13 Subtle Colors That Make Any Room Appear Bigger

If you live in a small apartment or home where lack of space could be an issue, we have a trick to help you make the most out of little. One of the best ways to make a small room or space appear bigger is through proper paint selection of the walls. We have brought to you 13 such subtle colors that you can use in your rooms to make them appear bigger.

Subtle colors will include all types of calming, light, and pastel shades. Loud color schemes can sometimes put off people and do not feel great in the long run. So, the lighter and subtle colors work well in the long run.

Tips to Choose the Right Color and Make Your Room Appear Spacious

While selecting a particular shade that fits well in your space, keep in mind aspects such as whether the room is a living room or a bedroom and whether it has a window or not.

  • Combine the wall paint color with the upholstery color to make the final look appealing. A neutral color scheme gives smaller rooms a more open and airy look.
  • If you are planning to change the look of your living room, you can go for a neutral shade like a soft blonde or beige as with the natural light coming in, it will help in making the space appear bigger.
  • Choose earthy tones from hues such as white, beige, blue, green, and brown. The variations in these colors help make the spaces look airy and spacious.
  • Choose light-colored flooring that falls in a way that it helps in increasing the length of the room.
  • Add soft-shaded reflective items such as mirrors and glass top tables to give a more open feeling to the room.
  • When there is a lack of space, it is always a better idea to choose fewer but large furniture pieces. Lesser pieces help make the spaces look bigger and comfortable.
  • Add plants to the brighter spaces of your rooms to give your rooms a natural and soothing effect.
  • While choosing wall décor items, instead of hanging many smaller pieces, choose one or two bigger pieces. This will help make the room look neat and spacious. A large painting or a canvas is a great option for wall décor.

More Tips on Furniture and Arrangement

  • Coordinate the furniture color with the wall paint and avoid using contrasting shades.
  • While choosing shades like white and beige, pick the furniture of earthy tones such as brown and mustard to make the room look natural and colorful.
  • In smaller rooms, use the vertical spaces and mix and match the colors of your utility furniture so that both the wall and furniture give a settling effect and make the room look bigger.
  • Move your furniture away from entry points such as doorways because it makes the room look cramped and cluttered. Placing the furniture in the right direction and spot makes the room color come out better and makes it appear bigger. The pathways must be clear for easy movement.

Wall Paints to Help You Make Your Rooms Look Bigger

We have prepared a list of some subtle shades to help you find your perfect shade. Please note that there is no fixed rule to follow when it comes to colors. You should experiment and see which color combination suits your space. It depends on what final look you want to achieve with your décor.

Given below are the subtle shades we think are a great choice for smaller spaces.

1. Crisp White

It will be a shame if we don’t add the universal color from the color palette. White walls are an evergreen solution to make the rooms look bigger and brighter.

It helps in reflecting light which gives an illusion of bigger space. With white, you can choose to go with the classic white wooden doors and windows or add some dark blue or brown shades in furniture to add some color.

2. Soft Pink

Soft pink or blush shade is soft and gives a calm and feminine touch to the room. Unlike the bright pink shades, it is much more soothing to the eyes.

Check out Krylon paint in this shade. Shades like baby pink, pale pink are one of the best choices for room décor. They look classy and like porcelain white, give the spaces an open feeling.

3. Gunmetal Gray

If you want some color without the walls looking like a dull white or beige, we would recommend you to try gunmetal gray. It is the perfect balance of warmth and color giving your space the modern and chic look.

The shade looks even when you let natural light come in during the day. Use light draperies and fabrics to make the room appear well-ventilated and spacious.

4. Pastel Purple

Pastel shades of colors like purple look great in small spaces. Choose a color like lilac or lavender to give your room the perfect look. By adding the right amount of color to the room, this color helps in making the space look spacious. You can use slightly darker shades also depending on your preference.

5. Sunset Orange

For some people, orange is a bright and loud color that could be extra dramatic. But sunset orange is the one for you if you wish to give your space a gentle yet bright touch.

When you keep the walls orange, choose furniture pieces with light hues. Too many colors in one room can make your subtle colors look loud. 

6. Teal

If you are into darker shades, teal is an excellent choice among the darker shades. It is a dark color but it can do wonders to your room if you combine it with some other neutral-colored items. It is a classic color that exudes confidence and versatility.

7. Mint Green

If teal is too dark for you, you can go for mint green. It is a much lighter shade of green that is a perfect example of color and calmness. It looks natural and dynamic. Add some neutral décor items like mirrors, wooden cabinets to give the room a beautiful look.

8. Tan

Tan is a gorgeous shade and like beige, it is also on top of the list of most home decorators. It is a warm and earthy shade and if combined with the right shades of furniture, it looks perfect in the backdrop. Find the Rust-Oleum tan paint here and add softness to your room.

9. Sky Blue

This dreamy color is the one for you if you are not too much into greens. Like white and beige, it also adds softness and helps in adding more light to the room, making the rooms appear larger.

10. Peacock

Peacock is the perfect combination of green and blue. It adds the right amount of drama and personality to the room. Add some boho accessories and furniture to make things vibrant and bold.

11. Pale Yellow

If yellow is too bright a color for you, then go for its paler shades. Softer shades of mustard and yellow look excellent in smaller spaces. They help add color and fun and make the rooms look bigger.

12. Light Brown

Yellow can be a bit too bright for a few people. If you want to play around with some darker shades, pick the shades of brown such as coffee and light brown. Brown makes the rooms look naturally big and simple. It is still a less explored color in homes.

Add it to your home and see for yourself the final look.

13. Light Gray

Gray is again a classic color to make your spaces look modern and sleek. It is more popular than white among people these days due to its subtleness. The trendy color comes in different shades such as ash gray and smoky gray.

Choose the one that goes well with other home décor items.

Who’s the Winner?

It can be extremely challenging to decorate your house and more so if you have to choose and match a color to make the spaces look bigger. We are not going to pick one color and say that it is the best for you. It is dependent on factors such as the room size, direction, ventilation, furniture, etc.

So pick and choose the best hue after having a look at all the shades and shortlist from our list two to three subtle shades that you like the most.

Combine the shades with your furniture and accessories to have the perfect look.

Conclusion

Keep the general tips in mind while choosing the color combinations for the spaces. Once you get a hold of the hues for the walls, furniture, and sheets, it will be easy for you to choose one combination. We hope our guide has helped you get an idea of the colors that work well with smaller spaces.

Lack of space should not be a problem anymore!

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