One of the amazing things about your beautiful home at Stepping Stone is the open-concept floorplan designed in every house. No more walls between rooms, cutting off natural light, casual conversations, and all-around ambiance. With your big open kitchen, dining, and living space, you can embrace a more cohesive environment and all of the sunshine and elbow room that comes with it.

You’ll also find that having an open-concept design provides endless opportunities for creativity – from colors to textures to furniture placement. Here are several suggestions to help you make your lofty area uniquely you.

Decorate with a monochromatic color/texture scheme

When deciding wall paint colors, it’s a good idea to stick to one or a few that are varying shades of the same color.  Choose a lighter, neutral tone to help bounce the natural light around the walls, making your already large space seem even larger. You’ll definitely want to paint the trim the same color, even if you vary wall colors. Keep your textures consistent as well. If your textures include a certain type of wood, use that wood throughout the entire space. Consistent geometric shapes can also help tie a large space together.

Break up and define spaces

To separate different areas in a large space, use rugs to divide the dining from the sitting room. Architectural details, such as wainscoting, can also divide a dining room from an adjoining area. Move furniture away from the walls and create seating and conversation areas. Bookcases and screens can also break up a larger space.

Don’t allow clutter

Sometimes having such a large space almost feels like there’s room for everything little thing. But visual clutter can distract your view and make your whole space feel untidy. The more minimalist you go, the better the whole area looks. Create covered storage that is consistent with the colors and textures of the room. This will help keep your surrounding aesthetic consistent and calm.

Keep it simple

It’s a good idea to keep the wall color, the window shades and the flooring neutral and let your creativity shine through the furniture pieces that you choose, as well as the pillows, the rugs, the countertops, the stools, the light fixtures, and the wall art.

Your kitchen is a focal point – so treat it that way

In every open concept space, the kitchen is the heart of the room and where a majority of your time is spent. Make sure your kitchen looks good from every angle – from the living room, the dining room, the entry room, and the stairway above. Here are a few tips for a modern, inviting kitchen if you need some pointers.

Keep it casual

This is the room where the family will spend a majority of the time, so don’t set out all of your fragile family heirlooms, fancy china, or dainty linens for display. An open concept floorplan marries well to a laid-back lifestyle, so hard-wearing choices such as hardwood floors, leather furniture, canvas pillows, and heavy wood tables and bookcases work best here.

Are you inspired? We hope so. There are so many ways to work with the beautiful designs and floorplans of your Shea home and make it feel even larger than it is. If you decide to implement any of these ideas, please send us your photos! We love seeing all of the creativity our residents put in their homes at Stepping Stone.