Using The Right Paint Finish Can Help A Room Feel Larger, Here's How

While you may already know that it's possible to make your small rooms appear bigger with nothing but paint, what you may not realize is that it works with high-gloss paint finishings. Colors that will give you the space-creating effect you want are light hues like yellow, blush, and beige, although some versions of white are probably your best bet. Also remember, if you paint the walls, you should paint the ceiling too since that can also impact the sense of depth in a room. Obviously, if you paint the ceiling with the intention of opening up the room, you should also finish it with the same high-gloss finish you use on your walls.

If you have imperfections on your walls, you may want to stick with a semi-gloss finish or eggshell color finish, which will still give your room the appearance of being more spacious, just with less possibility of guests calling out the noticeable crack inching down one of your walls. Otherwise, explore the best paint finish options for imperfect walls if you want to reduce the appearance of any flaws, and make the room feel more spacious without the extra work.

Like most things, how a high-gloss paint finish creates the appearance of a larger room can be explained by science. When you look in a mirror and see a reflection, what you're actually seeing is the reflection of natural or artificial light that your brain picks up as colors. The image you're seeing doesn't actually exist since it produces no light, but your brain tricks your eyes into thinking the light striking the reflective surface at an angle is being generated by the reflection. When this effect happens off a smooth, reflective surface at a definite angle (like a painted wall), it's called specular reflection. 

The same principle explains how reflective surfaces like mirrors, shiny tile, and, yes, a high-gloss paint finish, can bend light and trick your brain into thinking a room is bigger than it actually is. The trick here is you want the room you attempt this with to be well lit by either artificial or natural light, and have the highest-gloss paint finish you can get since, the more reflective your surface, the more heightened the effect. Just be sure to deal with the imperfections on your walls beforehand since high-gloss finish will also amplify the appearance of cracks or scratches. Really, this should be done before you even start painting, which is one the mistakes everyone makes when painting their home.