i've done few researches on topic , couldn't find complete solution so, step step , trial , error, find out how can achieve these results: having transparent or coloured actionbar , statusbar. see answer bellow.
i'm developing app needs similar in devices >= api14 when comes actionbar , statusbar customization. i've found solution , since took bit of time i'll share save of yours. start using appcompat-21 dependency.
transparent actionbar:
values/styles.xml:
<style name="apptheme" parent="theme.appcompat.light"> ... </style> <style name="apptheme.actionbar.transparent" parent="apptheme"> <item name="android:windowcontentoverlay">@null</item> <item name="windowactionbaroverlay">true</item> <item name="colorprimary">@android:color/transparent</item> </style> <style name="apptheme.actionbar" parent="apptheme"> <item name="windowactionbaroverlay">false</item> <item name="colorprimary">@color/default_yellow</item> </style>
values-v21/styles.xml:
<style name="apptheme" parent="theme.appcompat.light"> ... </style> <style name="apptheme.actionbar.transparent" parent="apptheme"> <item name="colorprimary">@android:color/transparent</item> </style> <style name="apptheme.actionbar" parent="apptheme"> <item name="colorprimarydark">@color/bg_colorprimarydark</item> <item name="colorprimary">@color/default_yellow</item> </style> now can use these themes in androidmanifest.xml specify activities have transparent or colored actionbar:
<activity android:name=".mytransparentactionbaractivity" android:theme="@style/apptheme.actionbar.transparent"/> <activity android:name=".mycoloredactionbaractivity" android:theme="@style/apptheme.actionbar"/> 
note: in api>=21 actionbar transparent need statusbar transparent too, otherwise not respect colour styles , stay light-grey.
transparent statusbar (only works api>=19):
1 it's pretty simple use following code:
protected void setstatusbartranslucent(boolean maketranslucent) { if (maketranslucent) { getwindow().addflags(windowmanager.layoutparams.flag_translucent_status); } else { getwindow().clearflags(windowmanager.layoutparams.flag_translucent_status); } } but you'll notice funky result: 
this happens because when statusbar transparent layout use height. prevent need to:
solution one:
add line android:fitssystemwindows="true" in layout view container of whatever want placed bellow actionbar:
... <linearlayout android:fitssystemwindows="true" android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="match_parent"> ... </linearlayout> ... solution two:
add few lines our previous method:
protected void setstatusbartranslucent(boolean maketranslucent) { view v = findviewbyid(r.id.bellow_actionbar); if (v != null) { int paddingtop = build.version.sdk_int >= build.version_codes.kitkat ? myscreenutils.getstatusbarheight(this) : 0; typedvalue tv = new typedvalue(); gettheme().resolveattribute(android.support.v7.appcompat.r.attr.actionbarsize, tv, true); paddingtop += typedvalue.complextodimensionpixelsize(tv.data, getresources().getdisplaymetrics()); v.setpadding(0, maketranslucent ? paddingtop : 0, 0, 0); } if (maketranslucent) { getwindow().addflags(windowmanager.layoutparams.flag_translucent_status); } else { getwindow().clearflags(windowmanager.layoutparams.flag_translucent_status); } } where r.id.bellow_actionbar layout container view id of whatever want placed bellow actionbar:
... <linearlayout android:id="@+id/bellow_actionbar" android:layout_width="match_parent" android:layout_height="match_parent"> ... </linearlayout> ...
so it, think i'm not forgetting something. in example didn't use toolbar think it'll have same result. how customize actionbar:
@override protected void oncreate(bundle savedinstancestate) { view vg = getactionbarview(); getwindow().requestfeature(vg != null ? window.feature_action_bar : window.feature_no_title); super.oncreate(savedinstancestate); setcontentview(getcontentview()); if (vg != null) { getsupportactionbar().setcustomview(vg, new actionbar.layoutparams(viewgroup.layoutparams.match_parent, viewgroup.layoutparams.match_parent)); getsupportactionbar().setdisplayshowcustomenabled(true); getsupportactionbar().setdisplayshowhomeenabled(false); getsupportactionbar().setdisplayshowtitleenabled(false); getsupportactionbar().setdisplayuselogoenabled(false); } setstatusbartranslucent(true); } note: abstract class extends actionbaractivity
hope helps!
