How fun! You have a beautiful home to work with. I love your sink! I love blues, greens, and yellows in traditional kitchens. If it were me, I'd do white trim and doors, sage green cabinets, and pale yellow walls. Here are some pics I've saved, maybe something will catch your eye.

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I can see if I csn find a clean section of the vintage green in ours. Just guessing but I would say early 1900s to 1920. Funny. I think our trim in places was that same orange and in other places a lemon yellow

mary_lu, it depends on the lighting in the room. Which way does the room face? Does the natural light come from the north, south, east, or west? Is the room lacking in natural light or very bright with natural light?

The Hancock Green would work. There's a grey and a white that coordinate with it.

BTW, I had sage green cabinets in my previous home and don't recommend the color if you want to lighten the look. I had few upper cabinets in my kitchen and it was large at 16x20.

Hancock Green is very pretty. I think it would be perfect.

mary_lu, I will miss your red trim--I can instantly recognize your kitchen pics by the color. ;)

I have "Dried Hydrangea' on some of my kitchen cabinets. It's a saturated goldy-green, so probably darker than the color you want. There's a current thread about using greens and blues in the kitchen (on the Kitchens forum), and someone posted a picture of pickle2's kitchen from a few years ago. IIRC, she used F&B 'Cooking Apple"--a light, restful green, that's not minty.

There is also a pretty one with yellow walls and green cabinets, similar to the one jlc described.

I hope you'll come back and post pics of the new paint--I'm sure your kitchen will still be one of my all-time favorites.

Greens/blues/greys thread in Kitchens

Jlc712, thank you for taking the time to post the pics. At this point we are undecided as to what to do so all help/ideas are greatly appreciated.

Kippy, is your trim green or are the walls?

Dyhgarden, I am thinking I will have to pick up some samples, but wanted input as to what might look good. If we proceed with this project, it will be a big job. I know it is only paint, but....oh so much puttzy trim work. Plus I think it will be difficult to cover that red. The kitchen is about 14x14 and the laundry room is about the same plus a small 1/2 bath and a walk-in pantry.

Tibbrix, the kitchen faces north, with one 8 ft high window. Limited natural light, or so it seems. Currently the walls are a light off white (Navajo). Part of the problem I think is that the ceiling is painted a mid-green so it sucks up the light. The ceilings are 12 ft.

Mama goose, thank you and yes the color is distinctive that is for sure. I am really torn at this point that is why I have asked for help. Part of me still likes the color, but would like to lighten the look of the room. The other part says heck no! Leave it, too much work...just paint the walls and ceiling.

I try to eliminate the "too much work" reason for not doing a project unless there is a high probability that a change would ruin something. I have found that when something bothers me over a period of several months, it is time to change it. Then I don't think about how much work it is, I just take it a step at a time. I don't recall ever having regrets using this philosophy.

I'm wondering if maybe changing the color of the trim and wainscoting and cupboards to a green instead of the walls. Something in a darker vintage green. I just now noticed the 7th. photo jlc712 posted - perhaps similar to that. Not green walls though.

You know what comes to mind? Have you ever watched Doc Martin on PBS? I recall the wood trim, door, etc. is a green. It's a small space and I don't remember if the walls were floor to ceiling wainscoting or not. Anyway, the room looks very vintage.

Oh, and a question about your microwave placement. Are you comfortable using it on a shelf at that height? I want to do something similar but am afraid I'd spill hot soup on me or such, taking dishes out of it.

From SW Colonial Revival collection, Dutch Tile Blue. I'm in love! ;)

http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW0031/#/0031/?s=coordinatingColors&p=PS0

I love the idea of green trim, white walls in your pretty kitchen! I think the trim could go quite light. And...if you picked the right green (and you like a lot of colour) I think it could coordinate with the red in the laundry room.

I just painted over a mid-tone grey blue wainscoting with stark white trim paint and it was nightmarish and took 5-6 coats...I think going to even a light colour might help coverage as well. I can see that grey blue in my dreams! In my case I did a primer coat of stix as the previous owner used oil paint, then four coats of white. If I knew then what I do now

If it's north facing with not a lot of natural light, I'd use a warm white for the walls and a warm color for the wood trim. I absolutely LOVE BM Capitol White, and I recently painted my low-light kitchen walls with it. It is a really wonderful, warm white and does very well in low light.

BM has the Williamsburg Collection. Capitol white is also from that collection.

Here are three warm greens from the Williamsburg colors next to the Capitol White.

