I have to say that I've been using Behr paint for quite a few years and I've been very pleased with the results. It covers well, goes on with minimal splatter, has a smooth finish, the color selection is great, and if you buy it when HD is having a sale you can get a rebate of $5 off per gallon. I've used Benjamin Moore in the past and was always fearful of trying other brands. A while back DH worked for ICI Dulux and we started using their paints, which were very good. Then a friend had her house painted and used Behr paint with terrific results....I've been hooked ever since. Last year I was part of a painting forum sponsored by Behr. They chose 350 folks from around the country to participate in a 4-6 month on-line forum. They asked for our feedback regarding their products and seemed genuinely interested in what their customers thought. I have to say that it was the most "working fun" I've had LOL. Each time we participated in a questionnaire, brainstorming session or working trial they rewarded us with Amazon gift certficates. THroughout the course of the forum they always thanked us for our participation by either a group "rah-rah" or individual email. I'm sticking with Behr ;o)

You obviously enjoy restricted palette..I'd add texture and subtle variations of same colors rather than something completely different..you can always change that later if the mood strikes, but for now I can see you like this traditional, calm vibe..reminds me of old Swedish interiors.. I'd add rug, curtains(good advice was given before on taking them as high as you can), a mirror..some rough texture, some velvet or maybe linen, some sparkle and shine..... Again, don't try to match it too hard in terms of the colors-the colors will look slightly different on each texture, and it's a good thing-it adds depth, otherwise the room might feel flat. A plant will bring freshness to the room. They always do)) Now where I would add color-some art. You can depart from your calm vibe there if you wish-almost any great painting or drawing would work. Congratulations on your new place!!

As to other issues -- there is a lot written in online reviews that expresses distress over both Samsung and LG ice/water through the door dispensers... does anyone who has one of these new models want to weigh in on this? Have they fixed this problem in the newer models? Is it a true problem or a matter of initial installation? (They say that you need to flush 5 gallons of water out of the dispenser initially to get rid of air in the line and then you won't have a problem..... is this true?) Also, as to different refrigerator model designs -- they actually recommended online that the refrigerator design with the four quadrants and the vertical lineup of drawers and door bins in the freezer is easier for shorter people than the big cavernous bottom freezers. I am actually on the taller side (5'8"), and to be honest I do not like bending over at all LOL! But at least it might be easier to find things below in a freezer composed of door bins and drawers, versus one big bin even if it has two levels. What do people who have actively used these different types of refrigerators, think of the new refrigerators by LG and Samsung with the tiered organization versus the old French Door/Bottom Freezer design?

I'm attaching pictures of the kitchen plan. I apologize for the quality. I cannot figure out how to convert this file so that can upload the pictures. I tried to enlarge them as the printout was so small and as a result the measurements are blurry. The north wall is 25'. The first 10' are the dining room and the last 15' the kitchen. I was planning on going with cabinetry all the way down the wall. As I mentioned above, when I had separated the dining cabinet from the kitchen, it just felt like a waste of space and made the spaces on either side of the cabinet look awkward. The first drawing, with the stove between two windows is what I was initially going with. After comments above, I'm rethinking this plan. I thought that I would not mind the lack of space between the sink and the stove, as I will have 3 other large areas of counter space (all over 4 ft), plus an island. I emailed the planner, and I asked her about placing the fridge where the dishwasher was, the dishwasher where the stove was and the stove where the fridge was. She felt that the fridge would look too bulky next to the dining room cabinets and supplied the other option of putting the stove next to the dining room cabinets. I'm not really fond of this idea, as there would still only be about 15 inches to the left of the stove. Actually I think this makes the counter space more broken up and choppy than my original plan. The other thing I don't like about this plan is that it has shortened my dining room cabinets by about 15 inches. I will have a 9ft island and the side of the island was to line up with start of the dining room in option 1. I would like to hear thoughts on placing the fridge closer to the dining room and the stove on the wall where the fridge is.