Thanks for the suggestion. Only the opposite end walls, plus about 42" will even need paint. One exposed wall is about 5'w x 8'h, and the other is about 122" w, but 69" w of that is a double window. Oh, and there will be a small amount of about 12" showing above and an inch around the window over the sink. The backsplash area will also be painted for now (tiled later). What I suppose would be the more safe route would be to paint it all the medium tone and then after the cabs are in I can punch up the 5' wall with the deeper color if it needs it. Hmmm, now that I start talking about the space I realize that this wall will showcase a piece of artwork. I haven't done the painting yet, but I'm planning for it to include some brighter colors so perhaps the darker paint on that wall will end up being a good backdrop. Thanks for getting me thinking of alternative possibilities. ;)

Whether you go with white or dark cabinets (personally, I prefer the dark, even with white appliances) is your choice. However, keep in mind that if your cabinets are in good shape, they will outlive your appliances. You're not enamored of white cabinets, do you want to commit yourself to them "forever"? Unless you plan to redo your kitchen when the appliances die, you will have a similar decision to make when you need new appliances...and they won't die all at once, so you'll be re-committing to the color over and over again. If the cabinets are in good shape and painting is intended to be your only redo of them in the foreseeable future, then paint them the color you want, not to match your appliances. As Rosie mentioned, you can paint the appliances if they really bother you (using, I think, appliance or auto paint or a paint meant for metal). The bottom line is this: If the cabinets are not going to be replaced when your appliances die, paint them to please you, not the appliances. Then, for your appliances....(1) patiently wait for them to die and replace them with black or stainless, (2) sell them on Craigslist and then buy new, or (3) paint them now. I would wait b/f I decided what to do w/the appliances until you've painted your cabinets...then make the decision based on how you think they look! (If it were me and I didn't like them, I would probably go with option (2) or (3).) (If your cabinets are in only fair or poor condition, then you may be replacing them sooner than you think/plan! So, if you're willing to live with white for a couple of years, then it might not be so bad. Oh, and if they are in only fair or poor condition, don't put an expensive countertop on them now...it would be a waste of money b/c existing countertops very, very rarely fit new cabinets...even w/the same layout...and if you end up replacing cabinets, I recommend looking closely at your layout and changing it to be more functional if it's not ideal now.) Good luck!

Here it is next to the cabinets. The first picture next to the 5-lite door is super white. Second picture is chantilly lace. The door casing and door is pre-primed and will get painted along with everything else but you can see how much more white the super white is next to it. This was taken around 7:45 AM and camera flash ON but no lights were on in the house. Because of the camera flash, the cabinets look more like a black - they’re not this dark in person and like I said, they have a red tone to them because they’re cherry. But since yours are black, i figure it couldn’t hurt. Also keep in mind, while the super white does look stark next to them, I think if we had more linear looking pulls as well as flat slab or simpler cabinet doors, the stark contrast would work. So if you have that, I wouldn’t worry too much about the contrast. (Our cabinets have a slightly more traditional door and there’s also crown molding on them so it’s another reason the super white doesn’t work for us.)

The blue should absolutely stay. I would not choose a cold gray for the living room but one with some warmth to it. I would not paint the fireplace wall the blue from the dining room. That wall is a focal point as is and doesn't need more. Actually if I did anything on that wall, I would strip the fireplace and mantle back to the original colors so the fireplace truly becomes the focal point. It looks like you have a craftsman house. Have you considered using craftsman colors?