In the past couple of weeks, I have knocked a ton of stuff off my punch list. DS' ceiling was cracked and needed re-plastering, but knowing that he was going away to college this fall, we held off until he was gone. He also had really old wallpaper in his room. So we got the ceiling fixed, called the painter and had the wallpaper stripped and walls/trim repainted. Which of course led to a massive purge of stuff and a bit of redecorating but not too much -- I didn't want him to think I've turned his room into a guest room already! While the painter was here, I decided to have him paint the dining room, since it hadn't been painted in forever. More purging and redecorating. And a new rug. And a new lamp. The painting was done last week. I also bought new lighting for the kitchen. On Friday, the electrician came and installed new pendant lights and new wall sconces, and re-installed the ceiling fixture in DS' room. Yesterday, the landscapers came and replaced almost all of our front yard shrubs. Most of what was out there was an overgrown mess and/or had been dying. Today, I planted about 120 tulip bulbs in among the new shrubs. Also today the window cleaning company came for a long-overdue whole-house window washing. DD said "why are so many workers coming to our house, like, every day?" A couple of weeks ago, I cleaned out my bedroom closet. On Tuesday, one of the local charities is coming to pick up the stuff I have been purging. Tomorrow, cleaning guy is coming and as you can imagine, the house is pretty dusty from all of the above. Tomorrow afternoon I will rejoice that I have no "workers" coming for the foreseeable future!

I don't see grey as much of a punch!! but I do like the idea of colour inside some of the upper cabinets. I've seen some lovely pictures in books and magazines with bright colours painted inside. It does look sort of country, though. Is that what you want? Check out the Long House kitchen #5 http://www.plainenglishdesign.co.uk/longhouse-5 This is a cream kitchen so not quite the same, but the punch of colour is gorgeous! With white cabs you might want to do more of a pastel, but I'd go for a real colour rather than grey. I'd worry it would just look sort of dingy inside the cabinets. What colour dishes or glass wear will you put inside them? Maybe thinking about that will help you decide on a colour.

I love vintage kitsch, but in small doses! But if you paint them, they just won't be what they are, which is goofy smiling fruit! My SO would hate them too, but I hate his mug collection and inspiring Vince Lombardo framed quote too. I love, love Nosoccermom's montage, but that would definitely not work in some kitchens. But there might be some place in your house that could use a punch of color, like a half bath or a skinny wall spot next to a door or something. I'd find a place to hang a set of three and rotate them. I have two ceramic parrots that came from my grandma's old house and I'm gonna have to find a discrete little corner to hang them because they remind me of grandma's house and I always like them as a kid. They do not go with the current decor, but they could brighten up a little nook or corner and just be a fun surprise, not dominate the whole room. Grandma had them in a place like that, a skinny wall between a door and another wall. My friend had some goofy old fruit advertising pictures framed in a small plain half bath on one wall.

Agree that this is pre-punch. You've already articulated your biggest concerns. Now- not at punch- is the time to address it all. You have had a leak. To think that a few pieces of new tin will take care of it is to ignore the infrastructure issues that possibly lay, quite literally, above your head as you sleep. To think that the chipped tile can be seamlessly fixed? Well, hopefully the order was 20% over what you needed, from the same lot. Otherwise, you could be looking at the same as the ceiling- patchwork. Things go wrong- I get it! But you need to calmly, but firmly state your issues, and work for the remedies,.