Timson Green/Capitol White

Parrot Green/Capitol White

Green Umber/ Capitol White

Powermuffin, I know what you mean...small bites!

Schoolhouse, my thought was the green for trim, wainscot and doors and then a pale yellow white for the walls and ceiling. I love the microwave there! Have no problems at all. I tried out the height before we anchored the brackets to the wall. Have had it there for 12 yr. And no spills. I am 5'3" tall.

Patty, really like that color but afraid I would be trading one dark color for another dark color.

Robo, that is what I am afraid of! Coverage with a lighter color could mean many, many coats! I really like the second pic you posted but am afraid it would be too saturated/dark.

Now that I have been talking about it with DH he is thinking we should go with the cream color that the woodwork/doors are in the rest of the house. Not sure I am ready to move totally away from some color on the wainscot.

Mary Lu they painted the wood floor and the woodwork. Be it Windows, doors or beadboard the green. But also used lemon yellow on the outside trim (guess after the shell pink-white-charcoal) paint job. And orange in the "pubic" rooms wood work

And very similar to Robos middle photo above

PLEASE try anything in the "celery green" color range in big sample areas on your walls before buying. My kitchen in my previous home, as well as the master bath, started out in that color range. I paid to have both repainted in less than a year. It's very tricky in rooms without a lot of light.

Tibbrix, the colors you suggested are lively, but I am skating a fine line with DH as he is not a green lover like me! I think those colors are a little too yellowy?

Wow Kippy, quite the color combinations. I am not that adventurous.

Dyhgarden, thanks for the warning. Will keep it in mind.

We just got back from True Value looking at paint colors. The nearest SW or BM dealer is 60+ miles. We picked up a sample quart. Below is the idea card and a quick splotch behind the door in the walk in pantry.

What do you think? Yeah or nea?? This is only one coat..

If the kitchen doesn't get a lot of light, you need warm colors, which means yellow undertones.

How about warm neutrals with the Capitol White

BM Edgecomb Gray/Capitol Whie

BM Market Square Shell/Capitol White

Oh, ok! I went back and re-read your first post. You already decided to change the trim,woodwork,etc. to green. Sorry! Hard to say about the yellow or yellow/white paint on the walls. As you know to get the right shade of yellow is tricky. Good luck, can't wait to see when you've finished.

Thanks for reply about the microwave. I'm going to do a mock-up to check and see how high I need the shelf.

Update...

Went sample shopping today at True Value. Thinking the color on the window and in the middle below window.

I'm too late, but I was going to suggest a Scandinavian look, i.e. light blueish/greenish/ grayish, so, I'd vote for the left bottom color.

Or a tiny bit more blue green?

Nosoccermom, thanks. Yup too late. We ended up with a color from True Value called green Pond. The only online sample of it I could find looked brown. But is is a yellowish green. I suggested blue/green but DH was not having it. Actually I am surprised he went with the green. Hard to get a good pic of the color because of shadows-lighting.

Oh, I love it! It's gorgeous!

Freshen up the white walls with BM Capitol White!

Great choice, that green.

ETA: great tip: Don't bother with tape on windows when painting. Just slobber the paint on, then use a razor blade tool to scrape the paint off the glass. Much, much easier than putting tape on!

Oh, it looks wonderful!

It looks a lot less green on my monitor than the Wednesday medium sample, so I'm happy :) :) :)

You have a gorgeous house. When it's all painted, will you post a picture?

It looks wonderful, I'll bet your husband will love it. I know I do.

Very nice!

Love the color you chose. It's going to look great. Please post pics when you're done!

Tibbrix, thank you. Your color suggestions helped me to move away from the more minty green to the yellow/brown greens. We are thinking of a pale yellow for the walls?

Nosoccermom, yes the color is less green, more yellow/muddy green? Hard to describe. It almost looked brown when I painted it next to the other samples. But now that they are covered, it does still look green but softer, for lack of a better word.

Yayagal, thank you. Yes DH is liking it. We can't believe how much lighter the laundry room looks already and we have quite a bit more to paint. The red really sucked up the light.

Decordummy, thank you!

Jlc712, thank you. Picking a paint color is always so hard for me. Thank goodness DH is understanding! Especially with all the sample quarts sitting in the basement!

