Nate Berkus Shares Priceless Paint Color Advice For Homes With Open Floor Plans

Open floor plans have been in vogue for a while now and people still can't get enough of them. Whether a space is big or not, they make great use of it and make it feel comfortable and casual. The lack of separating walls also makes a home feel more livable because the rooms are easier to move between. While there are various reasons you won't regret an open floor plan, they have their own design challenges, like how to lay out furniture and what paint colors to use. Nate Berkus has a piece of advice for the paint issue specifically, and it's to ditch accent walls and maintain the same color all throughout. "I think that accent walls show a lack of commitment and I think it's very difficult to actually do a bold color in an open floor plan," he explains in an Instagram post.

The question of what paint colors to use in an open floor plan is a common problem that is part of the bigger question of how to define spaces. While open floor plans are great for enhancing connection between rooms, they are made or marred by zone definition. Accent walls play a big role in this, which is why people typically go for a mix of paint colors. It's easy to do and will clearly show where one part of the room ends and where the next begins, but Nate Berkus doesn't think this use of paint delivers style-wise.

To Nate Berkus, having different wall colors in an open floor space is hard to do successfully, especially when the hues are very distinct, so it's better to choose one color and stick with it. "Keep your ceilings white, and I think you have to pick one shade, one tone ... for the rest of the walls around you," he advises. Instead of choosing a different shade to differentiate each zone or making one wall stand out from the rest and emphasize one part of the room, go with a uniform color and explore other ways to carve out zones. One color to consider is Tranquil Gray by Behr, which is the calm living room paint color Nate Berkus absolutely adores.

An alternative approach to defining an open-concept space using paint is to focus on the door areas. If there are multiple entries or walkways, apply different colors to them as well as the trim and the inside of the door. This is a simple yet impactful way to highlight a zone without taking over an entire wall. Really want that accent wall to add some character and create contrast? Nate Berkus thinks you might have to forego that desire if you want this layout, so make sure you're okay with that before committing to this trend. "It's sort of the deal you have to make with yourself when you select a home that has an open floor plan," he says.