You just bought a new Manhattan apartment. Now how do you make it your own?

One way to add a personal touch to your space is with new paint. The right shade and the right placement of color can make even the smallest or oldest apartment feel like a cozy or fresh new home.

Do you need a little guidance sifting through all those paint swatches? Here are some pro tips from Manhattan real estate experts Platinum Properties to help you pick out the perfect colors for your NYC apartment.

Be universal.

Decide on one “universal” color and find a way to incorporate it in varying shades throughout your apartment. This will help keep a constant flow in your home and tie your rooms together. Do you love green? Try using a rich hunter green in the master bedroom and a spring green in the nursery. Choosing one central color keeps every room in harmony and has the added benefit of tricking the eye into expanding the space.

The lighter, the better (and bigger).


Paint colors have the ability to shift the apparent dimensions of a room. White and pastel tones make rooms seem bigger, brighter, and less suffocating by pushing the walls out. Deeper, darker shades tend to pull the walls in. A soft buttercream or pastel blue can make even the smallest apartment in NYC seem almost cavernous.

Don’t be afraid to make the room pop.


Pops of color are the perfect way to express personality and individual style. Use bold colors to accent more neutral, muted tones. You can do this by painting the trims or a single accent wall with more daring colors like red, yellow, or orange. Bold color accents are an easy way to add intrigue and polish to your interior design.

Let paint be your floor plan.


If you live in a loft or studio apartment in NYC, or use one very large room for several distinct spaces, paint is a great way to break up the space and create division for the eye. Different paint colors can break up an area into sections while still making your apartment seem spacious. Paint the walls where you sleep, do work, and watch TV different colors to distinguish the sections of your apartment.

Use that brush on more than just the walls.


Instead of putting a white desk up against a blue wall, why not put a blue desk up against a white wall? Get creative with the ways you decorate your apartment by using paint to make store-bought furniture your own. This is a great way to make a space your own if you are renting an apartment and can’t paint the walls. The best part of personalizing your furniture is even if you move out, you can still take that beautiful, creative chair or bed frame with you.

But before zipping over to the nearest hardware store to pick up some paint cans, you have to find the apartment first. The best way to find apartments in NYC is by getting in touch with an experienced NYC real estate agent at Platinum Properties. We can help you find the apartment of your dreams in the NYC neighborhood that is best for you!