That's a wonderful color for your house. We used a similar trim color in parts of our old 1840s farm house and it worked great, received lots of compliments. We used it with Ivory Tusk on the walls of the kitchen. It's a BM color, but we had it matched in Clark and Kensington by Ace Hardware. It was a very pale yellow, almost a cream. If you google "Laughable's Farmhouse Kitchen Gardenweb" you can see pictures of the ivory tusk. (I don't know how to post a link from my iPad, sorry.) Note that the front door is the green like you used, but the bathroom door is a completely different green.

I'd stick to a creamy color, rather than a true pale yellow, but that's me.

I'm telling you, mary_lu, you can't go wrong with that Capitol White. It has a lot of yellow in it to make it warm, but it's very creamy and wonderful. It will be gorgeous with that beautiful green you're putting on the woodwork. (Btw, you are priming over that red before you paint the green, right? I would, if you're not. PITA, but worth it).

I discovered that Capitol White when trying to find a warm, farm-house-y white (my house is also a farm house from 1880), for my kitchen. I've put it on my kitchen walls over my sage green cabinets, and it is just perfect. Hit the nail on the head with that one, as the saying goes. It is bright and cheerful...just a wonderful color.

Mary_Lu, the green you chose is perfection. If you decide to paint the walls a very creamy white/ buttery yellow SW Jersey Cream is beautiful. It makes a room look candle glowy!

The green is wonderful in your kitchen. I would also suggest a creamy white or very pale yellow for the walls. I can't wait to see it all finished!

Update: laundry room is painted. Was quite a chore as everything needed 2 coats. We took all the doors (3) and cupboard doors off to paint. The wooden ceiling need 3 coats to cover the green it was painted. The kitchen will wait a few weeks as we need to get out and do spring work in the gardens. Plus it will be another chore as the kitchen is totally unfitted and will need to empty all cupboards and move to another room.

Before

It looks amazing! What a great change. I really like the color. It's very fresh but still looks historically appropriate. I can't wait to see the kitchen when it's done. Nice work!

Unbelievable! It is absolutely stunning. That is a perfect green (what is it again?). What a perfect choice.

I'd paint that corner cabinet as well.

Jlc712, thanks! It is hard to describe how much lighter the room seems. Yes, fresh is a good way to describe it.

Tibbrix, thanks to you too. You were so helpful when I was struggling to find the right colors. We bought the paint at True Value but the green color is actually from the Ace color deck called Green Pond. The yellow is a True Value color called Golden Whisper but it is not really gold. It is a pale, crisp yellow.

As far as painting the 1/2 round cupboard, no way. DH is determined it stays original. It came out if a house not far from here that was originally owned by a man who was on the board of directors for our schoolhouse back in the 1860's. His only concession was to paint the crown to continue the green around the ceiling trim. We've had several discussions about it to no avail!

Edited to correct typos...

Wow, it looks wonderful and as jlc said, still period-appropriate!

Raphaella x

Love your kitchen, and the green you chose is just perfect. It works really well with the floors too. I actually like the color you had before, but the green seems to be made for that space!

Airy, cheery, restful, delightful. Thanks for the update! It looks great. : )

Wow! You hit the nail on the head! I adore your kitchen and the new color is perfect! Can't wait to see more pics!

Just wanted to update. We just finished painting the kitchen. As posted above, we painted the laundry room this spring. Then summer got in the way! so this fall we tackled the kitchen. Have a few things left to do, but here is an after picture.

Wonderful!!! What is the wall color? Reminds me of my beloved BM Capitol White.

Interesting, because I painted my kitchen walls in the CW and my new cabs are sage green, so we both have that combo. Great, isn't it?

Congrats! It's really a great farmer's kitchen! Love it. Love the (coffee?) grinder! The HUGE window, the huge doorway with the gigantic transom above it...that is a really great room.

Beautiful! Wonderful space.

Looks so lovely, definitely worth all the work and mental anguish

Wow! I am in love with your kitchen! It is beautiful. I loved it before but now, wow! The green and cream are so calming. I hope you will take a few more pics!

Love it! Especially with the new colour.

Oh, I love it! It reminds me of my grandmother's house.

Will take more pics later this week. We are out of town for the weekend babysitting grands. We are adding a hood over the stove too. Will be recirculating as to duct it would be almost impossible. But DH came up with an idea of how to mount it without cupboards above. Not the best but better than no hood. Will start a new post with more pictures then as this one has gotten quite long.

Gorgeous. Do you love it??? I missed this thread last time around. Aunt jen did something similar I believe and was very happy with it too (in her last house)

Yes, I really do love the change! The room just seems so much brighter!