It's one of the best tricks in the interior designer book-use colour to bring out the best in a room. The right hues, or a combination of different hues, can alter the shape of a room to suit your needs.
For example, if you have a long narrow room and want to make it look more square, you only have to paint the shorter walls a darker hue than the longer ones. This is because dark colours seem to come towards you whereas lighter colours seem to recede.
This colour contrast technique works particularly well to shape long narrow hallways, which can be made to look more regular by painting the end wall a stronger hue.
Neutral lovers can still achieve the colour-shaping benefits of paint by matching lighter with darker neutrals. For example, you could pair Farrow & Ball's bright Off White (colour card number 3) with the slightly darker Old White (4); the warm Joa's White (226) with the even warmer Archive (227); or the cosy Matchstick (2013) with the pale earth pigment-based String (8).
And if you are considering introducing a feature wall-whether painted or wallpapered-think carefully about the ways it will affect the overall shape and balance of a room.
For more information on wallpaper and paint colours, and to request a free colour card, visit www.farrow-ball.com
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