How to Choose Paint Colors for a Small Bedroom

A single rich color can unify a room and make walls seem to recede.

Creating a large, open feeling in a small space, such as a bedroom, poses a challenge for an interior designer. Choose the right colors to push walls back, create a mood and give a small bedroom a big feel. The right hue – and it’s not always white -- for your walls can make even the tiniest bedroom feel a little bit roomier.

Things You'll Need

• Creativity
• Paint brushes
• Tester pots

Instructions

1. Choose a light pastel color to brighten and make a room feel light, airy and spacious. Don't restrict yourself to pallid pink. Luscious lilac, aqua and spring mint tones can be used with great success.

2. Seek inspiration from the land and the sea to create space as well as warmth, serenity or relaxation. Green is relaxing on the eyes -- so it is an ideal choice for a small bedroom. Choose a cool cucumber tone. Create warmth, space as well as set the tone for a bedroom that is up to the minute with warm cocoas and neutral shades. Inspire a feeling of the tropics by introducing a dusty navy to your walls.

3. Use a monochromatic color palette -- colors from the same family -- to create an illusion of space by visually erasing borders and edges. Plus, it adds sophistication to the room -- making it perfect for a guest bedroom or older children.

4. Avoid texture on the walls as this can eat up space in your room. Even a small amount of texture can bring too much attention to the walls; use color to tone walls down and push them to the background. Use texture in accessories and furniture.

5. Give the illusion of height by choosing bright white paint for your ceilings. Choose carpeting or flooring the same color intensity as the walls to blur the boundaries between floor and walls, which creates a more spacious feeling.

References

• HGTV; Color Rules for Small Spaces; Anne Krueger
• House Beautiful; Best Colors for Small Rooms; Christine Pittel