I am usually the last one to offer decorating advice- but first things first- I think your kitchen is beautiful and the wall color is a great backdrop. I wouldn't seek to change it. It seems to me (and remember, I am not the decor genius others here are so let's see what they weigh in with) that you just need more "deliberate" splashes of color. The red handle on the mixer and the candle jumped out at me- as did the yellow of the veggies.. I think if you had more color (whatever you choose- red, yellow, aqua?) on the countertops and sprinkled around it would be wonderful.

I think it is the paint color, to me it looks too drab. I think you have enough gray with the counter, which looks great! Nice kitchen too BTW!

On my monitor, the wall color is almost exactly the same as the counters in the unlit areas. In these pics, the wall color seems a bit "heavy", too. I might just want to lighten it to a shade between cabinet and current color. Though changing it to something different like a spring/apple green would add a lot of warmth. I don't think adding brightly colored accents alone would be enough.

it's a lovely kitchen! but i'm not feeling the wall color either. i'd take it to a much lighter shade so not to match the counters so closely. i bet that will make a big difference. good luck!

I agree with all... the kitchen is lovely as is the wall color but it's too heavy and exact match to the counters. I love all your silvery accents and think a silvery gray would really brighten things up. In your pictures and on your counter below you have some accents of a cranberry reddish color. I think that would look outstanding as an accent. If I may suggest, you might consider changing out the ceiling fan to something else. Also, I have the same table that used to be hunter green with a wood top. I painted the green part white and used it for years. You might think about painting the base of the table black. I think it would provide a great contrast. Good luck!

There are a few simple fixes you can do to spice up your kitchen. You are on the right track, you just need the "bling".
Put up window treatments, add a tile backsplash (maybe with some jewel-tones as others suggested, or maybe some metallic tile accents), change out the ceiling fan to something less eighties-looking, get rid of the strainer hanging, and maybe loose the floor lamp. Someone suggested painting the table legs black, white could work, too. You can even add some pretty chair cushions.
I like your kitchen, I even like the wall color, you just need the finishing touches!

I love your kitchen but you do need some contrasting color. It's the missing backsplash that seems to be the biggest problem. Glass tiles would really jazz it up but you can use just about anything.

Also add some colorful fixtures. I'd change the pendant light shades to something wild and colorful. Change out the ceiling fan and either paint or get a new table.

Put some pots and pans up on your pot rack. You could add color there by hanging an inexpensive colored cookware set. Even if you don't use them they will be great accents but a pot rack is so valuable if you really use it to store your cookware.

You have a great layout to work with. Just use your imagination and remember it's your kitchen, do whatever you like.

One more thing..I love the Mouli, you don't see those everyday. I have one that was my mother's and her mother's before that. Leave it hanging.

Sammi06,

You have a beautiful kitchen. Look at your cabinetry,
the space, the great working areas. Love it!!!!!!!!
The paint color is lovely for a matchy match look. I think
you need something lighter. How about this color?

Windmill Wing Benjamin Moore

And paint the back of the white cabinets this color.
I recommend blue because it looks like you have some blue
glass and silver items in those uppers that need a
background color to make them shine. If you are fearful
of painting cabs. Paint Foam core or stiff paper and line
the cabs with the painted paper.

Bashful Benjamin Moore

If you dare paint the ceiling this color too.

And what about upper crown molding on walls in the rest
of the room.

Do you need that black lamp? Do you need it to see?
Loose it. (Oh dear I sound like some mean critic from HGTV)
If you paint the walls a lighter color you might not need
that lamp and think about some undercab lighting.

Are you skipping backsplash? No worries but if you are
not skipping it how about this?

And the little white wood window valance has to go. Sorry.

I sound mean again. This is from your mother's kitchen
not yours. Update to your kitchen and remove the Wood
Window valance. In fact I am all for shades for fabric
color. How about this? And use this same fabric for shades
on your other window in the seating area.

Tommy Bahama matches your elements perfectly.

Roman Shade NOT this fabric just style

But maybe this fabric instead...

Cloud by Waverly

Robins Egg Stripe Calico Corners Stripes add height

Or maybe you like this style as it is softer
ane will soften edges in your space

Ahhh just thinking about ways to make this space different
is fun. In fact the beautiful items in your cabinets
will really shine and be true display.

If you detest everything I suggested. No worries I will
not be offended. In fact if you saw my house you might say
" OMG why the heck did she do that! That is BUT ugly."
Creative minds are not always beautiful.
And if nothing more at least the ideas I have kicked
around might give you inspriration of your own ideas.
Maybe someone else has some fun things to add. There are
amazing ideas on GW. The good news is your kitchen
is a great starting place. Beautiful.
~boxer

Your kitchen is beautiful! Here are my ideas to jazz it up:

1. window treatments, if it were my kitchen I would do dark bamboo roman shades, mounted high so that you can let them down a bit, but yet they won't block the light. I would also make it so that they touched at the corners where they meet each other, leaving no wall space between them. Look at the blog by Cote de Texas regarding window treatments. It's great. I've linked it below.

