Best Ways To Use Color Tricks for Spacious Home Designs In Malaysia

Ever wondered how a splash of paint and a dash of creativity can transform your home from cramped to spacious?

It's not only about how to make your room look bigger; it's crafting spaces that breathe and welcome you with open arms and freedom. Through this guide, we share these simple yet effective methods that shall change how you think, or rather, perceive the utilisation of every corner of your home.

If you're looking for ways to make your home look bigger or help a room work harder in a smaller space, here are the colour tricks to get every inch in shape!

The Role of White

White is the colour that can help achieve a sense of space and openness. The various shades of white can brighten up spaces, making them appear open and expansive. It reflects light, adding to the feeling of airiness and spaciousness in a room.

The choice of white—varied in shades from walls to ceilings and even furniture—brings depth while maintaining a cohesive look, opening up the area. This strategy is perfect for creating a more expansive and comfortable home, regardless of its size.

Some of my favourite white choices are:

Pure White

• This bright shade brightens up walls and ceilings

• Reflecting light effectively for a spacious feel

Antique White

• Warmer than pure white

• Adds a subtle warmth while still keeping the space open and inviting

Off-White

• Softer and muted, shades like ivory or cream 

• Create a gentle ambiance while maximizing natural light

The Power of Contrast

Another effective technique is creating contrast in your spacious room design. Mixing bright and dark colours adds depth and tricks the eye into perceiving more space.

Bright colours reflect light, creating an airy and open space, while dark tones add sophistication and depth. Together, they create a dynamic and inviting environment that feels larger.

• Crisp White Walls with Navy Blue:

For one of our previous projects working on Henry Golding's house, we implemented a white palette with blue wall accents as well! White walls create a clean and bright backdrop, while navy blue accents, such as furniture or decor, add depth and sophistication. The contrast between the crisp white and deep blue creates a striking and elegant look.

• Light Grey Furniture with Charcoal Grey Throw Pillows:

Light grey furniture provides a neutral and versatile base, while charcoal grey throw pillows add contrast and visual interest. The combination of light and dark greys adding warmth and depth to the space.

• Creamy Beige Carpets with Black Metal Accents:

Creamy beige carpets offer a soft touch, while black metal accents, such as light fixtures or furniture legs, provide contrast and a touch of modernity. 

Optimal Shades

Medium shades often make rooms feel smaller and more confined. Instead, consider opting for dramatic dark tones or bright whites. Dark colours add depth to walls, creating the illusion of receding walls, while bright whites reflect light, giving a room an airy feel.

Painting shorter walls with a darker shade and longer walls with a lighter shade can make the room appear broader, correcting proportions.

Charcoal Grey

• Adds sophistication and depth to the room

• Furniture pieces such as sofas, armchairs, or dining chairs

Navy Blue

• Creates a cozy and intimate atmosphere

• Perfect for bedrooms or living rooms

Forest Green

• Adds a touch of nature-inspired elegance

• Decor elements such as curtains, rugs, or throw pillows

It's a simple switch in shades that can transform a space from feeling cramped to one that feels limitless.

Unified Color Schemes

Limiting one's colour palette to a single choice can eliminate visual boundaries, tricking the eye into perceiving a room as larger than it is.

This means using one colour makes the space more personal and gives your interior a smooth and unified appearance, making the room seem larger. Whether it's a calm blue or a soft, earthy hue, it makes any room feel far larger when just one colour is applied.

One common example of utilizing a unified color scheme is in minimalist interior design. In minimalist spaces, such as modern apartments or contemporary homes, neutral colors like white, beige, or light gray are often used on walls, furniture, and decor items. This creates a cohesive and harmonious environment where visual clutter is minimized, and the focus is on clean lines and simplicity. 

Solid, Physical Lined Elements to the Rescue

Physical stripes are a huge bonus for designing and decorating a spacious living room. Horizontal stripes can even out to make walls seem as though they are longer, stretching the room side by side.

On the other hand, vertical stripes create an illusion that the eyes are drawn upward, making the ceilings appear of greater height. This is but a very simple example of an optical illusion and still very effective in producing the feel of spaciousness in any room.

The secret to the best effects?? Ones that are custom handcrafted, or installed as wood panels to create an everlasting, elegant ambience in your home.

Bedroom

• Incorporate striped bedding or curtains to elongate the room visually

• Horizontal stripes on accent walls or headboards can widen the room

• Vertical stripes on closet doors or wardrobes can make ceilings seem taller

Gaming Room

• Install carpets or rugs to lengthen the floor space - and to increase comfort!

• Vertical line elements on walls, such as fluted wood panels, can add height, enhancing the spacious feel

Home Office

• Apply a feature wall as a focus to one wall to expand the space visually

• Horizontal elements on shelves or storage units to widen the room

• Vertical stripes (usually hand-crafted carpentry work) on window treatments can also create an additional sense of height

Written by: 

Mak Mil Yung, Interior Design Director

If I have a specific colour in mind, how can I apply colour theory to make my room appear larger?

When using a specific colour, consider its undertones and how they interact with light. Opt for lighter shades to reflect light and create a sense of spaciousness.

How do I determine if a particular shade of white will suit my spacious house design?

Will my hanging paintings/wall art colours affect while applying these tips to make my space look spacious?