Did you know that you can deal with most problem spaces with just paint? Like an artist, you can use paint to fool the eye and change the look or feel of problem rooms. Even if you have never picked up a paint brush before, you can be a problem solver with simple color tricks.
- The room is too long: Try painting a warm color on one wall of a predominately cool or neutral room. The warm wall will appear to advance, making the room seem less like a bowling alley.
- The room seems too short: Paint one wall a cool color, leaving the rest of the walls warm. The cool wall will appear to recede, giving the illusion that the room is longer.
- The ceilings are too high: Although this is a problem that most homeowners would die for, some of you prefer a more intimate feel in your living spaces. In a room with high ceilings, paint the ceiling a darker color. It will appear even lower if you paint the top 12 inches of wall with the same ceiling color.
- The ceilings are too low: To make the ceilings appear higher, paint the ceiling a light color and bring the wall color up six inches on to the ceiling. Another trick to add to the illusion of height is painting the baseboards the same color as the walls.
- The room has no windows: Apart from knocking a hole in the wall and adding a window, the best solution is to paint the walls a light color (not necessarily white) in a paint finish that is reflective. A matte finish will absorb light, while a finish such as satin, will reflect light back into the room.
Get the picture? Warm = advancing. Cool = receding. Easy!