2. The backsplash. You are right, if you put up something it will dramatically change the room. We painted our b/s the same color as the walls because the tile we were considering was the same tone. I wanted to get a feel for it. It turned out that I thought it just made everything too dark. Once I went with the white, now-famous beveled arabesque tiles, the overall look changed quite a bit! So I would certainly start looking for something, and it doesn't have to be expensive, we have seen so many examples of the tiles from HD or Lowe's on here that really look fab and are quite budget friendly.

3. The floor lamp in the photo. Why is that there? Are you in need of more lighting? Perhaps some undercabinet lighting, unless you have that (can't tell), and also, why not replace that fan over the table with some sort of fabulous chandelier?

4. The paint color. I'm having trouble telling what color it is, but it appears to be a purple gray on my monitor. Quite frankly, I love that color. It might be a bit too dark for your room, (the floor lamp, again telling me you are struggling with light) so maybe just take it up a shade or two.

Again if it were me, I would start with these couple of things and then go from there. I wouldn't start by adding accessories until you are happy with the bones of the room. At that point you can bring in some other colors through your accessories.

Good Luck and keep us posted.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cote de Texas Window Treatment ideas

I would start by picking out a "wow" big painting that you love for the area that has your picture groupings. Love a painting that speaks to you and makes you happy with it's colors. Take it from there...window treatments, backsplash ect. The pictures you have there now are nice but do not really fit the room. Don't be afraid to get a bit jiggy with it, let people know you.

I agree with change the wall color. Maybe change the handles on the drawers and cupboards to something more blackish to tie in the black appliances in the room. I'm not sure what it is above the island is that a light. If not, I would replace with a light and remove the floor lamp.

One improvement that doesn't cost any money and can be accomplished fairly quickly is to rehang your artwork. I think it's hung too high (the top pieces draw attention to the ceiling, not the arrangement IMO), each piece is hung too far apart from the others and the symmetrical arrangement of the whole doesn't create interesting tension for the viewer. I also noticed that you hung the art centered on the wall but that your island and pendants aren't centered on that wall so IMO, it defeats the symmetry you were going for.

The easiest way I've found to hang art is to start by laying them on the floor and playing with placement. Go for balance, not symmetry. Personally I wouldn't put the vertical piece in the exact center. I'd also stagger the placement of it and the others, putting about 2-3" of space between pieces in at least one direction. Closer placement helps the eye see the arrangement as a whole and not as individual pieces.

Once you've settled on an arrangement, determine the center of the arrangement and hang it so that the center of the arrangement is at eye level, determined by whether you are generally viewing the arrangement while sitting or standing.

If you're willing to spend a bit, re-frame and re-mat 2 or 3 of them to get away from the matchy-matchiness of the arrangement. Opt for beefier frames to give the display more heft (that's a big wall you're filling), maybe even larger mats, too. You can do this relatively inexpensively - and get selection assistance, IME - at a DIY frame shop.

Your kitchen is pretty, but the countertops just blend in with the walls. I would definitely change the wall color and add a backsplash. You might have to bite the bullet and buy a lot of paint color samples to put up on the wall and see which one you like the best. Someone else mentioned a cranberry color, which I think might look good since you do have the white cabinets.

I also think you should get tie cushions for the chairs at the table. Try that before you paint the table; you might find that's all you need.

Im gonna go out on a limb here and say I dont think you need to change your wall color at all, its the perfect backdrop to add art and some glorious textiles on window treatments and a beautiful backsplash.
Think of the fun you could have with this color pallet.
http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af170/jterrilynn/?action=view&current=sunflower20field20at20dusktheone.jpg"; target="_blank">

Lots of great suggestions here. Don't you just love how helpful people here are? You mentioned that you like red. I do, too, and have a red microwave, red toaster oven, and red dish rack. The micro and toaster oven are both Emerson, from Target, and the dish rack is Kitchenaid, from Costco. There is also the red Kitchenaid mixer! Good luck!

Consider a horizontal band of celery green paint as a beltline all around the kitchen. Change out the window treatment to celery also. And put a few items of that color into the glass front cupboards. That's all you need.

Thank you so much for all of the great ideas. My problem is the color of the counters. They are a brownish color with a plum base. It is impossible to find a wall color to go with this. I would like to lighten the walls but have not come up with a color.
I never noticed the 80's ceiling fan because I look at it every day.LOL. It is gone. I am reading every ones advice and will make some changes and show you all what I came up with. Again thank you all for you honest/objective opinions.

I read somewhere that an accent needs to be used 5 times in order to really assert itself. You could do real red as an accent color (instead of celery green or whatever) but it can only be done in small doses because of the intensity of the walls and countertops, which need to rule without rival and real red is a definite rival. Because of variation in computer monitors and digital photos, we're not quite sure what color those walls are, but you know them well. How does raspberry go? gentle pink? cherry red? maroon? red-brown? brown-red? banana yellow? Before spending much money, decide on a number of potential accent colors which might work and then get some samples into the room to verify. Even a yard each of some fabrics. Then you can narrow it down to the best color choice.

