The best paint for a small room is a colour that blurs its edges rather than marking them out. Soft, light colours with a little depth, such as Farrow & Ball's Mizzle (266) or Little Greene's Shirting (129), make walls seem to recede. Used on the walls, woodwork and even the ceiling, one colour removes the hard lines that make a room feel boxed in. And sometimes the bolder answer, a deep colour used everywhere, makes a small room feel bigger still.
What rarely works is the instinct to reach for the brightest white. In a small room with modest light, a stark white has little light to reflect and can look flat and greyish, and it makes every corner, socket and skirting stand out. A colour with some warmth or softness in it almost always does a better job.
Here is how to choose a colour that expands a small room rather than shrinking it.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Mizzle (266)
Start with the light
Before choosing a colour, look at which way the room faces and how it is used. A small north-facing room has cool, steady light, which pulls colours greyer and cooler. A small south-facing room is bright and warm, and can take cooler colours happily. A box room used mainly in the evening will be seen by lamplight rather than daylight.
In cool light, colours with a warm or green base usually feel more welcoming than those with a lot of blue. Our guide to why a colour looks different at home explains more, and our room orientation guide suggests colours for each aspect.
Soft, light colours that recede
These colours are pale enough to keep a small room light, with enough character to stop it feeling bland.
- Mizzle (266). A light, misty green-grey without any coolness from blue undertones, which makes it a kind choice for a small room in any light.
- School House White (291). A soft off-white without strong undertones. Farrow & Ball describe it as giving the impression of a brighter white seen in shade.
- Shirting (129). A pure, mineral white with no blue undertone to make it feel cold. It is crisp without the glare of a brilliant white, so it keeps a small room fresh rather than stark.
- Pea Green (91). A soft, peaceful green with a restful character, lovely in a small bedroom.
- Raw Chalk (559). A soft green with a natural aqua undertone that sits comfortably in both earthy and neutral schemes.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Colours Used: Pea Green (91), Loft White (222)
Blur the edges with one colour
The single most effective trick in a small room is to paint more surfaces in the same colour. When the walls, skirting, door and window frames all match, the eye stops reading the room as a box. Take the colour onto the ceiling too and the corners all but disappear.
- Same colour, different finish. Use a matt on the walls and an eggshell on the woodwork, in the same colour, for practicality without a visible change.
- Tonal families. Paint & Paper Library's Architectural Colours come in families numbered I to V by strength, so the ceiling can be a lighter tone of the wall colour and the woodwork a deeper one.
- Little Greene's families. Many Little Greene colours come in paler and deeper versions too, such as French Grey - Pale (161) alongside French Grey (113).
Our guide to colour drenching explains why this works so well.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Colours Used: Shirting (129), Bone China Blue (107)
Or go deep on purpose
A dark colour in a small room sounds counter-intuitive, but it is often the most successful choice, particularly in a room with little daylight. A deep colour on every surface makes the walls seem to fall away, and the room feels enveloping rather than cramped.
- Railings (31). A blue-based black that Farrow & Ball recommend for walls in smaller rooms when you want a bold, sophisticated statement.
- India Yellow (66). A deep, earthy yellow that Farrow & Ball say looks as good all over a smaller room, creating a cosy escape, as it does used in moderation.
- Lamp Room Gray (88). A traditional blue-grey that Farrow & Ball note has a surprising amount of strength in smaller spaces.
Cloakrooms, studies, snugs and box rooms used in the evening are the best candidates.
Photo Credit: Farrow & Ball; Colour Used: Railings (31)
Questions we are often asked
Will white make my small room look bigger?
Not always. In good light a soft white works well, but in a dim room a brilliant white can look grey and flat. A softer off-white, such as School House White, is usually kinder.
Should the ceiling be white?
Not necessarily. Painting the ceiling the same colour as the walls, or a paler tone of it, removes the hard line at the top of the room and can make it feel taller.
Which finish is best?
A flat matt is the most forgiving on walls. In a small, busy room such as a cloakroom, a washable matt such as Intelligent Matt Emulsion or Modern Emulsion copes better with wear.
Shop Sample Pots
Colours by room orientation · North-facing rooms · Colour cards
