If you have two rooms that open one to another, you can use color to coordinate the space. Today’s trend of open floor plans mean that living rooms, dining rooms, family rooms and kitchens may all open into another room. Coordinating color between the rooms does not mean that you have to exactly match wall colors and surfaces between the rooms. Playing off a coordinating color palette allows you to mix up the colors to create a flow of design for both spaces.

This home is a nice example of using color to create flow between the foyer, living room and family room beyond.  Red and warm grey can be seen in all three rooms in different shades and on different surfaces. Using these colors in all three rooms unifies the three spaces, making them feel part of the same design plan.

In the foyer the red of the Chinese lacquer chest is carried onto the area rug, which also has a warm gray in it.  The area rug is repeated in the living room, where the sofa is covered in a similar grey to the rug. The red in the rug is then picked up in the chair upholstery in the family room.  White and brown, from the wood accents, are also used in all three spaces.

Carrying the same colors throughout the spaces moves your eye from room to room and gives the entire design a cohesive and polished look.  Limiting the color palette to three or four colors will also help the flow between spaces.