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The art of magic is all about making your audience believe what they are seeing. This timeless art can inspire you to perform some magic of your own, using simple home improvement tips to fool the eyes and transform small, drab spaces into ones that will surely amaze.

Seeing is believing

Paint color is an easy and inexpensive way to create an optical illusion. When used properly, certain paint colors can actually make a room look larger. Take white, for instance. Using very light colors or whites, like Ultra White from Dutch Boy, can help reflect natural or artificial light, making the walls seem to disappear and creating a space that looks bigger. Picking the perfect neutral can even give the illusion that your walls are receding.

Embracing your dark side

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Most people believe dark colors shouldn’t or can’t be used in small spaces, but that’s not the case. If you use the color on everything — the moldings, cabinets and walls — the unified, seamless look makes the room appear larger. Paint the room with a dark color, like Dutch Boy’s Mosaic Tiles or Chanson Bleu in a semi-gloss finish, and light will bounce off the shiny surface, creating the appearance of a brighter, larger room.

Conversely, if you have a room that is overwhelmingly large, the opposite principals can be applied to make it look smaller. Use dark colors, but this time in a flat finish, to minimize the appearance of the room.

A disappearing act

Another way to keep costs and clutter down is by making trim and other decor items vanish. Instead of over-furnishing, accessorize with multi-purpose pieces like a decorative storage chest that can double as a coffee table or a set of nesting tables that can be easily stored when not in use. Mirrors are also a great, inexpensive way to open up a space, giving the illusion of depth.

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This article is courtesy of Brandpoint.