Painting One Wall a Different Color

Will painting one wall in a small bedroom a dark color make the room look smaller? Also, I am thinking of using a peanut butter tan on the main walls, a dark olive green for one wall and a deep red bed spread. Are those colors too far apart for one room?

Sam from Fargo, ND

Answers:

Painting One Wall a Different Color

I've been thinking about how I'm going to repaint some rooms in my house. I've thought about the wall farthest from the door painting a darker color to give more depth to the room. This may make the room look longer but put in some lighter colors in the darker so it won't look so stark, like ragging or something. Or lighter accents on the dark wall, like pictures or shelves or something. What do you think?

I think the tan and olive would look good. Maybe alternate 3 inch stripes of the tan and olive on the olive wall. I had a friend who did this in a white room alternating 3 inch medium green stripes with the white on one wall and it was gorgeous. I loved it.

The red spread would jump at me, kind of like when I colored my hair red and every time I walked by and looked in the mirror I jumped, just couldn't get used to it.

I think cream is pretty with olive; maybe cream with burgundy touches. I have a light mint satin comforter and cream and burgundy pillows on it are really pretty. (08/20/2006)

By Rhonda

Painting One Wall a Different Color

I just painted my daughter's old room. One wall is an eggplant color and the other three walls are light, bright green. It is fabulous! (08/20/2006)

By Aline

Painting One Wall a Different Color

Many years ago I did one wall in my bedroom (behind my headboard) a beautiful blue with the other three walls in white. My bedspread and drapes were the color of the blue wall and I used dusty rose and white pillows (in various patterns) as accents. It was really pretty and I got a lot of compliments.

I love the peanut butter and green colors you chose but I'm not feeling that red bedspread so much (might be too strong-depends on the shade). What counts though is you and if you love it then I would suggest using some multicolored and multipatterned (in greens, reds and and peanut butter colored) pillows on the bed that pull the colors together.

Throughout the room I would also use a couple of small red accent pieces to tie the red into the other colors. Keep the red accents subtle since the bedspread is a big piece. Good luck. Love to see the results. (08/21/2006)

By Nan

Painting One Wall a Different Color

The main thing to remember is to always keep your ceilings white or light cream. It is having the ceiling painted a colour - any colour - that dramatically optically shrinks the size of a room. Other than that, your colour scheme sounds fab! Enjoy your project! (08/21/2006)

By Kate Page