Choosing a Paint Color for a Small, Dark Space
When we first moved into our townhouse ten years ago, this living room was our very first DIY project — and oh my goodness, what a difference it made! I’m sharing this post again because I’m currently in the middle of freshening up those same walls (same color — Simply White by Benjamin Moore!), and it felt like the perfect time to revisit where it all began.
Color in a room has a dramatic effect on the feel of a space. Prior to moving into the townhouse, I told myself I was going to live with the existing paint color for a while before choosing a new color.
My resolve lasted about…umm…5 minutes?;)
To start with, there was a 90s’ ceiling feature going on around the perimeter of the ceiling. We affectionately called it “The Racing Stripe”!
Although painted beautifully, that odd stripe seemed to make the room feel it was squeezing you in from all sides.
Despite being surrounded by moving boxes piled at an alarming height, I got out some leftover ceiling paint, and painted over that bad boy. (It was White Heron by Benjamin Moore.)
Having the ceiling stripe gone definitely expanded the room visually. However, we dayly observed a bigger issue.
The room felt so very dark ~ even on a bright, sunny day (which is rare in the Winter here on the rainy West Coast).
Since there is no overhead lighting in the Living Room area, it was especially dark in the evenings – in spite of turning on every lamp we own.
We knew right away that we wanted the room to be white. But, of course, there are only about 750 different whites to choose from!
I made many trips to the paint store picking up samples that looked lovely and white and soothing in the store…
But, when I put them up on the wall in our space, they looked very different!
Eventually, I borrowed some huge paint swatches from a friend. Although they don’t picture well, each color of white is very different.
I taped the swatches up in various parts of the room and observed them at different times of the day. I also held up my inspiration pillow to them to see how well they worked together..
I’m not going to lie. It was hard to pick a white.
I didn’t want it to look sterile and cold, but I didn’t want it to look beige either!
In the end, I finally pulled the trigger and chose this one:
Simply White by Benjamin Moore.
It seemed to be warm without looking muddy in all the different areas in the room.
When we finally had the paint in hand, we pushed our furniture together and started the transformation…
We discovered quickly that painting a tiny space has unique challenges. We were moving (and tripping over) furniture all day!
In the end, it was worth it, though.
It’s a color we absolutely love!
Here’s a little color comparison (even though the pictures aren’t great…):
Before (Benjamin Moore Natural Linen):
After (Simply White, by Benjamin Moore):
It’s light without feeling cold and sterile, and works perfect in this small space.
This project is part of a One Room Challenge. If you missed a previous One Room Challenge post, you can find Part One here. You can find the reveal post of our townhouse living & dining room (10 years ago!) here.
One Room Challenge To Do List:
- Change out light fixtures.
(One done, one to go.) Paint the bizarre brown racing stripe around the perimeter of the room’s ceiling out.Paint out the dreadfully dark builder’s beige color.- Add some feature walls of interest in the Dining Room space.
- Figure out storage space solutions.
- Re-design the entryway closet to function better and have a little style.
- Hang up art
- Find lighting solutions to brighten up the room during the day and night.
- Start shopping for a new couch/ new chairs? (This may just be a dream…)
- New rug?
Missed a previous One Room Challenge post? You can find Part One here.
***Update: The One Room Challenge is long finished. You can find a more updated tour of the space decorated for Fall in this boho living room tour.
More Paint Color Tips
Looking for my tips on how to choose a paint color? After choosing colors for many painted rooms, I’ve learned a lot! Read my updated guide here → How to Pick a Paint Color You’ll Love
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I wish you could have seen our rental…. it was that beigy brown color – probably almost identical to what you had – everywhere on the main floor. And I mean everywhere! Cupboards, baseboards, walls, stripe on the ceiling… So I painted the kitchen “Bakery Box White”. Mostly because I liked the name. I’m a sucker for the names of colors…. haha. And changing out to white curtains and painted the bathroom “Tahitian Morning” blue. Again… that name! It just makes me happy.
Oh…I love the name Bakery Box White, too! And Tahitian Morning sounds absolutely vacationy… Happy settling in, my friend. I think of you often as I’m unpacking boxes these days…