7 Genius Colour and Light for Small Spaces Techniques Interior Designers Swear By

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Colour and light for small spaces: A complete guide to transforming your compact living areas.

Colour and Light for Small Spaces

One of my clients had a question about colour and lighting for small spaces, and I thought some of you had the same question. So I thought, why not discuss about colour and lighting for small spaces?

As a specialist in small space interior design, over time, one of the tricks that I learned is a combination of colours and lights are the elements that can make your small spaces feel twice as large.

Today, I will share a complete guide with you that highlights all the knowledge about colour and thoughtful lighting tricks to maximise the potential of your small space.

This post is all about 7 game-changing colour and light for small spaces techniques interior designers swear by. 

Colour and Light for Small Spaces

1. Understanding the Psychology: Colour for Small Spaces

When you moved/ are moving into your first studio apartment, you see that white colour turned yellowish. I suggest your home needs a fresh coat of white paint -but the colour isn’t just about aesthetics.

Colour for Small Spaces: It’s all about creating an emotional connection that turns your small space into a cozy looking/ feeling.

Best Colour and Light for Small Spaces

Colour is the most powerful design element in small spaces, “It also affects our mood”. Through colours, you can make rooms feel luxurious, expensive, and light, cuddly, cozy, and huggy.

When you come home after a long day of work- and want to calm down your mind (feel relaxed), use sage green, beige, and other lighter colours.

Try to incorporate colours that are inspired by nature- when you go for a short walk, you feel relaxed, and that works the same when you select colours that are from nature.

2. The Light for Small Spaces: Natural and Artificial Illumination

Natural light is your best friend as a small space owner!

It doesn’t matter whether you are living in a size of 300 sq ft, 345 sq ft….400 sq ft. studio apartment.

Light for Small Spaces

You can maximize the clever window space by window treatment and strategically placed mirrors to bounce light throughout the room.

Let’s talk about window treatments! Heavy non-shear drapes might work in larger homes, but in small spaces, they can be overwhelming.

Instead, consider using sheer curtains or light-filtering blinds (automated blinds that adjust throughout the day, maximizing natural light while maintaining privacy).

3. Colour Schemes That Create Depth in Small Spaces

As you reach here while reading, we discussed about using white and lighter colours. But the secret is – it’s not always the best solution (this solution also depends on your style preference). 

As I mentioned earlier, light colours genuinely help to create an airy and cozy feeling.

Hold on! Clever use of darker colours like navy blue and dark/warm brown can add depth and dimension to your space.

Colour for Small Spaces
Best Colour and Light for Small Spaces

For instance, accent wall, you can paint three walls in white or pastel light colours and a single wall in a deep navy blue colour that creates depth and room that seems way larger than it actually is.

Check out the latest colour trends for your all small spaces according to Pinterest.

4. The Mirror Effect: Light for Small Spaces

If you think that the use of mirrors is just reflective surfaces—they’re spatial extension to window.

Colors to make a room look bigger and brighter

Here! The key is to think of your mirrors as a second window. They should bounce back natural light as much as possible.

You can hand floor-to-ceiling mirrors at the end of your corridor, end of your narrow hallway, accent wall in your living room, or entryway to give the perception of double the size of space and extend length by reflecting light from the adjacent room’s window, brightening the entire area.

The Power of Reflection: Beyond Mirrors

Let’s think beyond the mirrors for reflection in small spaces!

As mentioned above, mirrors are great reflecting elements in the design, but we can’t forget other elements, like high-gloss paint finishes, metallic accessories, and glass furniture, which can all help bounce light around your space and are crucial parts of the design or home decor process.

5. Layer Lighting for Small Spaces

One of the biggest mistakes I have seen homeowners make. They don’t even change the existing overhead or ceiling (blob-looking) light.

Instead of thinking about layering lighting. Consider these three essential lighting types:

Ambient Lighting: This is the base or main source of light, typically coming from ceiling fixtures, pendant lights, or recessed lighting.

Task Lighting: If you are doing special tasks, like cooking or reading, then you can use these lights (reading lamp, desk lamp, installed dimmable LED strips under upper kitchen cabinets).

best colour to paint small rooms

Accent Lighting: These decorative lights are for creating depth and atmosphere. Sometimes, it works as a decorative piece during the day and at night, giving a warm glow.

6. Colour Temperature of Light for Small Spaces

The colour temperature of your lighting, like warm white, yellow, or natural white (cooler, warmers), can dramatically impact how your space feels.

In my experience, combining different colour temperatures throughout the day (if you don’t have that many natural light sources) can make a small space feel more dynamic, cozy, and livable.

