Breaking up a long/continuous wall

tigereye

I've got an open floor plan with one long wall that runs through my living room, kitchen and a hallway. I'm wanting to paint the kitchen a different color from the living room area, but there really isn't a natural "break" in the wall where I can change color. Any ideas how to create a transition that will help to better define the spaces?

I thought about building a column of some sort, or even a piece of trim or something, and was hoping someone might have some more specific ideas.

Thanks,

Mike

Bob Mariani

Why not make this one wall an accent color that is different than all three rooms.

<*(((><

How about framing and sheetrock an archway at some point, it only has to come down from the ceiling 10" or so. My home has an open floor plan and we are going to add this architectural feature in between the kitchen and living room to keep the openness but provide the feeling of separate spaces.

Dana11

Try the following technique to get the look for your long wall:


1- Paint the long wall in neutral color. Try off white cream, taupe or soft yellow for your wall color. You can even vary the shade of the color you choose for the long wall. Paint the bottom half of the long wall the darkest shade. The next ¼ of the wall should be slightly lighter and the top ¼ of the wall should be the lightest of the three shades and should match the color of the ceiling. This will draw the eye up and down, instead of from side to side.

2 - Arrange your furniture to break the long wall into sections. Try placing your sofa, love seat or bed perpendicular to the long wall to create sections. Or use a bulky piece of furniture such as a hutch, entertainment center or piano to break up the monotony.


3- Add floor lamps to give the long wall height. Make sure the lamps are in contrasting colors to the wall. Many floor lamps are adjustable so you can vary the height yourself. Direct the light from the floor lamps upwards.
Place a tall plant between the furniture and the wall to add height. A tall grandfather clock against the long wall also adds height.


4- Create a window on the long wall. Use fabric material to add texture, depth and dimension to the long wall. A bulky valance with heavy draperies will help to break up the long wall. You can even paint a mural of an outdoor scene on the long wall, should you want to open the curtains.

5- Add a faux fireplace. Fireplace kits are available at decorating and home improvement stores. Add all the fireplace accessories such as a decorative basket for storing wood and fireplace pokers and shovels. You can even paint a faux fireplace directly on your long wall.


Dana
http://www.ninaathome.com

bjbatlanta

I kind of like the decorative column idea. But then again, my wife says all of my taste is "in my mouth" when it comes to ideas for decorating....

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