No Demo Reno: Jenn Todryk Shares A Painting Trick To Make Any Space Feel Bigger

HGTV's Jenn Todryk is known for her gorgeous transformations on the hit show "No Demo Reno," which showcases easy and impactful ways to make changes in your home without demolition and reconstruction. Sometimes, the simplest elements can go a long way toward changing the look and feel of a room, including a remodel for some empty-nesters intent on adding a touch of sophistication to their home. In the home office, Todryk chose a serene and soft shade of light blue-gray to cover the walls and the ceiling, which helped visually maximize the amount of space and give a greater sense of height.

"Since this is a smaller room, by painting it all one color, you kind of don't notice where the ceiling starts," Todryk explains. "So it just makes it look a lot bigger." By using the same shade on the walls and ceilings, Todryk broke up the horizontal lines that a white ceiling or molding at the top of the walls would provide, making the room seem higher even though it's not. The visual line of the color remained unbroken both vertically and horizontally, making the small room feel far larger. While this approach had a positive outcome on "No Demo Reno," you'll want to consider certain factors to determine if you should use it in your own space.

Jenn Todryk's changes to the room included a new desk, bookshelves, a softer set of window curtains, and a new rug. However, the blue-gray paint was the standout element, a color that offers the flexibility of a neutral but provides a hint of soothing and subdued color. By carrying the shade to the ceiling, the continuous effect made the room seem like it was floating in a neverending field of sky, giving the small room a far more expansive appearance. 

The lightness and brightness of the overall color were complemented by the large windows, which left no lack of daylight in the small space. Todryk also painted the trim around the base of the room and window the same shade to create a continuous, unbroke swathe of color. She instead used patterns (like the windowpane rug), artwork, and rich wood tones to break up the room, which took the emphasis off the enclosing walls.

Painting the ceiling and the walls in the same color is especially useful in rooms with sloped ceilings or dormer windows, where they can counter a closed-in feeling. It's also a great trick for hiding ceiling and trim imperfections. Practical benefits include the potentially lower cost of only buying one shade of paint and only having to paint with one color in any given room, which can save some labor and time switching gears, washing brushes, etc.

The downsides to this ceiling painting hack include the danger that a single color will make the room more enclosed, particularly darker shades like black and navy (though in larger rooms, these colors can make a room feel more cozy and cohesive if needed.) You may also want to keep in mind how the color is or can be broken up by elements like windows, architectural features, and artwork to avoid the single shade becoming too dull, monotonous, or overwhelming.