If you are decorating your home office, You should use cooler lights (5000K) during work hours to promote alertness or be productive, then switch to warmer lights (2700K) in the evening for a cozy atmosphere.

Smart bulbs make this transition seamless, and you can set the timer to change automatically according to your working hour preference.

7. Creating Zones Through Colour and Light for Small Spaces

You can use a combination of colour and lighting for small spaces to create distinct zones in one space.

If you are living inside an apartment or designing a multifunctional room (in this case, home office/living room), create a different zone in your space by painting a subtle geometric pattern on one wall and installing a dedicated desk lamp with adjustable brightness.

For the other part of the living room, you can paint white or any classic wall paint.

[Related Post: 21 Best Tips Small Couches for Small Spaces That You Should Know]

Best Neutral Paint Colours for Small Living Room

When you are selecting neutral paint colours for a small living room, make sure to choose shades with the right undertone (“undertone is the colour of your skin underneath the surface, and it can be cool, warm, or neutral”).

The beauty of neutral colours in a small living room is that they provide you freedom of their versatility.

I always tell you neutrals create an excellent backdrop for colourful accessories that can change seasonally.

Best Neutral Paint Colours for Small Living Room

Some of my go-to neutral paint colours for small living rooms include warm greige tones like revere pewter, soft whites like a white dove, pale taupes like Manchester tan and classic colours like grey owl.

These colours work like magic because they can create enough depth without overwhelming the space.

Paint Colours for Small Rooms

When it comes to painting colours for small rooms, we all know that the conventional wisdom of “white makes everything look bigger”.

Paint Colours for Small Rooms

For small rooms, I often recommend colours like sea salt, alabaster, classic grey, palladian blue and Aegean teal.

These colours have enough saturation and contrast to create interest in the space but are light enough to keep the space feeling light and open. 

Light Paint Colours for Small Rooms

Light colours always remain a fantastic choice for small rooms.

Of course, white is a classic paint colour for small rooms, but use a variation of white colour. For example, you can use “simply white” colour on the walls and “cloud white” on the trim. This slight variation can create subtle contrast and depth without breaking up the space. 

Light Paint Colours for Small Rooms

The second major point you can count on is light colours work best when they’re layered.

Use three different shades of the same light colour family – the palest on the ceiling, a slightly deeper tone on the walls, and the deepest shade as an accent. 

This subtle difference gives dimension to the space without overwhelming it.

Best colour and light for small spaces

Calming Colours for Small Bedrooms

Your bedroom should be your sanctuary, and this becomes even more crucial in small spaces. 

Calming colours for small bedroom

To achieve an instant sense of tranquillity in a small bedroom- you can use colours like quiet moments, silver lake, moonshine, balboa mist, blue-green and more.

I noticed that “quiet moment” is a colour that works beautifully with both natural daylight and warm artificial light in the evenings.

Also, these colours have subtle undertones that help you to maintain a calm atmosphere.

This post was all about 7 Game-Changing Colour and Light for Small Spaces Techniques Top Interior Designers Swear By.

Final Thought- Colour and Light for Small Spaces

Bringing It All Together, transforming a small space isn’t about following particular rules—it’s all about understanding design principles and adapting them to your specific situation. 

Whether you’re decorating your studio apartment, a tiny home office, or a small bedroom, if you want to create a space that feels both larger and more welcoming, try the thoughtful application of colour and light.

To conclude, start by assessing natural light sources in your space, then build your colour scheme around them.

Layer different light sources by using combinations of ambient light, task light, and decorative lights, and use mirrors and reflective surfaces strategically. 

Remember, size is just a number—it’s how you use colour and light that truly defines the feel of your space.

FAQs

While, as I mentioned in conclusion, there are no particular rules in small space design, what I found is that too busy patterns and overuse of dark colours can make a space feel even smaller. However, dark colours can work beautifully as accents or on a feature wall. The key is balance and thoughtful application.

Everywhere we hear, and I also believe that quality over quantity is crucial here. I typically recommend 2-3 strategically placed mirrors in a small room. Using too many mirrors in the room can actually make the space feel chaotic rather than larger, and that can give the perception of a funky house.

In windowless spaces, I recommend creating an artificial window effect using LED panels or layered lighting. Combine this with light colours and mirrors to create depth. Consider using full-spectrum bulbs that mimic natural daylight.

Not at all! In fact, some contrasting colours can add depth and aesthetic interest to your space. I recommend following the 60-30-10 rule: 60% main simple classic colour, 30% secondary colour, and 10% accent colour.

You can paint vertical strips on your wall, hang curtains higher than your window lintel levels, paint your ceiling lighter or darker from the wall, and use wallpaper to cover your ceiling to draw the eye upward.


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