Painting in an Open Floor Plan

Open floor plans have been long been a popular option for homes, especially for people who love to entertain or families who need to keep an eye on young children. Homeowners love the feeling of being in a larger space where the line of sight allows for easy entertaining across several areas. Homeowners also remark that an open floor plan allows for an abundance of natural light, since interior walls are omitted and each area has access to exterior windows. While open floor plans add an airy, light appearance to a space, the open concept does have its challenges. One of these challenges is how to paint so that the color palette is cohesive while also allowing for defining spaces within the larger room such as a breakfast nook, entertaining area, and tv area. Let’s take a closer look at these three challenges and what the options are for painting your open floor plan.

Challenge #1 – Too Much of One Color

One of the biggest problems homeowners face when choosing paint colors for their open concept home is where to transition the color. This causes many people to settle on a monochromatic color scheme, which is definitely a viable option. Some homeowners love the clean lines of one color throughout the space, but others feel it is boring. An option for these folks is to find natural transition spots throughout the larger room to define spaces within the open concept for different purposes, whether it is a dining area, a comfortable seating space, or a play area for children. Once those transition areas have been identified, complimentary colors can be used to delineate the individual area.

Challenge #2 – Too Many Colors

When choosing the option to find transition spots and paint varying colors, some homeowners find that they are using too many colors, and the once open floor plan now looks like a patchwork of colors. The option to solve this problem is to choose 3-5 colors that are complementary to each other for the space. We suggest sticking to a color family or grounding the space with a neutral color to keep it all cohesive. Choose a deeper or lighter shade to transition spaces, but allow for continuity.

Challenge #3 – Creating a Focus

Many homeowners who love their open floor plan also want a focus to the room. Some choose the kitchen while others choose the fireplace area. Whatever you choose, consider creating a focus through the use of paint – an accent wall! An accent wall can draw the eye to a space and create an interest area. For homes with an architectural feature such as high ceilings, tray ceilings, trim, or archways, these features are fantastic for creating a focus. Paint a lighter or darker shade of your primary color, or go wild and give the space a pop of color!

Do you have an open floor plan and need help choosing colors? Call Jerry Enos Painting at 978-546-6843, or visit our website to speak to our color consultants.

Categorised in: Color Trends, Interior painting, Jerry Enos