Hallway transition - paint/divide....PIP WWYD?

[simpsongal]

The below transition has always been an issue.  I couldn't expand the opening to the left in this photo (the opening next to the french door) to make a true cased opening.  Through that passage to the left is the foyer with a small broom closet and two real cased openings.  The door opening framed in the center/on display is the pantry (you might have caught my post on Married life re which door to go with, I'm going with the free 24" inswing for now).  I'll probably put a baking cart w/my stand mixed behind the swing of the door.  Anywho....

I'd like to paint my foyer/stairwell/upstairs hall the same color, but I'd like the kitchen area to be a different color.  How would you demarcate between these spaces since there's no cased opening?  I feel like this is the dilemma of many open floor plans.  For reference, I have cased openings throughout the first floor, it just doesn't work here b/c the hallway gets a little tight (and I didn't want to sacrifice pantry or broom closet to make a wider hall w/true cased opening).  Bonus if you have pics.  Before, I just had a paint line between the spaces...which honestly, wasn't a great look.  But maybe it was worse b/c the two colors were beige and yellow (not good side by side).  I could run molding up and around the inside of the opening that's there....sort of simulating a version of cased opening.  I'm going to try to make sure my colors are very cohesive, so I could just run the foyer color all the way through the pantry wall and stop at the corner (natural stopping point) --> I don't love this option b/c the space is otherwise quite separate....it's  just this silly transition on one side.  Or again, I could go for the 'unceremonious' paint line between the two spaces.

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[dr.girlfriend]

To make sure I'm understanding, the wall with the blue electrical box and the white thermostat will be one flat wall, and you want the thermostat side to be foyer color and the electrical box side to be kitchen color?

We had an arched opening that we had the contractor square off and add molding to. I think you're saying there's no room for molding on the side nearest the pantry so you'd just do it on the inside? I think visually that would be a nice break that separates everything at eye level and hopefully a paint line in the top six inches of the walls wouldn't bother anyone.

[simpsongal]

Dec 8, 2023 18:35:30 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

To make sure I'm understanding, the wall with the blue electrical box and the white thermostat will be one flat wall, and you want the thermostat side to be foyer color and the electrical box side to be kitchen color?

We had an arched opening that we had the contractor square off and add molding to. I think you're saying there's no room for molding on the side nearest the pantry so you'd just do it on the inside? I think visually that would be a nice break that separates everything at eye level and hopefully a paint line in the top six inches of the walls wouldn't bother anyone.

you’re spot in Dr g - sorry it was a lot of explanation with just framing. So that’s a vote for molding in the opening. I need to decide now too bc I’m replacing all the baseboards and that casing would run down to the baseboard and be sort of framed in. Maybe that will help make it look architectural and less like a solution to a problem? We’ll also have to shift the thermostat since it’s right where I’d run the molding

[InBetweenDays]

How different are the colors going to be? I know you don't love the idea of continuing the same color past the pantry and to the corner, but that's what I would do. I personally wouldn't want a paint line in the middle of a straight wall. Nor would i want some sort of moulding running down that wall to divide it.

I would paint it like this. Red being the kitchen color and green being the foyer color.

[momin2013]

I would keep the paint colour the same on the wall where there’s no demarcation, and do a different colour on another wall in the kitchen instead so it’s more like an accent wall.

[simpsongal]

Dec 9, 2023 11:54:13 GMT -5 InBetweenDays said:

How different are the colors going to be? I know you don't love the idea of continuing the same color past the pantry and to the corner, but that's what I would do. I personally wouldn't want a paint line in the middle of a straight wall. Nor would i want some sort of moulding running down that wall to divide it.

I would paint it like this. Red being the kitchen color and green being the foyer color.
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helpful mock up -ty! I’m not sure re colors, I’m guessing the kitchen (your red sections) will be a very light color like sage green. The foyer (your green) might be something more saturated…. But maybe not bold per day. Hmmmm