There is a palette of possibilities when tackling small room designs, whether you’re in a cosy apartment, a quaint cottage, or even just decorating a small downstairs loo or an attic bedroom. The key to turning these limited spaces into functional and stylish havens involves a thoughtful approach to design and colour. Leveraging natural light, employing techniques like colour drenching to impart a sense of expansiveness – the array of options is vast when it comes to enhancing the aesthetic appeal of your petite and enclosed rooms. Natural Light Natural light is a small space’s best asset. Berdoulat has created the most stylish yet functional space using our darker hues ‘London brown’ and ‘Tingry’ despite it being a small room, and has cleverly brought natural light flooding into this partitioned pantry. 'London Brown' and 'Tingry' Pantry, designed by Berdoulat and photography by Paul Whitbread Tingry Order a Sample London Brown Order a Sample Cinnamon Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Azurite Order a Sample Painted Panels Defining the walls and panels not only produces a visual colour block effect that separates different areas within a confined space but also allows you to maximise every square foot without compromising your personal flair. This can be accomplished by employing contrasting colour combinations like ‘Rose’ and ‘Invisible Green’, which, despite residing on opposite sides of the colour wheel, achieve tonal harmony through the use of natural pigments in our paints. Alternatively, you can choose a more neutral and timeless appearance with our ‘Cinnamon’, available in lighter shades of 60%, 40%, and 20% for a subdued colour palette. 'Cinnamon' in 60% Hallway, designed by Mimi Montagul and photography by Paul Whitbread 'Rose' and 'Invisible Green' Bathroom, photography by Paul Whitbread Cinnamon Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Spanish White Order a Sample Invisible Green Order a Sample Rose Order a Sample Maximise Shelving Bespoke built-ins, personalised storage nooks, and furniture tailored to your exact needs can utilise every inch of space. Incorporating shelves into the walls prevents the loss of valuable square footage. By painting the shelves in a contrasting hue to the walls creates depth and adds the illusion of a larger room such as the contrasting colour palette of ‘Pea Green’ and ‘Cinnamon’. 'Jonquil' and 'Brick' Office Space, designed by @charlotteboundy and photography by @james_mcdonald_photography 'Ethereal Blue' Reading Room, designed by @kateguinnessdesign and photography by @simonbrownphotography 'Pea Green' and 'Cinnamon' Dining Room, designed by @pineappleinteriorsldn Jonquil Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Brick Order a Sample Ethereal Blue Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Pea Green Order a Sample Built in Functional Furniture Small spaces demand creativity when it comes to furniture choices. To complement your paint choices, invest in built in functional furniture that is made to the shape of the room, such as a cabin bed. Light hues, such as ‘French Blue’ or ‘Cuisse de Nymphe Emue’ contribute to creating an airy and spacious space. 'French Blue' Bed and Furniture, designed by Matilda Goad and built by Blockhouse Build 'French Blue' Bed and Furniture, designed by Matilda Goad and built by Blockhouse Build French Blue Order a Sample Aerial Tint Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Cuisse de Nymphe Emue Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Trumpington Order a Sample Gallery Wall Creating a gallery wall has the magical ability to amplify the perception of space in a small area while providing a platform to display your cherished artwork, infusing instant character into every nook and cranny of your home. Our soft ‘Cinnamon’ and dusky ‘Nicaragua’ serve as perfect backdrops, offering the perfect canvas to showcase your artwork and treasures. 'Cinnamon' Sitting Room, designed by Katie Glaister and photography by Mark Fox 'Nicaragua' Sitting Room, designed by Luke Edward Hall and Duncan Campbell and photography by Elliot Shepherd Cinnamon Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Jonquil Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Nicaragua Order a Sample Mummy Order a Sample Colour Drenching Colour drenching maximises the warmth and coziness of small and enclosed rooms, and can even make them appear larger. This eliminates visual interruptions and make the space feel larger. Our founder, Edward Bulmer, transformed his small attic room into a sunlit haven, painting it from floor to ceiling with our rich brown-yellow hue ‘Persian’. 