Hi Pattyann,

Your place sounds lovely. I know all about kids and their color choices, although they don't have to be teens. My son wanted a green and "bwue" bedroom. Oh lord. He chose the "Chinese Blue" and honey it is BLUE! He also chose an incredibly obnoxious green, but I drew the line there and talked him into a softer green. Anyway, it's not what I would have chosen, but I really kind of like it for a boy's room.

Anyway. What I have read and have found to be true in my experience is that you can use different colors in an open concept space, so long as you stick to the same color strength/tonal value. By that I mean that they are all the same darkness/lightness. That way, they all go well together in general. It probably also helps if you stick to the warm vs. cool family. I was very worried that my "Off White" bedroom, which is SO off it's a warm gray that I just love, and my cream master bathroom weren't going to work together. But it's just beautiful and really interesting and I truly believe it's because they're of the same tonage (how's THAT for a word?). When I was painting my son's room, I kept looking into his white bathroom, which I was planning to paint in a really light/soft green and blue to placate my own desires. As I would look at that white room from his now painted room, it just didn't work. His room is medium toned with dark trim. So, in a stroke of insanity I decided to paint his bathroom in the same Chinese Blue. And do you know it's gorgeous and it all goes so well together! Again because the tone from one room to the next is about the same. The white tile, medicine cabinet, toilet, sink, and trim, as well as good lighting, keep it from looking dark. It's also a very small room, but truly doesn't feel any smaller for the dark paint.

I hope fatlester and funcolors see this. They're both amazing with color and have actually studied it. I've only read many books and painted for myself.

So my advice is do as many colors as you like, but keep them all about the same shade of light vs. dark, and it should go together beautifully.

If you want to use just ONE color, then yes a beautiful neutral would, I think, compliment your other colors rather nicely too.

Good luck!
Ivette

I meant roccocogirl, not Fatlester (same person, different GardenWeb era).

Ivette

Ivette outlined one way to go about it.

With open floor plans, depending on whose house it is, I tend to go a little bold. Not necessarily with vibrant color, but rather I steer clear of monotonous use of any one color, value, intensity, etc. I think of it as putting color to work defining different zones and accentuating architectural details.

Keeping color values and intensities within a tight range, and sticking to one side of the color wheel (temperature) is efficient and easier to pull off. However, employing color contrasts to sculpt certain areas can help visually organize and bring more interest to an open floor plan.

I have a couple areas I like to highlight in some way with contrast. One is the ceiling. I seek out soffits/bulkheads, insets, tray, etc.and see how I can apply color to highlight that third dimension and to help define a zone. Walls and doors add to the overall spatial experience of a home. Open floor plans donÂt have many walls and doors. So, if possible, I like to emphasize the character of the ceiling giving some zones more importance and making others subordinate and also create transition on the ceiling with color where doors and walls might in a more traditional lay out.

I also look to corners. I like it when two contrasting colors meet at a corner. The contrast at corners is great for eyeballs and is one strategy I like to use in offices because it causes muscles in the eye to work and focus  people get up and stretch their legs for breaks, corner contrasts give the eye a similar change of pace.

Using contrasts in wall color (meaning contrasts in value, temperature, complementary, intensity or any combo thereof) is a great way to emphasize whatever architecture exists in an open floor plan. Contrast can lend a sculptural aspect to precious few architectural features that risk blending in together if all painted in the same value, intensity or color temperature. Well chosen, thoughtfully placed architectural features are what make an open floor plan easy to navigate, comfortable to live in and feel open but not empty. My philosophy is to make the most of them with color and I like to do that by putting color contrasts to work.

i told you she was good.

;)
Ivette

Thank you both very much. You sound like you are experienced decorators. I feel comfortable with the similar tones idea and I love the suggestions regarding using contrasting colors. Do you have any suggestions on contrasting colors? I love green and yellow and especially love a contrast of red or burgundy. I sew and was thinking of making a simple panels of a heavier material with some opulence like velvet, which would also keep the heat in the home during cold snaps in Missouri,
along the family room wall with double french doors and two windows, using one long black rod like I have seen in Pottery Barn mag. This website is great and I really appreciate the ideas. I made two sets of pinch pleated drapes for the olive dining room in the Waverly Toile that is tea stained with black. They are hung on Pottery Barn rods and look great but were a lot of work. I hope to dress the rest of the windows more simply.