DIY expert Bill Jarvis has shared a simple £5 paint trick that can make small rooms look bigger, brighter and more open without knocking down walls or spending a fortune. The technique focuses on using lighter paint colours to bounce light around the room, creating a more spacious feel.
The £5 paint trick explained
Jarvis, Co-Founder of patio paint supplier Premium Paints, says the approach is among the "easiest ways" to make a smaller space feel less constricted. He explains that people often think a room needs a complete change to feel bigger, but paint can do more than expected.
"Lighter colours help bounce light around the room, which can make the whole thing feel brighter and more open," says Jarvis. He adds that homeowners do not have to stick to plain white, as softer, lighter shades can still provide colour while keeping the room feeling spacious.
How to apply the technique
The trick involves more than just picking a pale shade. Applying similar light tones to walls, skirting boards and the ceiling helps the room's elements flow together, reducing lines that fragment the space. Keeping the ceiling lighter than the walls can create the illusion of a higher ceiling.
Jarvis suggests opting for lighter shades that bounce back natural light, maintaining complementary colours on walls and skirting boards, applying a light shade to the ceiling, avoiding too many contrasting colours in compact spaces, using eggshell or satin finishes where suitable, and maximising natural light by keeping windows and curtains unobstructed.
Colour options and cost
Jarvis notes that small rooms do not have to be painted bright white. "Soft greens, warm off-whites, pale blues and other lighter shades can still give you some colour while keeping the room feeling open," he says. A tin of paint costs considerably less than structural work.
"Paint is not going to magically give you more floor space," says Jarvis. "But getting the colour and finish right can completely change how a room feels, and that can make a smaller space much more comfortable."
