Paint: Large open first floor, can I paint different colors? (Valspar, floor plan)

[MysteryMT]

I'll be closing on a home April 30th, and I don't know what to do paint wise with the first floor. The whole area is connected by large arches and includes the Keeping Room, Kitchen w/ Eat in Area, Sunroom, and Sunken Family Room.

I've included pictures below. Right now the walls are just a flat white so I want to at least put in a neutral beige color. I'd just like some thought about whether you think I can add some more bold colors in certain areas. Thanks.



Please feel free to be as specific as possible with paint colors, I grew up with 8 crayons in my Crayola box.

[mawipafl]

Originally Posted by MysteryMT

Please feel free to be as specific as possible with paint colors, I grew up with 8 crayons in my Crayola box.

You're funny!

The sunken family room can be a totally different color than the rest since it really is set off because of the arches. The fireplace wall of the keeping room can be a different color than the rest because it's a focal point.

As for specific colors, it's about what you like rather than what design magazines tell you. You can go the extreme of a kaleidoscope and paint each area its own bright primary color or far less extreme and go with the same color throughout just using varying intensities.

For example, I'm "into" green these days and perhaps I'd paint your kitchen a pale sage green, the family room a deeper shade of that sage green, and the fireplace wall an even deeper shade of that sage green. Or trade the green for different intensities of beiges and browns if that's your preference. Or yellows.

The one thing to remember is that darker colors tend to bring walls "toward" you; lighter colors "push" them outward.

Looking at the floor plan it appears that there's no natural break in the walls between the kitchen and out into the foyer, so I'd guess that whatever you choose for the kitchen/keeping room would have to work with the foyer and up the stairway.

[EcoPaint]

Please let me be the first to congratulate you on your purchase and welcome you to Denver. That is a very good floor plan, having painted very similar layouts. Your floor plan offers a wide variety of paint color choices to match any flavor and taste, matching personalities. Yes paint colors today have moved from basic sets of whites, to a more refined set, as color trends. I went just today to Lowe's and Home Depot, picking up paint color brochures for my clients, and was thoroughly impressed with paint color choices, that will surely bring life to the walls, as to on it's canvas. Transforming living quarters to a home, this is the best and least expensive ways upgrading home decor you can do. Lowe's paint color brochures include Valspar Paint, Whites & Color Trends. 3 other must see paint color brochures come from Home Depot and Olympic; "An Inspired Collection for Kitchen & Bath", "An Inspired Collection for Interiors", and ""An Inspired Collection of Whites".

Yes, darker colors tend to bring walls closer, lighter ones further away, as well as room appearence smaller or larger, however no cookbook reciepe says you can't cut paint colors off at 90 degree angles either. You might consider painting natural lighted areas darker, and darker areas such as hallways lighter. Below an interior painting project underway.


Good Luck and Welcome Again!

[MysteryMT]

Thanks for all the great feedback! Follow up question, do you wanna come to my house and prep everything like you've done above...I'll supply the coffee.

[sgresident]

you can definitely go with different colors if you want to. the rooms are separated, they just open into each other a lot. I would really look at the compatible colors on the paint chips when selecting. also, your fireplace wall could be a great accent/focal wall with a dramatic color. I can't really recommend any colors, since I don't know what your furnishings look like, but I will recommend the benjamin moore paint website. they have a lot of rooms that you can put the paint on! it is quite interactive and the paint selections are vast!!!

[dad2jules]

I have an open floorplan as well and my wife has 6 colors in it and thats without the pink and yellow in my daughter's playroom- no it is not visible unless we choose- it is actually a bedroom with a door.