Painting Mistakes That Can Make Your Home Look Smaller

 We all dream of a bright, airy space that’s large enough to hold all our cherished possessions. There’s a nearly irresistible appeal to those grand spaces we see online: They seem free of clutter and effortlessly beautiful. In reality, though, those spaces are hard to come by, and—if you’re like most of us—you struggle to fit everything you need in a space that feels too small too often.

Balancing necessary storage and your vision for your home is no small feat, but it’s doable, especially when you use all the visual tricks and smart storage solutions you can find to make the job easier.

That’s what Embrace Your Space: Organizing Ideas and Stylish Upgrades for Every Room on Any Budget, a new book by long-time home expert and editor Katie Holdefehr with photography by Genevieve Garruppo, is all about. Embrace Your Space highlights gorgeous, functional rooms of all sizes and styles that maximize storage and space without sacrificing aesthetic. Packed with visual inspiration and actionable tips anyone can use, the book is a compact guide to creating a home that works for you, whatever your needs are.

To celebrate the book’s launch, we spoke with Holdefehr—the assistant editorial director at Real Simple, a sister publication of Better Homes & Gardens—to share some top tips from the beautiful spaces featured in her book. Read on for the biggest paint-color mistakes Holdefehr has seen, plus the simple swaps to correct them, as seen in Embrace Your Space.

 Mistake #1: Choosing a High-Contrast Trim Color

“Glossy black moldings and window frames look sleek and modern, but in a tiny room, contrasting trim can actually make the space appear smaller,” Holdefehr says. “To expand the space, opt for trim that’s lighter than (or the same color as) the walls. Painting the walls, molding, and door frames white will help the room feel bright and neutral, a blank canvas that lets your furniture and decor shine.”

Pictured above: As soon as designer Leanne Ford got the keys to her family’s L.A. cabin, she painted the entire place—window frames, ceiling, and floors too—a warm shade of white, Behr’s Crisp Linen. The once-retro wood-paneled cabin retains its charm, but the fresh paint really lightens things up.

Mistake #2: Painting the Ceiling Too Dark

“If you’re going for the dark, cozy hideaway look in a room, go ahead and paint the ceiling (and walls and even trim) a moody hue,” Holdefehr says. “But if your goal is to make the room look larger, never paint the ceiling a dark color: It will visually drop your ceiling height by a couple feet. Instead, paint the ceiling white, or at least a shade lighter than the walls.”

Generally, putting lighter paint colors at the top of a room and darker colors near the bottom will help make most rooms look taller than they actually are.

“If your room has wainscoting, consider painting a darker hue on the paneling and a lighter shade on the wall above,” Holdefehr says. “Flipping this arrangement could make the room feel top-heavy and dark.”

Pictured above: Throughout her Santa Monica bungalow, florist Kaylyn Hewitt used white paint on the ceiling, walls, and moldings. This neutral backdrop lets her collection of house plants stand out.

 Mistake #3: Thinking You Always Have to Choose White Paint

“In a room with great natural light, white paint will reflect as much sunlight as possible, helping the space feel bright. But in a cramped, windowless room that doesn’t have any sunlight to reflect, white paint just isn’t going to trick you into thinking the room is big,” Holdefehr says. “In a tiny, dark bathroom or narrow hallway, it may be better to embrace a darker hue or a rich jewel tone. These colors will make the space feel luxurious, while bringing the design drama.”

Pictured above: Knowing that white paint doesn’t automatically enlarge a room, writer and creative consultant Natasha Nyanin decided to go moody in the bathroom and brushed on a coat of Clare’s Blackest.

Mistake #4: Failing to Highlight High Ceilings

“If you’re lucky enough to have high ceilings, flaunt them!” Holdefehr says. “If you have picture rail moldings, paint the ceiling and down to the molding all one color, in a shade that’s lighter than the wall color below.”

Don’t worry: This trick works even if you don’t actually have decorative molding. You can fake the look with a color-blocking method that works equally well to help spotlight a room’s high ceilings.

“Apply painters tape about one foot below the ceiling, all the way around the room, then paint the ceiling and down to the painters tape. By extending the ceiling, you draw the eye up, accentuating the height of the room,” Holdefehr says.

Pictured above: In Nyanin’s studio, the crisp white ceiling stretches down to the molding. Paired with a light gray wall paint, the neutral hue pulls your attention to the ceiling.

Mistake #5: Painting a Small Space All One Color

“If your space is super small (we’re talking 350-square-foot-studio small), then visually dividing the room with color can help it feel more spacious,” Holdefehr says. “Vibrant paint can separate a desk area from the rest of the living room, or a dining nook from the adjoining kitchen.”

Pictured above: In fashion PR pro Lisa Lu’s New York City studio, a coat of Tanlines by Backdrop makes the dining area distinct from the adjoining kitchen. While bold color used throughout might make this small home feel overwhelming, when used in small doses, it can help carve out additional rooms.

Mistake #6: Not Painting to Reduce “Visual Clutter”

“Similar to how decluttering a tiny room can make it feel larger, reducing the ‘visual clutter’ in a small room can make it look bigger,” Holdefehr says. “One way to cut down on visual clutter is to paint a radiator, medicine cabinet, or shelves the same color as the wall. With these items painted a unifying color, the design looks cohesive and intentional. Save high-contrast paint for only those elements that you want to draw attention to, such as a fireplace that serves as the focal point for a living room.”

Pictured above: Designer Lindsay MacRae painted her clunky radiator the same shade of white as the wall behind. For items that are essential but unattractive, let them camouflage with the wall color.

Mistake #7: Not Designing for Depth

“If your home has a series of rooms with entrances that line up (called an enfilade in the architecture world) or even just one room that leads into another, use these moments as an opportunity to expand your space,” Holdefehr suggests. “Painting the first room a deep color and the farthest room a light color will help the far wall recede, elongating your space. Similarly, if there’s an archway leading from your living room into the kitchen, consider painting the arch a deep color, but keep the kitchen light and bright. The visual effect of this progression reminds me of walking through the woods and stepping into a bright, open clearing.”

Pictured above: In Matthew DeRosier and Casey Gorrell’s one-bedroom apartment, layers of forest green and navy blue paint ultimately lead into a sunny, white kitchen. Your eye travels from green, to blue, to white, adding visual interest while accentuating the length of the apartment.