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House Beautiful reports that three interior designers recommend seven paint techniques for changing how a small room is perceived. Their suggestions include painting an accent wall, carrying one color across walls and trim, and choosing paint with the room’s lighting and undertones in mind; the results depend on the space and the color used.
House Beautiful has published seven paint suggestions from interior designers for changing how small rooms look and feel, including painting an accent wall, using one color across walls and trim, and considering darker shades. The advice matters to renters and homeowners planning a room refresh, but it describes designers’ recommendations, not measured proof that any technique will make every room appear larger.
The report features advice from Joe Waroquier, founder and principal designer of Joe Waroquier Home; Amber Guyton, founder of Blessed Little Bungalow; and interior designer Jewel Marlowe. They describe paint as a way to influence visual perception, with the effect depending on the room’s shape, light, and chosen colors.
Guyton recommends an accent wall as a way to introduce color without painting the entire room. She also suggests painting only the lower portion of a wall—roughly four to six feet—or adding wainscoting. In her own living room, she said the partial-height approach added color without requiring her to commit to painting the full height of its 18-foot walls.
Marlowe’s main suggestion is color-drenching: using one color on the walls, trim, doors, and ceiling. She says the approach can blur boundaries between surfaces. For variation, she suggests combining a wipeable matte finish on the walls with high-gloss trim or cabinetry. Other recommendations include carrying wall color onto the ceiling, considering saturated or dark hues, checking a paint’s undertones, and choosing colors with the room’s natural light in mind.
Paint Choices That Change Room Perception
The suggestions offer practical alternatives to relying only on mirrors, decluttering, or furniture changes when refreshing a compact room. Painting the ceiling or extending a wall color across trim can make boundaries less prominent, while a half-painted wall can add color with a smaller commitment. Those choices may be useful when a full renovation is not planned.
The advice is not a guarantee of a larger-feeling room. A saturated color may create a cozy, enclosed mood rather than a brighter effect, and a pale color may look different under weak or changing light. The report presents these methods as design options whose effect depends on the space and the person’s preferences.
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Seven Techniques in the Report
The article groups its recommendations around how paint can alter the eye’s reading of surfaces, edges, and light. Its seven techniques are painting an accent wall; color-drenching a room; paying attention to undertones; painting the ceiling; dividing a wall horizontally; considering dark hues; and letting natural light guide the choice.
Waroquier cautions that a paint color’s lightness alone does not predict how it will feel in a room. He recommends testing large swatches in the room and checking them at different times of day before deciding. In rooms with little natural light, he says stark white can appear flat or gray, while a softer neutral or a more saturated shade may work better.
“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 comparative measurements or controlled tests showing how much larger a room appears after using any of the seven techniques. The claimed visual effects are attributed to the designers, and the article does not establish that one method works for all rooms.
It also does not identify a single best paint color for a given room. Natural light, existing finishes, room proportions, and personal taste can change how a shade reads. The report gives general advice rather than a room-by-room assessment or a promise of a particular result.
Test Colors Before Committing
For readers applying the advice, the designers’ next step is straightforward: test large paint swatches in the actual room, then view them under its changing light before selecting a shade. Those considering color-drenching can decide whether they want the same finish throughout or the contrast of matte walls and glossier trim.
The source material does not announce a follow-up study, product launch, or other scheduled development. Any result will depend on the paint choice and the specific room, so testing remains the practical next step before a full repaint.
Key Questions
What are the seven paint techniques?
The report recommends an accent wall, color-drenching, checking undertones, painting the ceiling, painting only part of a wall, considering dark hues, and choosing colors with natural light in mind.
Does dark paint always make a small room feel smaller?
No. Waroquier says a deep, saturated color can blur a room’s edges and create visual depth, though the report does not claim that this effect is guaranteed in every space.
What does color-drenching mean?
It means applying one color across several surfaces, such as the walls, trim, doors, and ceiling. Marlowe says this can make boundaries between surfaces less distinct.
How should I choose a paint color for a small room?
Consider the room’s natural light and paint undertones. Waroquier advises testing large swatches in the room and looking at them at different times of day before deciding.
Source: housebeautiful.com
