while Guyton says it can give the eye an impression that a space has no bounds.
The seven ideas are to paint an accent wall; color-drench surfaces; check undertones; extend wall paint onto the ceiling; paint only partway up a wall; consider dark, saturated shades; and choose color in response to natural light. The advice is not a single formula: some options add a localized color feature, while others aim to make edges and surface changes less noticeable.
“Paint is a great way to make a small room feel larger because it changes the visual perception of the space.”
— Joe Waroquier, founder and principal designer of Joe Waroquier Home
Results Depend on the Room
The report does not provide test results, measured changes in perceived room size, or evidence comparing the seven methods. It also does not identify a paint color or finish that will suit every room. The effect of a choice may depend on natural light, existing surfaces, color undertones, and personal preference; the designers’ recommendations should be read as expert guidance, not a promise of a specific outcome.
House Beautiful’s supplied report text does not include a publication date, and it gives no cost estimates or information about how long the suggested finishes last. Readers may also need to check paint labels and product guidance before selecting a finish for a particular surface.
Test Swatches Before Painting
The practical next step suggested by Waroquier is to test several large swatches in the actual room and observe them under its changing light throughout the day before settling on a shade. Readers considering color drenching or a darker color can first decide whether to apply it across all surfaces or try a more limited treatment, such as an accent wall or a half-height section.
The report does not announce a follow-up study or new design standard. Any results will depend on the room and the paint selected; the source’s guidance is to make that decision in the space rather than assume that a particular light or dark color will work everywhere.
Key Questions
What paint approach do the designers favor for making a small room look bigger?
Jewel Marlowe favors color drenching: using one color on the walls, trim, doors, and ceiling. She says the approach can blur the visual boundaries between surfaces. This is her preference, not a proven best method for every room.
Do small rooms always need light paint?
No. The designers say deep, saturated colors can also work, potentially blurring corners and adding visual depth. Their recommendations depend on the room and its light, rather than a universal light-color rule.
How should I choose a paint color for a room with little natural light?
Waroquier advises considering the room’s existing light and says stark white can look flat or gray in a darker space. He suggests considering a softer neutral or a more saturated shade and testing large swatches in the room at different times of day.
Can I try these ideas without painting the whole room?
Yes. Guyton recommends an accent wall or painting partway up the wall—roughly four to six feet—or using wainscoting. These approaches add color without applying it to every wall and surface.
Source: housebeautiful.com
