My MIL has a similar layout as your family/kitchen/dining areas and she has her kitchen/dining all the same colors, since they're really not huge rooms it looks better than 2 different colors in there. Then her family room is a shade or two lighter likely on the same swatch but I don't konw for sure. They both happen to be green. I don't know the colors you speak of specifically, I'm not to that point yet, but I think I'd be tempted to make the dining nook area the same color as the kitchen, and then go from there but make the family room a complimentary color since they're so open to each other.

What a treasure you found. How fun to decorate and make it your own. Lovley place. I have a double story open floor plan house and I use a color called Baked Scone by Behr. It is a very light color but it is perfect. It has a creamy yellow base to the hue. Image the soft crust opening to a flaky baked scone and there you have it. I find it goes with everything. I have changed the color in my kitchen which opens to the Baked scone about 7 times and each color from red,blue, royal, yellow, sage green, brown caramel.. (in fact I need to repaint it again but that is another post.) Baked Scone by Behr Your idea of Whole Wheat SW is perfect as it too goes with everything. See here below Whole Wheat next to Antique White. Buttercream by Ellen Kennon paints White Opal With White trim also by EK Ultra Premium New Penny by Valspar Calming Cream by Benjamin Moore Here is a link that might be useful: Check out GeorgiaGirl's Blonde SW painted room

You can post pictures as a link in the text box. First upload it to a photo hosting site, like photobucket.com- or at least that's how I've been doing it =P About your color dilemma, I would suggest a monochromatic color scheme. You know those strips you find in the paint dept. of similar colors in three or more shades? like this: http://www.homerenotips.com/images/house3.jpg Pick a ton of those up to see which goes with your furniture, and select one strip in which you like all of the colors . With an open floor plan, this allows all your rooms to coordinate flawless and with ease. If you feel this will be "too boring"...paint accent walls in coordinating colors- beige walls with an olive green accent wall etc. etc. Here is a link that might be useful:

I'm no color expert, but have you tried BM Wickham gray HC171? We used that in our house and in some lights it reads blue, other times of day a light gray. It might be a good middle ground between your gray and hubby's blue.