Colours to decorate small areas

On reading the title of this piece, one perhaps smiles and says to oneself, “What spaces are there other than ‘small’ spaces?” Indeed, with the pressure on land, all our living areas are ‘small.’ Thus, it would be a great idea to learn what colours work well with small spaces. Most designers and decorators are giving ideas for decoration of small spaces.

The best colours for your small room don’t have to be light, or even neutral. How you decorate a small space is more important than choosing the lightest colour in hopes of making the room look larger. Darker colours can work well in small rooms with the right lighting,  shade and accessories.

One such colour is called ‘Light Pewter.’ It looks good whether the space gets a lot of natural light or very little, and is consistent throughout the space (no dark corners). So, what is Pewter colour? It’s a very light and neutral grey without blue, green or purple undertones. It has just enough colour to make cabinets pop, while being light enough to be a great background for displaying artwork.

A blue which has dominated the fashion industry is now making its foray into decor. This is reminiscent of beach hues, which are a combination of blues, sandy tones and turquoise greens. The blue can be layered with turquoise green to perfect a beach like fusion. While all living spaces are small, bathrooms are notoriously tiny. The challenge is to make them feel lighter and larger. The Pewter works here too, as does a not-too-pale grey that helps in visually expanding space. Pairing the exotic grey with white on an existing vanity cabinet and window trim, creates a gentle contrast and further helps  brighten the space.

At the start, we stated that light colours are not a must for small spaces. One dark colour that can be used is Baby Seal Black which can be used for an accent wall that stands out in a small room. Often, there’s a small space serving many different purposes, and this contrasting accent wall not only creates a focal point, but helps define a different area of the room. We often use the wall for a wall-hung TV and dark credenza, so it blends in. The TV doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb and the room ends up feeling more spacious.

Baby Seal Black is also great in different types of lighting from daylight to incandescent to LED. It’s not too green or purple, but a perfect balance of cool and warm, without going totally black. It has a soft charcoal feel. The way to make the space appear bright and larger is to introduce a bright white with it. The ceiling can be painted the same colour to eliminate the visual cutoff between the two surfaces. This tricks the eye into thinking the space is much larger.

Baby Seal Black is great with the greys and whites that are in vogue right now. Bold colours can create a lot of depth in a small space and when complemented with white mouldings and trims, it refreshes the spirit. Even purple, which is a very feminine and soft colour exudes luxury.

Painting a wall Orchid Purple adds a velvety accent to a wall that might typically be painted white or beige. The trick with using purple hues on a wall is to understand balance. If you paint the wall purple, you will need a light accent piece, such as, an ivory piece or a heavy marble statuette. Thus, decorating small spaces involves more than just colour – it is about balancing colours.