Two-Story Foyer and Open Living Spaces — Cleveland, TN

Tall walls are where interior painting gets technical, and this Cleveland home has plenty of them. The two-story foyer, the open stair hall and the living room with its overlook balcony all rise well above a normal ladder reach. We carried one soft greige across these connected spaces so the eye moves easily from room to room.

White trim holds the layout together: wide baseboards, crown molding, cased openings into the dining room and kitchen, the arched casing around the double entry doors and the stair balusters and stringer. Upstairs, the bonus room has steep sloped ceiling planes meeting the walls at several angles, which calls for careful cut lines. The kitchen opening frames the stone fireplace, and the warm wood floors read even richer against the lighter walls.