I once rented a studio apartment with a funky tri-color painting scheme that pre-dated my lease. The kitchenette was painted plum purple; the studio area had a deep red wall surrounded by three walls of canary yellow. My building manager informed me that dark colors act as a light sink, enhancing the size and feel of smaller rooms so they don't appear as confined - at least, that's what a previous tenant, a design school grad, said to my manager when she agreed to paint the studio three years prior.
When I told people this story, the majority of them (myself once included) believed the contrary: light colored walls in small rooms make them feel bigger. Dark, rich colors are heavy and oppressive. They feel smaller.
To settle the debate and provide fresh small home decorating advice to Around the House visitors, I consulted Liz Morris, marketing director for Best Paint Company in
"People in apartments are really afraid of color. If you're renting, you're thinking you'll lose your deposit, and if you're in a condo, you're thinking it will be too dark," said Morris. "Jewel tones really liven up a room. [It] sounds contradictory, but they're darker and brighter."
So what is a good color scheme that enhances small spaces?
According to Morris, adding a deeply tinted accent wall can lend a home warmth, coziness and the allusion of more space. She suggested putting the accent wall opposite a window and having the adjoining walls be three or so shades lighter. The apartment at left employs two different colors in similar tones to break up each room and add differentiation.
If you're worried things will turn out too dark, you can mix in a clear glazing compound, a looser version of paint that provides more "open time" for removing or repainting your wall. You can also pull off paint to create texture when you add this compound.
Morris, who lives in a 750 square foot condo, recently repainted one wall in her living room in a dark teal blue. To add some dynamics to the paint job, she chose to paint a wall with a closet on it.
The accent wall, which can be broken up by artwork, pictures or a window, should complement the things around it. If you live in a space-precious studio apartment, try placing the accent wall by your bed. If you want to give your bathroom some loving, consider painting the area behind your sink and mirror in a deep, friendly color.
If you have a small kitchen, such as the one pictured at right, Morris proposed choosing a medium-toned color set beside a much lighter shade, so there is "no solid mass of color anywhere."
"Any time you can add a break in the color, it ends up looking bigger and brighter," said Morris.
Best of all, with today's variety of healthy, non-toxic paints, conscientious small home dwellers can decorate wisely. Best Paint products contain Low or Zero VOC's, or volatile organic compounds - harmful chemicals released as paint dries. These products perform well and work safely when you're painting a small space, which is most likely the only space you have!
Lest we deposit-savvy urban nomads feel excluded from the fun, Morris offered this pragmatic piece of advice. "Even if you're renting, throw some color on . . . and [before moving] prime the wall, paint it white and call it good. Throw some color in there, and then you get to love your space."
Best Paint Company offers healthy alternatives to conventional paint, including Low- and Zero-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint. By removing harmful chemicals from their products, Best Paint reduces toxic air pollutants, odor and sick building syndrome. You can find more information at www.bestpaintco.com.