SHOULD THE ENTRYWAY BE THE SAME COLOR AS THE LIVING ROOM?
'There are no rules about painting the hallway and living room the same color but it is a really interesting new trend that creates a smooth, inviting visual flow from one room to the other and can make both spaces appear larger by association,' says Marianne. Painting a hallway and living room the same color will also give you a sense of connection and flow. 'It can be calming, chic and on trend,' continues Marianne. 'But, if you are not careful, it can also be a bit dull so create a distinctive difference between them with accent colors, textures and clever living room lighting ideas.'
DOES IT STILL WORK IF THE ROOMS ARE SEPARATE?
It's easy to see why painting the enttyway the same color as the living room is a good idea for open plan living, but what about separate spaces? Marianne advises: 'The light conditions in a separate entryway and living room will generally be different so even if you paint them in exactly the same color, they won’t look exactly the same but it will create a lovely sense of connection, especially if the door between the two spaces is always open.' If the entryway is narrow and is the same color as the living room, it can also draw the eye through the space, making it appear longer. The same idea applies for the living room: painting the entryway and the living room the same color is a great small living room decorating idea, working to open the space and make it appear larger.
IS IT PART OF THE COLOR DRENCHING TREND?
'Painting two rooms in the same color is definitely part of the color drenching living room trend,' says Marianne. 'It’s like committing to a long-term relationship with the colors you love and then using them with confidence. This may seem like a scary prospect, but once you’ve made the decision all your decorating dilemmas get a whole lot easier.
WOULD A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SHADE OF THE SAME COLOR WORK?
If you're not feeling confident about using exactly the same color in both spaces, dip a toe in the same-shade paint waters and try a slightly different tone of the same hue. 'Choosing a deeper tone of the same hue for your living room color idea will give it a cozier atmosphere without losing a sense of flow between spaces,' says Marianne.
WHAT COLOR SHOULD ENTRYWAYS BE?
When it comes to entryways, most people would say that it’s space and light that are missing, so choose colors that make the most of both, advises Marianne. She says: 'Soft blues and greens (like Dulux Heritage Country Sky and Green Oxide) will make small spaces seem larger and pale versions of both colors (like Clear Skies and Fennel White) will make them look larger still.
SHOULD ENTRYWAYS BE DARKER OR LIGHTER?
Generally entryways are darker places with few or no windows at all so lighter colors often work best in them. 'Decide at the start whether you want to try to make your entryway look lighter and brighter, or if you want to go for a dark and dramatic scheme,' a The lighter the colour, the more it reflects available light – the darker the colour, the more it will absorb the light. So if you want to make a entryway seem larger you will need to go for lighter shades.’