Best Paint Colors for Large Spaces

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Welcome to week three of our series all about interior painting tips!

Last week, we looked at paint colors and painting advice for small spaces -- this week, we tackle the opposite problem.

An extra-large family room... an open floor plan... a wide room with tall ceilings. If you're like me and live in a smaller home, these sound like nice problems to have. But in reality, without the right treatment, large spaces can begin to feel cavernous.

Luckily, the right paint colors can help a large space feel cozy and can amplify a larger room's best attributes. Here's how to pick the best paint colors for large spaces -- plus a few extra painting tricks we keep up our sleeves.

Warm neutrals can make larger spaces feel cozier. We've used the following colors to make large rooms feel warmer, cozier, and more intimate:

Canvas Tan by Sherwin Williams -- a warm, rich tan that make a great color choice for large spaces.

Gotham by Benjamin Moore -- a warm, grayish taupe, beautiful with contrasting trim. Perfect for kitchens and living/dining rooms.

Winter Mood by Behr -- this warm, mossy green adds a small amount of color while still being subtle enough to read neutral on the walls. A wonderful, relaxing shade for bedrooms, nurseries, and family rooms.

Anew Gray by Sherwin Williams -- this warm gray adds depth and richness and makes any larger space feel just a bit more grown-up. Especially stunning with white crown molding.

Add texture to the walls by painting stripes using the same color but in different finishes -- every other stripe in flat or eggshell, the other in semi-gloss. This creates a striking but subtle effect that looks particularly beautiful in larger spaces. Here are a couple of examples:

Gray Stripes

Yellow Stripes

Use contrasting colors -- on trim and built-ins, above and below a chair rail, etc. Using two different colors in a room adds dimension to the space and makes a room feel cozier:

Different color above chair railPainted Trim

Consider an accent wall. Particularly in open floor plans and in many home designs newer than 1950, accent walls in larger rooms and open spaces can help define the space and add visual interest, breaking up an expanse of four large walls all painted the same color:

Don't want to commit to an entire accent wall? Then use one our favorite tricks -- painting the inside of a stairwell that's visible from your larger space instead!

A bright pop of color can jazz up a basic rectangular room.

The green accent color defines a separate space at the end of this long living room.

No one says an accent wall needs to be solid! Play with stripes or other patterns -- a small pop of pattern can make a big statement.

Do you have a favorite color you've used in your larger space? If so, we want to hear!

Next week, we'll tackle painting tips for trim, ceilings, and other painting tricks and resources. Stay tuned...