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Paint Color – Light Or Dark Colors?

No matter how large your building or office space, it is by definition finite. As businesses grow or their missions evolve, it’s not uncommon even for larger spaces to feel as though they’ve been subdivided to oblivion. That can leave offices, waiting areas, and conference rooms feeling cramped. If you don’t have the option of moving to a larger space or knocking out a wall, might something as simple as paint color be the answer to your problems?

Local SD Painting knows more than paint. We work with color theory to make your space more comfortable, more welcoming, and even appear more spacious.

Paint Color Choices

Using contrasting paint colors in commercial interior painting goes far beyond what simply looks good. Experienced commercial painting contractors know that it’s making the best use of all six walls. Yes, we said six. Your floors and ceilings also play a part here when it comes to paint color!

The conventional wisdom holds that if you want to make a space look bigger, rely on a light paint color. There’s truth to that, since a light paint color will make best use of light to draw the eye into and through a space. However, a room that’s all one paint color, or that’s simply based on different values of the same color, will start to look dull pretty quickly. Our eyes are drawn toward contrast, shadows, and texture. The use of a darker paint color, a contrasting paint color, or even a custom wall covering can help give presence and depth to a room.

So, what does this look like in practice? Choose a light paint color to predominate. However, if you have a feature toward which you want to draw the eye, use a darker contrasting paint color. This works well in rooms with ornate molding or fixtures. In addition, a wall of windows (because of the brightness of the windows) will offset the darker surrounds. Consequently, the paint color contrast will make both paint colors to stand out more than either would on its own.

Naturally, the opposite is also true. Before your commercial painting project starts, think about elements you’d like to downplay in the room. Painting these unsightly elements the same color as the predominant color will help them blend in. Imagine a paint color allowing for an uncluttered look!

Beyond the Paint Color

While we are commercial painting contractors, we’re also used to looking at the big picture. So, we’d be remiss if we didn’t remind you of a few other things you can do to make a room look larger even after our work is done.

  • Avoid busy-ness: Lots of furniture, or many colors and textures will make the space seem cluttered and cramped.
  • Maximize your light: Whether it’s available light from a window or well-placed fixtures, good light can make even small spaces seem expansive.
  • Take care with decor: Just like an accent wall can pull a room together, a statement piece — a single large painting or print, for example — often does more than a number of smaller pieces.
  • Glass is your friend: Whether it’s an interior glass wall or window, or glass tops for desks and tables, glass keeps spaces looking open.
  • Emphasize equilibrium: Whether it’s a combination of small and large elements, light and dark colors, or a smart layout, a visual sense of balance is always helpful.

Local SD Painting has taken on a wide variety of residential and commercial painting during our history. You learn a little something about making the most of small spaces over the decades, so why not let us help you with your painting challenges?

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