Short on Space? Try a Little Paint in Your NOVA Home!

Not all homes are designed with the spacious, open floor plans that today’s home buyers in the Northern Virginia area find so appealing. Some properties have rooms that are more confined or a smaller living space. These can be tough sells, so the best way to get around this is to do everything that you can to make your smaller, more cramped rooms appear bigger. As a Northern Virginia real estate agent, I know a few tips and tricks of the trade that you can use to make smaller homes or rooms appear to be larger. It’s all about creating an illusion. It doesn’t always involve rearranging furniture or a complete overhaul in your home’s layout. Sometimes, it simply involves a can of paint.

The right paint color can really open up a space and make it look more spacious, light and airy. You can best achieve this by using the correct shades. Here are a few color schemes that you should try to create more “spacious” rooms in your NOVA home:

Cool greens and blues create a light and airy feel. Something about soft blue and green hues is very soothing and tranquil. It definitely creates a peaceful vibe, which reels buyers in. That color scheme also gives an illusion of more visual space because they make the walls recede a bit. These are the perfect colors to use if you’re desperate to make a small space look bigger.

Give the indoors a small taste of the outdoors. If you use earthy, outdoorsy colors, such as a yellowish green, a room can look more like an extension of the outdoors than part of your interior, which creates more space visually. It also looks good with both natural and artificial light, so you’ll have a space that’s flattering and eye-catching in any environment. This color also looks fantastic against white trim.

Give dull or tiny rooms a pop of interest with a warm hue. Some bold colors, like reds or yellows or oranges, would be overwhelming in a large space like a living room or kitchen. If you have a small play room or office space that doesn’t have anything of interest to look at, try using these pops of color to add something extra. You can enjoy the bold hue without it being overwhelming or inappropriate.

Rustic reds can take attention off of clutter-filled spaces. Some rooms, such as a foyer or mudroom, can appear smaller or more unsightly because of the clutter that accumulates there. In an ideal world, we’d keep everything organized at all times, but this isn’t always possible, especially if you have kids. A rustic red paint color in spaces like that will take your eyes off of the clutter and onto the potential the room has in your home.

Add a pop of color to your home. It’s more cost effective than a remodel, and if you use the right hues strategically enough, you can make smaller, more dull spaces look both bigger AND more interesting. I always advise my seller clients to make minor adjustments like these in order to make the best possible impression on buyers.

If you have any questions about how to prepare your Northern Virginia home for sale, don’t hesitate to contact me and ask! I’d be happy to help you in any way I can. I hope to hear from you soon.


Earle Whitmore
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
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