Annie wrote in with a great question: “I love the way that you use color. I was wondering if you had any tips that you could share for using color in a large space with multiple uses. Such as an open-space room? I’ve defaulted to neutrals in the past, because I just don’t think I understand how to use them and I’d love any suggestions you have…”
We’re glad you asked, Annie. While we update this space occasionally, I thought I’d share a little spring tour of our great room with a few of our favorite tips. Let’s dive in, shall we?
You can see more of our entire home tour here, but we purchased this house eight years ago and took on an entire renovation with multiple additions over time. This room was once four smaller spaces, and while every home doesn’t call for an open floor plan, this one really did. A house can have both: We have other spaces in our home, so this room definitely serves as the heart of the home, and the openness is fitting. Once upon a time, entering through the front door, this space consisted of four smaller rooms.
This room works hard for us. Now that there are no walls, the space is still divided into multiple areas for this open floor plan portion of our home.
This is the view looking back into the main entry
And the other side…
The kitchen…
And from the other side…
We recently updated our barstools with these industrial finds – we love the fact that they have backs, but also don’t really interfere with the view of the space.
Which brings us to the living area.
I won’t bore you to death with before and afters because you get the gist, and you’ve probably seen them before. My point? We have a lot going on in one space: living, dining, kitchen, and more. It’s literally the heart of the home. I wanted an open space with multiple purposes for gathering, and it’s the perfect room for just us and parties, too.
Here are my best tips for working with color in a large space.
1. Be Fearless.
If you take nothing else away from today, take this one. Part of working with color is getting over yourself and being open to trying new things. There is no nicer way to put it. Don’t overthink it. Go with your gut and choose what you love. We’ve gone through many changes in this space since we moved in, and part of that was because we brought our old furniture with us to a new home, and those things didn’t necessarily work specifically for the space. {We made do in the meantime.} Part of it was because of a leak that changed the floors and the entire vibe of what I was going for because things change over time. That meant I had to change the furnishings and accessories. Larger spaces are challenging. Part of learning what you love in working with color is being brave and embracing the process where you can learn more. Let yourself experiment and enjoy the process. It will come out in the space if you’re having fun.
2. Working With Color in a Large Space: Determine Your Goals + Have a Design Plan
And stick to them. What do you want to happen in your room? What do you want it to be used for? Is it to entertain? Is it to function and work hard like part of a kitchen area? Do you have clear zones that should be indicated with furniture placement? Are the spaces anchored in smart ways that help with the process? Select your zones and stick to them. This will help with larger spaces, function, and color placement.
If you’re knocking down walls in a renovation or doing a fresh space, have a plan first. That means being organized and squaring away your design. {In our humble opinion, professionals and those who have taken this on before, are very helpful in this process.} We always have this stage squared away with clients before we move on because with renovations come emotions and chaos. And do you know what comes with chaos? Doubts, which lead to more chaos if you give in to overthinking.
Once you have that plan squared away and before you purchase anything, tape things off. This is a little bit of a side recommendation, but elements translate differently from paper to actual real-space living, and you want it to flow well. Be diligent in your research, but stick with your instincts. You can only learn from the process and keep going so your home and the space, can grow.
3. Define Zones
This echoes a little of what I mentioned above, but when planning out your space, use color to help define the zones within the room. Color is your friend, and it helps to have a plan so that you can use it as your ally to work with you in the space.
A big way to do that is to anchor each space with rugs and the colors within them. They don’t have to be the same. They can actually be wide in variation. We’ve had a lot of different combos of rugs in this space, and it’s always fun mixing and matching. Over time, I’ve learned which materials I like best and why. {Which holds up better with dogs and the vacuum cleaner, to be honest} So, when it comes to those larger spaces, define each space with zones and use color as your tool to help do that.
4. Distribution
You may notice that I have two large, completely different rugs in this space. But they work. Why? I’ve distributed the color throughout the space, so there are small nods to one another all around—one might call it ‘echoing’ the colors. The same is true of the art, pillows, material choices, and more. It helps to distribute colors throughout the space so that even if they’re not a perfect match, they still ‘go.’
5. Balance – Tie it in.
They can ‘go,’ but they never have to match. A lot of people working with color for the first time get really hung up on matching perfectly. This is the quickest way to a sterile-looking room. See my rug and materials reference above, but that definitely isn’t the case. Just give little nods to other parts of the room throughout the space, and the colors will work. This helps keep a room organic and less controlled when varying your color applications.
6. Consider Contrast + Depth
The next step is to use a range of colors to balance and tie everything together with the final look. The more interesting, the better. Just like you don’t have to stick with one color throughout, you also don’t have to stick with one hue. Consider the depth and range of colors that you’re using. The more interesting, the better. Dark and light, warm and cool, jewel and pastel… all these are examples of interesting ways to bring character to a room.
A lot of what I do has become instinctual over time. So much so that I don’t realize what I’ve ever done or why until after the fact. That’s how I know I’m having fun… when I see little nods to different colors all around the space.
7. Pull it Together with Finishes
Using color in a room is more than just the decor. It really comes down to all the details in finishes, to make the difference in a polished, final look. In a larger space, selecting a softer, neutral color as a background definitely helps pull things together. We love softer earth tones with wood, brick, lighter colors on walls, stone, and metallics to unify everything and add interest. I love a good wall color, don’t get me wrong. But in a really large space like this one, it helps to keep things simple and muted so that you have the opportunity to play more with multiple elements. It’s also easier to switch things out over time. It’s another great way to add depth and interest to the finished space.
Leather and linen help this rug pop because they also offer that neutral element.
8. Keep it Interesting
Conversation pieces always win in a space, and color helps them speak up in a room. We vote for sourcing both old and handmade things and bringing it into the new. The stained glass is, of course, like icing on a cake for us. Our favorite element and the colors are part of what tie it all together. The way we found and installed these also makes for a fun story.
When people enter our space, they are always surprised to see that our tile is actually blue. Extending this backsplash to the entire wall of the back kitchen gives it character and texture. Consider all the one-of-a-kind details that can really make a room feel polished.
9. Good Art is Essential
Yes, we all know about pillows and furniture, accessories and rugs. But art tells a story in a space in a way that nothing else can. It should reflect what you love and in your colors beautifully. There are so many options out there now, it’s a great way to bring a room together. From family photos to one-of-a-kind paintings or prints that really speak to you… there are so many great ways to bring colors to those walls with art!
10. Let the Eye Rest.
A client once told me, “You can never have too much color.” I love their enthusiasm but respectfully, I disagree. Just like good neutrals and natural elements can tie a room together in a beautiful way, letting the eye rest is just as important, too. In a large space with a lot going on, it’s good to strike a balance with the negative space and flow to help it all come together. This wall is nice to look at when I’m processing everything going on in the room. It’s a calming point and strikes a balance visually within the space.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed our little mini-tour today and our take on color. While we love breaking “the rules,” we keep good design elements in place to help guide our decision-making process. Considering some of these will help your relationship with color in a room, especially a larger space.
What are some of your favorite approaches to working with color? We’d love to hear. Have an inspired day!
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