With time, your beautiful wall can start to look dated. This is mostly because times change, and that brings over new indoor decor trends. At the same time, your wall could start to lose its vibrancy, have dust and stains, and other factors that make it generally unappealing.
This guide will reveal what you need to restore its beauty and bring character to a flat, uninteresting wall.
Basics of Paint and Wall Depth
You can maximize appeal using paint in your rental and transform flat walls. Before proceeding with your changes, the first step is to understand the basics of painting and wall depth.
Here’s what you need to know:
Why Flat Walls Fall Flat
A wall entirely painted in flat color leaves nothing for light to reflect off of and offers the viewer’s eye nothing to focus on. As a result, it offers no variations of light and dark, shadow, texture, etc.
A space can appear like a large box and feel visually very impersonal and flat. When potential renters are looking for a warm and inviting place to call home, this area will lack appeal.
Color: The Foundation of Depth
Color is your greatest asset when creating layers of depth in a room. Lighter colors (such as white, cream, and pastel) recede from the viewer’s line of sight and make the wall appear further away, and therefore, a room appears to be larger and brighter.
Conversely, darker colors (such as navy, charcoal, and deep greens) advance toward the viewer and create a cozy or intimate atmosphere. Therefore, if you use a combination of lighter and darker colors (such as a lighter color on the main wall and a darker color on the accent wall), you immediately create the illusion of multiple layers of depth.
The Power of Sheen
Paint sheen (or gloss) determines how much light reflects. A matte (flat) finish will absorb all the light it gets, hide your flaws, and provide an overall flat, non-reflective surface. An eggshell or satin finish will have a slight reflection of light and produce some depth by creating a subtle glow.
When semi-gloss finishes reflect more light, they make your trim and details stand out from the wall. Strategically using different sheens adds one other visual element to the mix.
Creating Texture Through Technique
The most effective way to add visual texture to your walls and ceilings is through the use of techniques such as:
- Rag Rolling or Sponging: Creates a mottled, soft surface pattern that breaks up uniform lighting.
- Color Washing: Creates a translucent, layered look with minimal color variation.
- Specialty Paints: Many modern specialty paints contain fine sand or silica, which can be used to create a very slight but visible texture that will catch the light and shadow well.
Bonus
While adding texture to your walls and ceilings can be aesthetically pleasing, BMG property management encourages landlords to select paints that can reduce long-term maintenance for rentals.
This will allow you to enjoy the beauty and character you have added to your property while minimizing maintenance and repainting costs when the tenant vacates the rental unit.
How Color Choice Influences Room Size Perception
The color you choose will determine how drastically your room changes in terms of size and coziness. Here’s how:
The Rule of Light and Dark
Light colored areas appear to come forward (advance), while dark-colored areas appear to recede. When painting walls in lighter, brighter colors, they will reflect more light, making the surface appear to extend outward and creating an airy, open feeling.
When painting walls in darker shades, they will absorb light and appear closer and more intimate, which is perfect for containing a large space.
Cool Tones vs. Warm Tones
Cooler color tones (blues, greens, and gray) can create a sense of calmness and help recede into space, which helps to create a larger area. Warmer color tones (beige, taupe, and soft yellow) may draw you in, but they can also help create a smaller and cozier area. If you have a small area, then a cool-toned lighter area may help to make the largest illusion for that area.
Strategic Accent Walls
Accent walls are an effective way to add depth and focus to your home. If your room is longer than it is wide, place your accent wall at the back of the room; it will be visually “in front” and give the illusion that the room is wider.
Also, if you have a very high-ceilinged room, adding an accent wall to one of the walls on either end will help to bring the room down to size and make it look more even.
Don’t Forget the Fifth Wall (The Ceiling)
The ceiling is an important factor in how we perceive height. The ceiling painted white, or a light color, will make the room feel as though the ceiling is lifting upwards, making the space appear larger.
If the ceiling is too high for a given space, painting it a slightly darker color than the walls (gray tones) can help reduce the perceived height and create a warmer, cozier atmosphere.
Benefits for Landlords and Tenants
Choosing to paint flat walls for character and depth comes with tangible benefits beyond appeal. Doing this will boost its marketability, protect your investment, and improve tenant satisfaction.
Tangible Benefits for Landlords
- Enhanced Marketing Ability & Reduced Vacancy: Walls with visually interesting photographs look better and stand out in advertisements, creating a first impression that attracts more potential tenants and potentially shortening the time it takes to fill a vacant space.
- Value Perception: Renters generally associate well-designed spaces with being well-maintained and of higher quality than poorly designed spaces, which can result in your ability to charge a premium rent and provide you with a competitive advantage in the rental market.
- Long-Term Low Maintenance: Choose high-quality, easy-to-clean finishes, such as satin or semi-gloss, on walls and trim reduces future painting needs, making this option ideal for a low-maintenance strategy for rental properties.
- Neutrality & Timelessness: Select a neutral base color with depth (such as a greige, warm white, or soft sage) to prevent trendy, polarizing colors, providing a neutral, timeless backdrop that will appeal to a wide range of potential renters and avoid the feeling of becoming outdated quickly.
Meaningful Benefits for Tenants
- Comfort & Well-Being: The tenants will enjoy living in a space designed with thought and dedication. Light and airy rooms can lift tenants’ moods, while a dark-colored accent wall in the bedroom can help create a relaxing atmosphere.
- Personalization for Tenants: Tenants will be able to envision their furniture and artwork more easily thanks to the space’s pre-established design style. This emotional attachment is a significant reason why tenants tend to hold onto their rental units longer.
- Functionality for Tenants: Tenants will appreciate you doing the work for them. A small study room that feels larger due to color and lights, which does half the work when creating an organized and productive workspace.
Conclusion
Doing these can completely change your space from looking generic to standing out. All you need to do is focus on choosing the right color and texture, and then you can make your property feel larger, inviting, and appealing.
The best part is that these changes come with substantial benefits. As a landlord, you can enjoy the increased marketability, reduced vacancy, and more. For the tenants, they will better imagine themselves using the space and appreciate the thought put into making the space functional.