I like the last 3 - though still not what I'd do. Too much going on in them, and we tend to have too much clutter to add business to the walls. I wish I could keep things cleaner but we're fairly useless. Hopefully with these movements we'll be able to shed some crap. But I've been pretty bold lately... pained one room white (mascarpone) and teal... and we have a living room painted in mascarpone and cayenne, and the dining room is mascarpone and Adriatic (if I'm remembering properly - it's a deep blue). I think if we do something interesting with the closet doors (with color) then I'll leave the small wall white - but otherwise, I may paint. I'll leave the glass bricks open - that's the only "natural" light that comes into the bathroom.

If I can get a minute, I will take a photo of my “dark” room. I have a slider and two windows, which opens to a Belgian block terrace. It is a basement room and light is fleeting (East). I painted walls and ceiling B.M. Racoon Hollow in eggshell finish and trim in B.M. Super white, semi-gloss. You have a white floor. I don’t. (taupe wool wall to wall), but all my furniture is white. I love it. If you have a spot (replace the fan?) add a chandelier which also shoots light up onto the ceiling. In your case the molding is not of importance, so paint it the same dark color. One caveat, the natural light you do get will affect the color. From which direction does it come? For instance, let’s say it’s North light. I would choose: B.M. Dior Gray

The back of my house faces south and has a lanai on the back that is 10' deep. In the winter the sun comes streaming into my living room, no problem. In summer the living room is still bright but the sun doesn't come in as it should be. I can sit on the lanai all summer with no sun hitting me which is perfect and this time of year, the lanai and living room is sunny all day.

OK...so first rule of flooring design is you do NOT want to mix-and-match wood-look finishes. You will want to go with ONE option or the OTHER in the areas you want. Sigh....yah. I know. It seems like such a waste to remove a 'good floor' just to replace it with something that is ALMOST identical. The problem with having BOTH in the same room 'touching' each other is the 'ALMOST IDENTICAL' will scream out (to a visitor) "I couldn't afford to do it 'right' so I went with 'almost'". I know. That's flooring snobbery at its worst. I must admit I am a flooring snob. I will 'see' a magnificent floor (ahem...Sistine Chapel at the Vatican) BEFORE I see a magnificent piece of art (like the CEILING in the Sistine Chapel). The 'ideal' situation is to remove what you already have and replace it with your 'new' dark wood. That's ideal. Because you have a kitchen update coming soon, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you stop with the flooring. Get your kitchen organized and your flooring deal with later. Remember: Floors are done LAST. Work from the TOP down (ceiling, walls/cabinets, counter tops, appliances AND THEN flooring). Gravity works. Which means ANY dings that are GOING to happen will happen on an OLD FLOOR that is going to be replaced. I know you want the updated floors because it seems easy, but trust me, it is NOT.