3 Ways to Choose Paint Colors in an Open Floor Plan
3 pros!
How do you choose the right paint colors for an open floor plan? Check out these approaches.
Choosing paint colors for an open floor plan can seem like a difficult challenge to many homeowners. Because this style lacks clear room separations, areas need to be defined in a different way. One of the ways to define the areas is through paint.
There are three different ways to choose paint colors in an open floor plan:
1. Stick to one hue throughout, usually a neutral shade
This is a good choice if you want your paint to be more of a backdrop to your furnishings and not the focal point of the space. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean a light color.
Natural and artificial lighting also contribute in establishing a tone for the space. Though the walls may be continuous, lighting can change a color from one area to the next. What looks green in one light might look very blue in another.
2. Define areas with accent colors
This can warm an open floor plan and is a good way to define specific room areas. It is also a way to incorporate bolder accent colors. A kitchen wall could be accented in a green and a living area could have a chocolate accent wall.
The only rule of thumb with this design is that the adjacent walls should be painted in a less vibrant tone, allowing the eye to rest. This approach will compliment the more vibrant accent colors.
3. Mix the two paint styles together
This involves using a monochromatic scheme, but incorporating different shades of the same color to define or accent spaces. The simplest way of doing this is by sticking to the colors on one paint strip and using the deeper tones on the same strip as your accents.
This design allows the eye to move seamlessly around the space, but also provides the opportunity to use bolder accent colors.
Once you determine the wall color (or colors), you still have to select trim and ceiling paint. In an open floor plan, it is best to keep the trim and ceiling colors the same throughout so that the space feels unified and has continuity and flow.
About this Experts Contributor
Trish Helmke is a color consultant with Nolan Painting, providing painting services in Philadelphia. Since 1979, Nolan Painting has specialized in exterior and interior painting, color consultation, wall covering removal and installation and more. You can follow this Experts contributer on Twitter @Nolan_Painting or Google Plus.
As of November 21, 2013, this service provider was highly rated on Angie's List. Ratings are subject to change based on consumer feedback, so check Angie's List for the most up-to-date reviews. The views expressed by this author do not necessarily reflect those of Angie's List.