Walls: Nether Red, Drawers & Door: French Grey - Dark
Choosing Colour Schemes for Painting Small Spaces
When choosing the best colours for small rooms, consider both the function of the space and the atmosphere you want to create.
Whilst the colour palette you build is a personal choice, there are certain schemes that lend themselves to smaller rooms. You can instil a sense of calm by using light, tonal shades in areas that see a lot of activity. To create a cocooning sanctuary, opt for warm, dark hues instead.
Explore unique interior design ideas by painting small spaces with thoughtful colour choices.
Develop a cosy scheme using dark and cocooning shades
Choosing colours for small spaces with not much light can be challenging. We typically want to pick colours that will make the room feel bigger. But don’t be afraid to embrace small room proportions by using darker shades on all walls.
Embrace a cosy ambience in a small, narrow hallway
Dark colours work well in small rooms with limited natural light, for example a narrow hallway. Instead of trying to make the space feel bigger, select a deep, pigmented shade to enhance a sense of character.
Choose a colour that is a little more intense and impactful, but with warm undertones to create a cosy, inviting environment. Deep greys, earthy shades of brown and rich greens often work well. Colour drench a compact hallway and stairs in the strong deep green, Oilcloth. Pair with wood finishes and contemporary artwork.
Create a serene atmosphere in a home study with limited space
A small home office colour scheme is a fabulous opportunity to experiment with darker tones that stimulate focus. Pair Obsidian Green with Scree in an interesting colour block design. Incorporate bright shades on furniture and floors for a playful colour highlight.
Browse other inspiring study schemes.
Achieve a rich and luxurious small bedroom colour scheme
When decorating a small bedroom, size should be a consideration, but the mood you are looking to define is key. Sumptuous, deep hues such as burgundies or golden browns are wonderful for bringing a sense of opulence to the space.
Our earthy Nether Red, is the perfect choice for an atmospheric bedroom that still feels soft and inviting. Or consider the alluring, gold-toned deep yellow, Elysian Yellow, to provide enveloping warmth, richness and comfort.
Explore our gallery of bedroom inspiration.
Wall: Elysian Yellow, Window Shutter: Perpetual Blue
Incorporate bright colour accents to bring personality to a small space
When choosing vibrant paint colours for small rooms, consider adding colour highlights rather than painting full walls. Add a playful element to a dark colour scheme by using a bright accent shade. Introduce an unexpected pop of colour on skirtings, dado rails, furnishings or textural elements to add interest to a smaller room.
Our dark grey-green, Pompeian Grey, is a versatile base upon which to experiment with brighter accent colours. Consider highlighting architectural features with the contemporary burnt orange, Heat. Alternatively, add a bright highlight to skirtings with the golden yellow, Giallo.
Read our guide to learn more about how to paint skirting boards and other accent areas.
Use rich greens to bring nature into compact rooms
Natural green shades are the perfect colour choice for small spaces. We often find that the smallest rooms in our homes experience a lack of natural sunlight. Introducing shades of green can help to establish a connection with the outside world, recalling an inherent freshness, brightness and positivity.
Combine neutrals with complementary strong greens
With a timeless, positive quality, Dark Brunswick Green is a vibrant dark green that works beautifully on a single accent wall. Consider incorporating this colour in a compact laundry space to help you feel uplifted and inspired as you spend time there each day. Pair with cabinetry in the warm neutral, Portland Stone – Light, to reflect the earthy colour palettes we see in nature.
Read our guide to bringing nature indoors with green schemes.
Immerse guests in natural green tones
For an all-over dining scheme that envelops guests, choose a resonant shade of green. Hillside is a richly coloured, muted hue that is a touch warmer than the popular Sage Green due to its subtle yellow undertones.
Colour drenching or double drenching works particularly well with rich, deep greens to create an impactful, cocoon-like oasis. Embrace Hillside on the walls and ceiling, and add in a contrasting navy blue like Dock Blue for a bold, contemporary look.
Learn more about all-over colour schemes.
Connect spaces in the home with a tonal green palette
One smart way to make a small room feel bigger is by expanding your colour scheme into adjoining parts of the home. Consider using a shared, tonal colour palette to visually connect two small spaces – such as a kitchen and utility.
Varying green tones work well together to create schemes that reflect the beautiful colour combinations we see in the natural world. Team Boxington with Hillside on woodwork and introduce our sumptuous teal-blue, Rome, as an accent. In the neighbouring room, consider reversing the palette with Rome on walls and Boxington as an accent, creating visual interest and impact.
Complement natural light in small spaces with soft neutrals
When painting small spaces, consider how natural light interacts with your colour palette. Many people opt to use bright whites in small rooms, with the aim of making the space feel larger. However, brilliant white can often be quite stark, with the opposite effect of creating harsh lines for the eye.
Using light neutrals in a tonal scheme will create a softer environment. If there is a lot of natural light, then using soft, light tones will make a smaller room feel more spacious.
Discover our neutral colour palette or order sample pots.
Instil calm in a high-traffic small kitchen
Kitchens can often be the busiest areas of the home. By painting walls in a gentle warm neutral like Parlour, you can introduce a calming atmosphere. Team with units in the sophisticated warm black, Lamp Black, with deeper neutral, Castell Pink, on skirtings. Choosing pale kitchen paint colours for small spaces can bring a sense of calm to your space.
Use the Colour Scales in a light-filled compact living room
A small living room is one of the most difficult areas of the home to decorate. A small, dark living area with not much light will complement the use of rich, deep shades to create a cosy snug. But if your room receives plenty of natural light, you can use lighter colours to maximise the space.
Our Colour Scales are the perfect choice to boost natural light. Use the graduated tones in combination to add discreet depth to a room. Varying neutral shades from the warm Silent White family on ceilings, walls and woodwork will deliver a tranquil, balanced scheme.
Masquerade is another great colour choice to develop a harmonious living room. This alluring powder-like hue creates a sophisticated ambience when more than one shade appears in combination. Introduce black and white accessories to give the scheme a contemporary touch.
Learn more about considering the orientation of a space with our helpful guide.
Ceiling: Silent White – Pale, Walls: Silent White – Deep, Panelling: Silent White
Ceiling: Julie’s Dream, Left Wall: Masquerade – Mid, Right Wall: Masquerade, Panelling: Masquerade – Light
Create an inspiring small space with fresh pastels
A colour block design creates a focal point in small rooms, such as a home office or study space. Using two complementary, pastel shades is a wonderful way to draw the eye upwards. Pair grey-green Tracery II with the fresh and warm Light Beauvais for a subtle yet playful study space.
Things to consider when choosing small room paint colours
To select colours for a small room, it’s important to consider both the natural feel of the space and how you will use it each day.
If your small room receives plenty of sunlight, enhance the space by using pale, neutral or pastel shades. This approach can often make the room appear larger, perfect for high-traffic areas like hallways and kitchens.
Or if you have a small room that feels dark and moody, harness this character with deep, cocooning hues. A palette of greens will create connection with the outdoors, which is particularly important in rooms which lack natural light.
For more colour scheme ideas, browse our inspiration gallery.