More pictures: Floor color is the most accurate in the bottom picture.

Oh, and I personally love the yellow. We painted our greatroom a nice yellow not too long ago. I think the answer to that depends on what you change out some of your furnishings to. You mention replacing the sofa. Do you have a style/color for that in mind?

Couch: Just something neutral!! :D Maybe brown leather? Or cloth... but none of these colored stripes or flowers to distract.

Is the beige behind the sofa the wall color you're definitely keeping?

Yes. At least for now. If it would be better to repaint the family areas as well, I certainly could, but I prefer not to.

If you don't mind me asking where do you get your dining set?

I think you have a perfect kitchen for playing with color: defined wall space, and small wall area.

There does seem to be an autumn theme, color wise, in your home, or at least warm colors.

If that were my kitchen, I'd do it in a deep orange/copper.

I think the yellow works great in the space, you have great lighting for it.

Tibbrix, WOW, how did you do that???

I'm certain Tibbrix has a magical wand. Totally awesome stuff!

I was going to say to leave it alone, but that brown looks pretty yummy; and I'm not a brown person at all.But where would you stop it? On the wall where the calendar is? (Not into that copper, though)

I think your kitchen really, really wants to be painted in BM Baby Turtle. I think it would look great with your backsplash, it's quite neutral, and would look great with your floors!

I like the yellow! You might consider changing out the valance over the dining windows. That would give the room a new fresh look.

I agree that I like what you have. I think it is warm and cheery, and if you do change out the couches (and the window treatments possibly) to update, it would all work together well.

You mentioned leather couches and while brown is certainly an option, I really do like the look of the burgundy and it has a more classic look to me. A burgundy leather couch is quite neutral in my book.

I've never been a neutral person until I did a little kitchen facelift and painted the walls a color I'd never dreamed I'd like - SW Softer Tan. I'm not suggesting that for you, but I think that while the yellow is cheery, it isn't doing anything for your pretty backsplash tile.

In the third pic down that you have posted, the wall with the door in it behind your wall of cabinets has a tan look to it due to the way the light is on it. I think that 'perceived color', which appears more tan and less yellow really looks great with your tile and counter tops.

Else, easy peasy: I just Colorjive.com, paint the wall area, and then I can just click to change colors of the painted area, among other things. For example, both of those colors are actually oranges dimmed by me to create the color I was going for. The yellow on your walls was interfering with the "actual" colors I was using. It has limitations, though: can't paint over dark colors; light colors are next to impossible (I should play with the light for those…hmmmm)…

color is such a persona choice, of course. When people ask "what color", I tend to suggest they ask themselves how they want to feel when they're in the room they want to paint. I'm not a fan of yellow walls, personally (although one of my bedrooms is entirely yellow, including the ceiling, but it's for children, so it works well). I tend to like more neutrals and softer colors for common areas, like family/loving rooms as they tend to let the "living" in there be done by the people themselves rather than the walls, and they are more "grown up", IMO. Also, I think those rooms are where people go to relax, so soothing colors are best. Color, though, is great for bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, laundry rooms, finished basements…where energy is a good thing.

nsm, I like that copper in the first mock up too, a lot.

Love that backsplash! I just removed a bunch of similar valences from our home and that will make a big difference in neutralizing the space and giving it a more updated feel. Yellow is cheery....but I feel that color could be updated. I understand your fear with going to cool. I find the color specialist/decorator at our local Benjamin Moore store to be wonderful in narrowing down options. Nice fireplace as well! Your space is going to look great with a few changes!

Thank you everyone!! It is so helpful to get some thoughts from other people!

Mary44, I missed your comment earlier; we got the dining set from Costco, it's Mango wood and the chairs are leather padded, so happy with it! Got everything plus two more chairs and an extra leaf in the table, all for $1,000. That's better than anywhere else we looked, and Costco also has an EXCELLENT return policy.

Nosoccermom, for changing the color, I would include the little wall by the calendar, but no further.

And yes, the valances will go, it's just a matter of time... Should I take them down now, or wait until the couch goes? I recently (when we did the counters / back splash / floors in August) took down burgundy valances from the family room and it made it look so much better already! I chose not to hang new ones in there.

My3dogs, funny that you mentioned SW Softer Tan, that's what we have in our master bedroom. :) And you're right about the wall with that door (to the basement), it is the same color as the family room but the light falls on it differently.

Tibbix, thanks for that link and for your help! I agree that there have been some fall colors around, but I'm not necessarily looking to keep it that way. I want to be able to bring in some cooler colors if I choose to, that's why I've been thinking to go more neutral, like what I did in my half bath right off of the kitchen. I have a very light "warm" gray on the walls and it's very neutral now after we redid it, and I've been able to change around on towel colors and easy things like that and everything I put in there looks nice. I feel like I could do any color under the sun and it would work. I'll add pictures (I hate that the towel hangs crooked, I thought I fixed that!! LOL!)

I just removed the valances. What do you all think?

I'd have to remove the hardware, obviously, or put in new valances of some kind. We will do away with the mini blinds eventually, family room as well, maybe just get a nicer style that looks better and not do valances at all. But it all has to be paid for, and we can't do it all yet, although I love having a goal in mind. The appliances should be replaced as well, although they work just fine so it's hard to buy new just for the look of it. Maybe they'll just give in soon and we don't have the choice! Ha! Unfortunately, so far none of the money-tree seeds that I planted have sprouted, I think they sold me bad seed.

It looks great without the valances. I like your current wall color.

Love it without the valences! I'm the one who mentioned I just took down mine that were similar, and wow, instant modernization. After seeing the bathroom and your furnishings, I would go more modern/updated in color for sure. All of your furniture is neutral and since you are getting new couches, it will all look great together! Just another thought, we had the same type of light fixture as you have in your kitchen. We changed it out to a linen barrel shade light that would look really great in your house with the cool subway tile and new paint.

Thank you both! My 17 year old dd likes it without the valances also, says it brings in more light. I just feel like it looks so plain now, though... More modern, yes, but it seems to lack something.

Else, I have no window treatments on any of my windows (other than bedrooms, and they have blinds) and I LOVE it that way. Agree that yours look better w/o the valances.

It does feel a little empty and first, but I think after a week your going to really feel the more open/ updated vibe. Change is painful at first. I felt the same!

Sorry for the typos!!

OK, so no treatments rather than trying to find some that are more up to date? I'll leave it alone for a while and see if I get used to it. I might very well like it like it is.
I'm glad to hear your comments on it, appreciate it very much!!

dbmalone, what are your thoughts on color instead of the yellow?

I'd play up the green from the backsplash like below. If you do choose leather couches I would stay in the brown family ( avoid red undertones) it will be more versatile and neutral such as if at anytime you want to change the color of throw pillows.