An open floor plan creates ample space, but it can seem featureless when it has a monochromatic paint scheme. Using more than one color, however, presents the question of where to best transition from one color to another. The answer depends on several factors, including the layout, the furniture and existing features like floors, woodwork, windows and doors. Even with an open floor plan, there are usually several natural transition points.
One way to keep the space integrated without painting it the same color throughout is to use different shades of the same tone. Another way is to choose colors that are close to each other on the color wheel, which is a tool for color selection. Since neither of these schemes are dramatic, you won't have as much difficulty transitioning as you do when you have more color contrast. Colors that vary greatly with respect to each other create separate visual spaces, and the transitions between them attract the eye unless they are part of some architectural feature or they make sense in some thematic way.
The floor plan may be open, but the spaces within it are discrete and usually defined by such features as archways, variations in floor level or floor covering and changes in room dimension. Each of these features offers a natural transition place. Archways are the easiest to use, because they interrupt the sightline so definitely that a color change seems almost an afterthought. A change in wall color may look obvious at the juncture of two different floors if the wall is straight, but it makes more sense if the wall changes direction at the juncture.
It's a good strategy to make use of architectural features for color transitions. Ceiling beams, large windows, built-in shelves and mantels are a few of these. If a ceiling beam marks the transition from one room to another, utilize it by changing the ceiling color, but keep the walls the same. If a feature, such as a large window, doesn't span the entire wall, look for another line nearby, and make the transition an asymmetrical one. You can also use a feature, like a bookcase, to provide the color you need to add interest to a monochromatic wall.
When you use more than one wall color in an open floor plan, painting all the trim the same color creates unity while still allowing you to subdivide the space. When you're working with analogous colors, use the lightest one for the trim and the darkest one to highlight. Natural wood trim, on the other hand, works well with contrasting colors, as long as the wood shows some of those colors. If you're painting the trim and using contrasting colors on the walls, it's probably a good idea to neutralize the trim by painting it off-white or gray in order to keep things from becoming overwhelming.
- Hoby Finn/Digital Vision/Getty Images