Help me enchance my small dorm room please :)

Hi!
I'm trying to decide which colors are best for my tiny single college dorm, in which the bed and desk are made out of wood (cherry wood color).

I want the room to look spacious so I've decided on using a lot of white, however I still want another color to make it look fancier and give it a little 'flavor'!

I'd love some insight and ideas,
many thanks,
Carol.

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Comment:
By Charlotte

20 June 2011

Hello Carol

White is a good option for a small room, to help it feel larger - however, I do think it's a good idea to use another color as well...

All over white can sometimes make a room feel too stark and cold - so choosing another color to complement this can really help to make your room feel more welcoming.

What are your favorite colors? Do you like bright colors? Or pale and pastel tones? Or deeper, rich tones? Or more muted or 'washed-out' shades?

You can pretty much choose anything to go with white and wood.

As you have a cherry wood color in your dorm room already, I think you could choose between some warm, orangey tones to complement this...

This could be anything from

-yellows - a good color to stimulate the mind, and for studying, welcoming, and very cheery

-pinks - softer, more relaxing and feminine

-peaches and apricots - warm and cosy (but avoid bright or deep oranges as these are rather too stimulating to the mind, and you may well have trouble sleeping, and they will definitely make the room feel darker)

-lilacs and blues - very relaxing - good for sleeping, but blue in particular can enhance any 'coldness' or starkness about the room, although they are a good choice for making the room feel larger - a great contrast to the color of your wood, too


-greens - a good choice - reminds us of nature - and also very relaxing - keeps a sense of space, without being too 'darkening'.

Paler tones will keep the more spacious feel in your room - so choose pale but warm tones (red/orange hints) to make your room feel cosier.

If you like bright colors - go ahead and use them in small quantities - they will add a vital 'shock' of color to enhance your room, with a modern feel, but with all the white around, they shouldn't make your room feel too dark.

I hope some of these ideas help you decide on your color choices.

If you're stuck for inspiration, why not take a look at some of my bedroom photos on the gallery pages

Also check out my color pages, if you've not already done so, for more help with choosing a color.

I hope these suggestions help you come up with some of your own color preferences and color ideas for your room...

Do come back and ask if you need more help choosing.

Good luck with your dorm room makeover - sure it will be a success!

Best wishes

Charlotte :o)

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