'Persian' Bedroom, designed by Edward Bulmer and photography by Paul Whitbread Persian Order a Sample Lute Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Mummy Order a Sample Wainscoat Order a Sample Bolder Colours Elevating the presence of small rooms can be achieved through the statement decision of choosing bold colours, exemplified by hues like ‘Tyrian’ or ‘Invisible Green,’ both of which would impart depth and dimension to the space. The dynamic interaction of bold colours with light, whether it be natural or artificial, enhances the interplay of light and shadow, adding depth and interest to the confines of a smaller room. Beyond their aesthetic impact, bold colors serve as a means to make a deliberate design statement in restricted spaces. This deliberate colour choice presents an opportunity for individuals to articulate their personal style and preferences, transforming a diminutive room into a captivating manifestation of individual taste. 'Tyrian' Sitting Room, designed by @kandhdesignltd and photography by Simon Brown 'Invisible Green' Sitting Room, designed by Sarah Vanrenen and photography by Simon Brown and David Paramiter Tyrian Order a Sample Malahide Order a Sample Invisible Green Order a Sample Naples Yellow Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Stripes for Height Incorporating stripes into your room visually elevates the space and draws the eye upwards, creating the impression of higher ceilings and, in turn, a more expansive area. Our array of colours provides the opportunity to transform your walls effectively. Choose two contrasting hues, such as ‘Aquatic’ and ‘Duck Egg,’ or ‘Kitty’ and ‘Lute,’ to achieve a distinctive and fun stripe effect. 'Kitty' and 'Lute' Drawing Room, at Lorfords Antiques 'Aquatic' and 'Duck Egg' Stripes, designed by Sarah Corbett-Winder and photography by Alicia Waite Kitty Order a Sample Lute Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Aquatic Order a Sample Duck Egg Order a Sample Lighter Hues, Lighter Space Choosing light, pale and airy hues such as soft greens, pinks, yellows, and neutral tones, creates the perception of spaciousness by effectively reflecting light. Our diverse range of soft colours can instantly open up a room and make it feel more expansive. 'Lilac Pink' Hallway, designed by Alison Coleridge 'Warm Stone' Kitchen, designed by Emma Diaz Jonquil Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Lilac Pink Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Warm Stone Order a Sample Paris Grey Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Storage Make the most out of small hallways and boot rooms by creating clever hidden storage that utilises every inch of space. 'Olympian Green' Boot Room, designed by Emma Diaz Olympian Green Order a Sample Granite Green Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Fawn Order a Sample Cuisse de Nymphe Emue Order a Sample 100 60 40 20 Our founder Edward Bulmer has created colours which convey unrivalled depth and light, whilst protecting the planets’ finite resources by using plant-based, natural earth and mineral ingredients. Using our beautiful natural paints means your walls will not give off any harmful toxins and you can go to sleep the same day as painting with its odourless finish. For more room inspiration like this head over to our gallery, blog and social media pages. If you would like more help on choosing and using colours in your small spaces, take a look at our colour consultancy – whether time poor or spending too much on sample pots, we can do all the hard work for you.
Hallway colours for a South Facing aspect The Victorians use green to blend garden facing rooms with the outdoors and true to historic origins ‘Invisible Green’ is a best-selling green for achieving just that, particularly when used with landscape artwork such as here in the Garden Hall. Find out more about going green…
Originally Hand-Painted Biophilic Botanical Wallcoverings At Edward Bulmer Natural Paint we love to support and collaborate with small brands who, like us, have a deep respect and passion for nature and our planet. Beautiful by George create 100% plastic-free mural wallcoverings which are both eco-friendly and beautiful: the sustainable ‘Spring Tonic’ collection embodies our philosophy of having a light touch on the earth.
Our Summer Exhibition: ‘Nurture’ by Saskia Saunders Our new showroom is a space for conscious collaboration and we are excited to be exhibiting Saskia Saunders’ exhibition ‘Nurture’ which is a selection of works created with natural materials and our plant-based paints.
Using darker colours for a South or West facing room Darker colours can work really well for eating spaces, especially for a South or West aspect like this one. They give a sense of intimacy and containment and work exceptionally well in library areas and snug rooms. Click here to read more..
