14 Genius Painting Tricks to Make a Room Look Bigger

While you might not be able to physically increase a room's size, using paint can help you visually expand the space. Paint offers an affordable and easy way to update a room, and when used strategically, it can make ceilings appear higher and walls seem farther apart, creating a more open feel. "Color can trick the eyes and create the illusion of a larger space," says Hannah Yeo, senior manager of color marketing at Benjamin Moore.

We consulted paint color experts to gather their top painting tips and discover which colors make rooms look more spacious and which ones to avoid. Statement ceilings are a fun design trend, but does painting the ceiling draw your eyes up or make the room feel like a cave? Similarly, many people love the color drenching trend, but does it make a space feel smaller? Keep reading for the best painting tips, tricks, and techniques from experts to make a room look larger.

1. Stick with Soft Neutrals

As a general rule, soft neutrals can make a room look larger. "Opt for soft, light, and neutral tones for the walls, while incorporating bolder hues in your accessories," Yeo says. These tones reflect light rather than absorb it, creating a more open feel. "Whether through a painted chair or a colorful throw pillow, adding a few bright accents draws attention to the foreground, making the walls fade into the background," she adds.

2. Paint Trim in Rooms with Low Ceilings

"For rooms with low ceilings, paint the trim the same color as the walls to help the space feel taller by blending the trim in," Yeo suggests. In small spaces, continuity is key, and using contrasting colors on walls and trim can create a choppy look. Extending the wall color to the trim creates a seamless transition, making a room with low ceilings appear larger.

Don't Miss

14 Daybed Ideas for Small Spaces That Will Maximize Your Room

Maximize Your Space: 19 Tips to Make a Small Room Feel Bigger

3. Avoid Sharp Color Contrasts

If you're trying to create the illusion of a larger space, Erika Woelfel, BEHR’s VP of color and creative services, advises avoiding sharp color contrasts, as they can make the room feel more enclosed. "Overly bold patterns or high-contrast combinations between walls and ceilings can disrupt the flow of the room, making it feel smaller," she says. Instead, Woelfel suggests maintaining a balanced and cohesive color palette to promote openness and flow throughout the entire space.

4. Reach for Cool-Toned Colors

Paint experts say cool-toned colors tend to make walls recede, making a space feel larger. "Soft whites, light grays, pale blues, and gentle greens are all great choices as they reflect light, helping to create a fresh and spacious atmosphere," Woelfel says. For a touch of warmth, she suggests using a light beige or warm taupe, but keep the colors muted for a more expansive effect. "Tranquil Gray and Blank Canvas are two of my favorites for making a space feel bigger," she says.

5. Reflect Light with Pale Yellow

If you’re working with a room that has limited natural light, Yeo suggests adding a splash of pale yellow like Windham Cream or Crisp Linen. These sunlit hues instantly brighten a space by reflecting more light and bringing in an optimistic energy.

6. Apply the LRV Rule Based on Lighting

In the context of paint colors, LRV refers to light reflective value. Simply put, a paint color's LRV reveals how much light it reflects. Kantz says it's important to consider the amount of natural light in a room when choosing a paint color and applying the LRV rule based on lighting. "Higher LRV colors like Creamy or Drift of Mist can help in rooms with low natural light, whereas lower LRV colors like Storm Cloud or Pavestone work best in rooms with a lot of natural light," she explains.

7. Use Serene Blues on Walls or Ceilings

If you want to add a soft pop of color to a room, Woelfel recommends calming shades of blue like Aerial View. "It's a serene sky blue that evokes peaceful reflection, creating a calming ambiance while maintaining an open and airy feel in the room," she says. A soft blue shade on the ceiling can create the illusion of blue skies and visually raise the ceiling height. "I love our 2024 Color of the Year, Upward, as a ceiling color because it’s like a recreation of the sky," Kantz says. This paint trick isn't just for indoor spaces; there's a longstanding tradition of painting porch ceilings shades of haint blue to create a sky-like effect.

8. Choose White Paint

White is a go-to color for reflecting light, brightening a space, and making a room look bigger. "Digging a little deeper into color theory, white and similar light hues are recessive to the optic nerve, creating the illusion of a larger space," says Emily Kantz, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. Not all white paint colors are alike; stark whites create a clean and refreshing feel, while warm white and off-white tones add coziness while maintaining openness.

9. Paint the Ceiling a Shade Lighter Than the Walls

"Using a lighter color above eye level can create an airy effect and visually elevate the ceiling," Yeo says. She explains that this technique is ideal for making a room appear larger and taller, especially effective in smaller spaces or rooms with low ceilings. "Simply paint the ceiling a lighter shade or a subtle variation of the wall color," she suggests. The slight color contrast adds depth and dimension without disrupting the room's overall color scheme.

10. Use a Higher Gloss Finish

It's not just the paint color that can make a room appear larger; the finish of the paint plays a role, too. While higher gloss finishes can highlight imperfections on the walls, Yeo says they can also reflect more light. The more light the paint reflects, the more spacious the room feels. "To achieve a smooth, flawless finish, be sure to take the time to properly prep and sand the surface before painting," Yeo advises.

11. Draw the Eyes Up with a Statement Ceiling Color

Although light paint colors can make low ceilings look taller, you can also take a completely different approach and draw the eyes up with a statement ceiling color. "A bold, dark ceiling color can create an interesting focal point in a room; when the rest of the room is painted in light, reflective tones, a statement ceiling color can visually raise the height and draw the eye upward," Woelfel explains. The color she's currently loving for this effect is BEHR’s 2025 Color of the Year, Rumors, a deep ruby red that adds rich warmth while still maintaining openness when applied on the ceiling. "It's a dynamic, captivating tone that makes a statement and works beautifully to create a sense of depth and drama without overwhelming the room," Woelfel says.

12. Avoid Color Drenching

Color drenching has been a big color trend in recent years, but experts say it's not ideal if you're trying to make a room look bigger. "For ceilings, I would avoid painting the ceiling the same color as the surrounding walls as color drenching in mid to deeper tones sometimes creates a smaller feel," Kantz says. Applying the same paint color to the walls, trim, ceiling, and even doors visually encloses the space, creating a cozier feel, but it's a trend to skip if you want to make a small space feel larger.

13. Incorporate Vertical Stripes

Vertical lines draw the eyes up and can be an excellent way to expand a space. "Consider incorporating vertical lines or light-colored stripes to add height, making the room feel taller," Woelfel suggests. Vertical shiplap is another clever trick for visually extending ceiling height. The wall paneling introduces vertical lines subtly, creating an expansive backdrop for furniture and decor.

14. Blur Wall Edges with Deep Tones

Just because a room is small doesn't mean you should avoid rich and bold colors. While it's generally advised to use light colors to make a room appear larger, Yeo says deeper tones can have the same effect when used correctly. "Deep tones can blur the edges of the walls, creating the illusion of a more expansive space," Yeo explains. To prevent darker hues from overwhelming a space, she recommends balancing them with plenty of light tones in your furniture, linens, and artwork.