The Surprising Paint Colors That Make Your Home Look Smaller Avoid these colors if you want a space that feels open and expansive. Close Credit: Getty Images Curating a color palette for your home is a personal choice that depends on your aesthetic and the mood you want your space to convey. If you're designing a cozy, enveloping home, you may not mind a paint color that shrinks the space. However, if you want a home that feels open and expansive, there are some paint colors to avoid. Dark hues and heavily saturated shades can make rooms feel smaller in scale than they really are. While this might not be a big deal in intimate areas, like a reading nook or powder room, it typically isn't ideal in rooms where a lot of time is spent, such as the kitchen or living room. Here, we asked interior designers for the paint colors that make your home feel smaller. Amy Wax, architectural color consultant and creator of the Color911 App, which allows homeowners to see what colors pair well together Alexandra Peck, owner and principal designer at Alexandra Peck Design, a boutique design studio in Los Angeles, specializing in creating transformative and curated interiors 7 Paint Colors That Make a Small Room Feel Bigger, According to Interior Designers 01 of 09 Charcoal Gray Credit: Getty Images Despite charcoal being one of the most popular colors in the design world, it doesn't work for every occasion. "Although rich charcoals can be as chic as black, I do not recommend using them if you are not comfortable with making your room feel smaller in scale," says architectural color consultant Amy Wax. "Use it in a primary or guest bedroom if you are looking for a cozier vibe, but definitely avoid using it in small rooms like a bathroom or home office, as it will close the walls in around you." 02 of 09 Eggplant Eggplant is an earthy purple hue that looks beautiful in fashion, textiles, and artwork, but Peck notes that the dark nature of this color will shrink the feeling of a room. "If you want your bedroom to feel spacious and large, I would steer clear," she says. 03 of 09 Navy Credit: Getty Images Navy is a timeless shade, but it should be used thoughtfully to avoid making spaces feel smaller. "I love using navy in home offices to create a moody ambiance and find it creates that same effect in powder rooms and kitchens if you’re applying it in a monochromatic sense," says Alexandra Peck, owner and principal designer at Alexandra Peck Design. "However, it does make the space feel cozy and small." She suggests avoiding this color in areas you want to seem larger, such as the kitchen. 04 of 09 Forest Green Forest green is a deep jewel tone that is a beautiful choice for upholstery where Peck says the depth of the color fascinates. However, she recommends skipping this color for wall paint, especially in a home office where the dark hue will be overpowering. 05 of 09 Burnt Umber Credit: Getty Images Burnt umber is a reddish-brown hue known for its rare, earthy nature. But Peck notes that it is incredibly dark and would make any room feel much smaller than it is. She recommends avoiding this shade in any room you want to feel open and expansive. 06 of 09 Medium Gray A medium gray color can compress a room, making it appear smaller in scale. "Often we find neutral colors appealing because they give us the most freedom, but without giving the room any identity, it tightens the space and brings the walls in," says Wax, adding that it is especially unappealing in a kitchen. 07 of 09 Military Green Credit: Getty Images Many shades of green can make your space feel bigger, such as a soft sage or delicate mint, but Wax says to skip military or olive greens. "I would especially avoid using this color in a room where you will be spending a lot of time like a bedroom or family room, as it tends to feel like the walls are somewhat oppressive, closing in the space," she says. 08 of 09 Mid-Toned Brown Without the richness of a chocolatey brown or the delicate appeal of a velvety tan, a mid-toned brown often creates a room that lacks contrast. "As a wall color, it leaves the space void of visual interest, making the room feel smaller and less important," says Wax. If you're set on this shade, Wax recommends decorating with contrasting colors to make the room feel more spacious. 09 of 09 Heavy Reds Credit: Getty Images Colors that are too saturated can make a room feel much smaller than it actually is. "I find that reds are the most prominent color in this category, but it will apply to many colors that are not as dark as they are fully saturated," says Wax. She notes that heavily saturated hues don't give you a visual break, making it feel as if the walls are enveloping you. Explore more: Home Home Design & Decor Interior Paint Colors & Palettes