How to Choose a Paint Color for a Small Bedroom

Paint samples help select the appropriate room color.

Choosing a paint color for a room can be a challenge. You must take a variety of factors into consideration, such as the room's existing decor, condition of the walls, amount of lighting and purpose of the room. These considerations hold true for a small bedroom as well. The paint color you choose for a small room will have a significant impact on the look and feel of the room when it is done. The wrong paint color choice when painting a small bedroom will make the room look dark and depressing. The right paint color will bring a small bedroom to life and make it feel warm and cozy or cheerful and inviting.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Paint color deck or samples

1. Choose a lighter shade of paint for small rooms. In most cases, homeowners want to make the room look as big as possible. An effective way to make a small bedroom look larger is to use a light color paint. The lighter the paint, the bigger the room looks. The darker the paint, the smaller the room will appear. A good rule of thumb when picking any paint color is to find the color you like and then go two shades lighter.

2. Take into consideration the purpose of the room. For example, consider a light pastel, such as a soft yellow, pale pink or very light blue if decorating a nursery. Many off-white paints will have a hint of color and can give you all the color you need. Ask your paint store for a brochure of "whites." A soft yellow or warm off white paint color will provide a warm, cozy feeling to the room. A soft blue paint will give your small bedroom a cooler look.

3. Consider the bedroom's lighting situation. Natural lighting in a small room plays a big part in paint color choice, particularly if you want to make the bedroom look bigger. A room on the south side of the house that receives plenty of sun will be naturally warm and inviting. A small room in the basement or on the north side of the house that gets little natural light will need all the help it can get from a warm paint color.

Tips & Warnings

• Visit your local paint store for paint color samples and ideas

• Buy a sample size to try before buying enough paint for the whole room

• Pick and color, but buy it two shades lighter

References

• This Old House; Choose Paint Colors With a Color Wheel; Natalie Rodriguez