5 of best dark colors to paint small rooms, as chosen by designers – 'they'll make them feel bigger, and ceilings higher'

The best dark colors for small rooms; black living room with curved armchair by Urbanology Designs.

It might feel counterintuitive to paint a small room a dark color, but deep hues can add depth, drama, a sense of luxe, and an enveloping coziness to a bijou space. And, as well as being a design statement, dark colors can also work to make a small room look bigger.

'Dark colors can help to create an illusion of a larger room or higher ceilings,' agrees Helen Shaw, a color expert from Benjamin Moore. 'So when painting smaller rooms, consider ditching pale hues and embrace a dark color scheme as this cleverly absorbs the light of a space, making the division between walls appear blurred.