The advice about using a print has merit and in a way you have already tried it with the art on your dining area walls. But there is no dominant color in them; you need one major secondary accent color to work with the walls.

You can find another globe for that fan ceiling fixture--it needs some drama. I include a URL for Besa light fixture in what looks to be near-red--actually they have lot of globe color variants to choose from. Imagine that instead of your tasteful white ones! And you can paint the paddles. Celery green? gentle pink? Deep purple?

Your existing pendants can have a covering on their downrods if you can bear to cover the downrods--sew a tube of fabric at least a third longer than the downrods and run it along them.

You might also consider some houseplants. How about a set of African violets? And a big, husky Boston fern?

Here is a link that might be useful: Besa

Hi Sammi,

your kitchen cabinets are such a nice bright white! That must be great during the overcast winter days in Ohio (my old stomping grounds).

Those countertops look a completely different color from what I see when I look at the sample on Cambria's website -- which is not so surprising, given that photos show colors differently depending on the camera, and computer displays also render colors differently.

What if you painted the walls a very, very pale silver? I love your pot rack and faucet, and they get lost a little bit because the countertop and the walls are darker in color intensity.

Then you could experiment with pops of color, by reinforcing colors that you already have in your kitchen (like the green of the candle on the island in the very first picture you posted, or the blue of the sky in the artwork on the wall, or the reds of the autumn trees in the artwork).

Looking at the sample of your countertop on Cambria's website, it looks like it could have some yellowish/greenish undertones. Does it look like that to you?

Against your current paint, those pops of color probably won't work, but if you first took color out of the room by painting the walls that pale silver color, then you would have many options about how to put it back in again. I like buying fabric as a way to capture color ideas -- it is easy to carry a sample with me in my purse, and then if I spot some dishtowels or potholders or a vase in a store that I think is the "right" color, I can pull out my fabric sample and see if it matches or not.

Once you find a color that you like and you want to reinforce in the room, then you can do something like spend the money to reframe the artwork, using a matte of the accent color you like. (Or find some new pieces that use your new accent color in a big way!)

If you can play with some fabrics, rather than paint chips, I think you'll find some bright new colors for your kitchen.

There are alot of things in that kitchen that are not attractive and that makes the attractive things not stand out. Our eyes tend to skip on things that somehow stick out and do not seem pleasant. So the goal is to eliminate what does not work before you make it better.

Agree with much of what has been said.

as you agree, the ceiling fan has to go.
I also agree that wood valance has to go.
black light has to go.
Take everything off the counter and only put up one thing that is really lovely.
The pictures are hung in a way that when I first saw them, I went "huh". I would take them out of the room entirely first.
You also need to lose the pot hanging rack that has not so attractive acoutrement of cooking. If you want a pot rack, fill it completely full of really useful cooking utensils so that it says "we love to cook here". Another option is to only put up nice looking pots and pans only. Right now, it does not add but only detracts from the decor.
I feel the same about the pendant lights. If you want to spend only a little money, get something that is completely neutral so they blend in.

The potrack and the lights do not complment the room well.

Your ceiling accentuates that you have not so good quality dry wall job. You either need to make sure you have a better paint job or pick a color that does not show the uneveness as much. This again makes my eyes see blemishes first before the beautiful things. A part of this is the picture you posted. But if it shows like this in real person, it may be contribute to the blah.

Why do you have a chair rail on one wall but not the rest of the dining room? Again, it is off kilter a bit unfinished feeling. If you have chair rails, this is a great way to bring in a second color to the room, thus giving a contrasting color for visual interest.

This is what I would do, take everything off/out that does not quite work. Then start adding one thing at a time and see if it works before adding another accent etc.

Painting takes alot of work and is expensive. I think the paint color is doable as is. If you don't mind painting, I would go lighter. At Cambria website, they give you coordinaing BM color for each quartz color. Start from there.

You have lovely cabinets and counterop. I think you will pull it together. With a little work, it will look beautiful. Good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: color match with cambria

What a neat color match site!
Your color seems to match one of those at that site. Maybe all you need are accents to punch it up a bit.

Of course, a backsplash could really make a statement, but if you are having problems with matching paint a backsplash might be even tougher. Attached is a link to a post that has a picture of cranbrook with a backsplash. It is near the bottom of the post.

Here is a link that might be useful: near bottom of post

Since you asked... I would change the paint color, start planning your tile backsplash, do a nice window treatment with some details(tassels or fringe), possibly a new light fixture with some details like crystals or some interesting feature. I think you have a good base to start with, but now it is time to start focusing on details, color, and accessories. Good Luck and can't wait to see what you end up doing.

I am totally unqualified to offer opinions as I am usually the one asking others what they think, but when I looked at the pix you posted (and maybe it is just my monitor), the wall color was very off-putting to my eyes. I love the layout and the kitchen, but the wall color just seemed like putty waiting for tile or something.
Lovely kitchen otherwise...I think it needs something warm.