I've never worked with F&B paints -- I have the paint deck (not really -- a pamphlet, maybe?) but there isn't a dealer in our state and I've been able to get what I want with other paints so ... that's my disclosure.

But I totally know what you mean about having a vanilla house and wanting to give it character. Ours is a 1997 b-i-g house in a planned community -- love the neighborhood, the schools, and have made the house as "ours" as it can be. We had our textured walls smoothcoated: drywallers did it and it looks and feels like plaster because that's essentially what it is -- three coats of thin compound just put atop the textured finish. No sanding. Not messy. Just right. We also had miles of trim put up -- crown, skirting, picture frame, casing on some doors / windows (but not all). Just those have made a WORLD of difference!

Everyone's lighting is different but I think the color you want for your walls is a really creamy white, with a lot of yellow in it. If you want and can afford to work with F&B then that's super -- more than half the battle is done. But you can also look at less expensive and perhaps more readily available lines. I'm keen on both Benjamin Moore and Pratt & Lambert. The trim throughout our house is BM's Calming Cream, which on the chip looks like a pale yellow but up everywhere it's the creamiest, dreamiest white. Love it and would use it again in a heartbeat.

Calming Cream

I know the color you like for your cabs, but have you also looked at BM's Paris Rain? Some of the pics of it online make it look rather green but in my real life (given the lighting conditions in this part of the continent) it is a beautiful, subtle grey-green, or green-grey. I have one color down, Cheyenne Green, on our mantle. I love it. I just love it. When I describe it I say "sludge green" and that's just right. It's really earthy, subtle. Perfect.

Paris Rain

Cheyenne Green

For your trim could you go one or two shades darker than your wall color? I'll have to check my sample decks later to see if I can find a color, but I love that almost-taupe color with a creamy wall, like maybe midway between the cabinet green and the wall, but with no green in it.

You're going to have so much fun!

Thanks Mkitchen, I'll check out your color suggestions. I especially like that Cheyenne green. I never thought about having the walls smooth coated , I'll have to get a quote.

Everything'll vary depending on location, of course, but here in Boulder (CO) to have 3,000+ square feet (inc. double-height rooms and all the ceilings) smoothcoated was a little more than $3,000, maybe $3,500. Sorry -- it's been four+ years since we had it done so I'm not super-clear anymore.

Here's a pic which has some of our fireplace surround; it's painted BM's Cheyenne Green, just to get a "real life" image. Of course, everything is dependent upon lighting, other colors in the room, etc. Our wall color in here is BM's Frappe and the built-ins are P&L Creme. There's a wall of windows and their trim as well as the skirting and crown are all painted that Calming Cream.