I think that a good hefty crown molding partway up in the atrium area (say to the base of the second floor) might be a good idea to give the eye a break as it goes up the walls. It would also help you however you when you are differentiating one area from another. Especially if you paint above the crown molding in another color, perhaps to match the upstairs hallway area. Rather then molding to differentiate areas you might want to consider paint. different colors for different 'rooms' to break the visual space up. Keeping it all the same color makes it *look* all connected. Say a very light yellow tint in a dimmer 'room', maybe a blue shade or tint in a room that should be more relaxed, etcetera. You could also use your furniture to provide separations so that one area dosen't blend into the next. Rugs (they can be rather inexpensive too) can define a space very well also. As an example: In your living area you could swap the hard wooden chairs for the sofa, put the softer chairs where the sofa was with the round glass top table between them, slide the small table with the glass bowl deeper into the bay window, and place the hard wooden chairs facing the soft chairs and tucked back against that curved staircase. (my thinking being you'll play up the bay window and have a nice backdrop for the bowl, the curved stairs will set off the curve in the wood chairs, and the couch will provide a visual break from the next room.) You could pick out a color you especially like in the couch or rug and paint the walls there that color or a similar shade. From everything I've been reading molding is excellent for setting a sense of formality. I don't know that it would have enough weight to really set one area as different then another though. Hope this helps. I know it isn't quite what you were asking for.

this is what happens when you mix 3 shades of white. I'd paint all of the crown the same in order to be consistent. you can try doing just the crown within the kitchen portion, stopping at the narrow walls. see how that looks. try that first and take another pic. what color are the kitchen cabinets? didn't anyone test these colors against one another first? (i'm guessing this is a rhetorical question). just wondering how this happened. are you getting white countertops and a white subway backsplash???

@Liz H we have updated all the lightbulbs/fixtures in the kitchen and will be doing the dining room this weekend so that will help. I think Agreeable Grey has a little too much brown in it for the countertops. I think i have to stay pretty grey unfortunately whereas I want the rest of the house to be more greige. Thanks for the suggestion!

I'm not going into all the details, just an overall view. You have a lot going on in your living/dining area and the walls seem quite dark. I would suggest you paint the wall in a lighter colour, perhaps get a wall unit (on the wall you presently have your TV) flanked with 2 comfortable chairs. You seem to presently have a beige area rug in your living room that perhaps can be moved to the dining room to tame down all the different chairs and colours in that area. Sofa in the beige/greige tones with area rug (muted tones) and accent pillows to tie in with what you have in the dining room. For more impact, less small objects on your matel. Have a look at the visual that gives you an idea...