An open floor plan is an architectural design that allows two or many rooms to run together without doorways and physical barriers. For example, a living room, dining room, kitchen and foyer that all appear to be one large space is an example of an open floor plan.
Open floor plans are becoming more popular because they promote social behaviors in the house and large spaces can be put to more diverse uses. If you have an open floor plan in your home, knowing how to paint it can help ensure that you’re happy with the way your home looks.
Make the Space Unified
The first rule of painting an open floor plan is not to try to paint the different “rooms” in different colors. Doing so can divide the space in a way that’s jarring and visually disturbing. To paint the open floor plan, choose one color to pain the majority of the space.
That said, you can choose different paint colors if you come to a natural division in the space. If you encounter a pilaster and archway that naturally separates two areas, you can use that opportunity to switch paint colors from one to another.
In fact, breaking up the space with different colors whenever a natural division occurs can help create visual interest and cultivate a sense of depth. For example, if your open space involves built-in nooks for shelves along one wall, paint the nooks of those shelves in a different color. You can also break up the space by painting the crown molding or trim along the ground in a separate color.