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Before & After: Warm Earthy Colors Tie This 736-Square-Foot Home Together

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Courtney BalestierSenior Writer, Creative Studio
Courtney BalestierSenior Writer, Creative Studio
Courtney Balestier is the Apartment Therapy Creative Studio Senior Writer. She holds a master's degree in magazine journalism from NYU and lives in Pittsburgh, where you'll find her doing DIY projects in her new house with her dog and cat (who are not being very helpful).
updated Jul 1, 2021
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Credit: Bethany Nauert

Open-concept living spaces are big on airiness and charm — especially when they’re awash in SoCal sunlight, like Katie and Cody’s place in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. But open layouts can also feel a bit muddled. Katie and Cody wanted to make their living area stand out from their dining area: two spaces separated by an archway that, lovely as it is, didn’t help them feel distinct.

Credit: Bethany Nauert

Their walls weren’t helping either. The same pale grey continued through both spaces, not doing any favors for the open layout or for the couple’s warm and eclectic aesthetic. Katie and Cody do a lot of woodworking and DIY projects with their business, Highboy LA, which refurbishes and upcycles vintage furniture. They were looking for a unique paint color that would also enhance the rich tones and retro charm of their work.

Credit: Bethany Nauert

Warm, earthy Canyon Dusk S210-4 by BEHR® Paint was a perfect solution. The BEHR 2021 Color of the Year, Canyon Dusk, is a grounded, optimistic tone evocative of red rocks and sunsets. The color provides a buttery glow for Katie and Cody’s handiwork, especially the bookshelves and armchair, and makes their lush greenery pop like cacti in the desert. It’s a terracotta hue that could help Katie and Cody’s living area stand out while also remaining harmonious with the rest of their space.

Credit: Bethany Nauert

To create an even smoother transition, they also highlighted the archway separating the two rooms, painting the underside of the arch Seaside Villa S190-1 by BEHR Paint. This pale pink added a fun detail as well as definition, providing a tonal complement to Canyon Dusk as well as a cool contrast to the dining room’s grey.

Credit: Bethany Nauert

It’s often difficult to decide where a color should begin and end in an open plan interior. Making use of architectural details like this can really help. And Katie and Cody’s space proves that definition doesn’t have to be dramatic to be effective.

Credit: Bethany Nauert

Looking for more inspiration? Our annual Small Cool Contest, presented in partnership with BEHR Paint, has you covered — this year with a brand new superlative, Best Use of Color. Voting closes May 10, so choose your favorite now!