Thank you, friends, for your ideas and lovely compliments. I like the "small band of color" idea. I definitely resonated with the concept of needing something soft, patterned to balance all the hard surfaces in this room. I will probably not bother with runners due to our active dog (lab/boxer cross). But the shades-which-always-stay-up are a good idea! Happyladi, the paint colors are BM 1592 Blue Springs (lighter) and BM 1644 Blue Dusk (darker, breakfast nook). Glad you like 'em! And yes, the window has a window seat but it doesn't show much. I have a couple of plants on it and have a hard time remembering to water them because they're out of sight most of the time. LOL (They are sorta gangly Christmas Cacti and don't look good on the little cabinet off to the right. I tried 'em there.) I wish to heck I knew how to Photoshop -- I would definitely mock up a band of color so I could visualize it. One of these days!

Oh myyyy, what a gorgeous, crisp yet soothing kitchen! Everything goes together so perfectly! Which of the blues I see are more accurate in the first pic---the blue under the glass-front cab, the blue just to the left of the window or the blue peeking out just above your fridge? With the different lighting in the different areas of your kitchen the colors are all so pretty, serene . Rare to find that color that looks perfect no matter what time of day! Not the minimalist here so I'm with ThreeDgrad about the blue glass only I would naturally gravitate to Cobalt Blue. Maybe one large bowl on the island just to the left of the stool in the second picture. Another Cobalt something or other on the window sill and a third somewhere else in your kitchen where light will hit it and come through the Cobalt. Maybe a piece under the glass front cab where you have the great lighting coming down on the counter. 3 pieces of Cobalt, with light coming through each, placed apart in the kitchen so each piece catches the eye on it's own. Bam! Kitchen done. OK, gotta ask --- I already asked on the Kitchen forum and got 3 great suggestions but I want all the options for searches I can get. Where did you get/what is the brand of the pull-out baskets in your island? I really love the way you've done your island.

I love 'concrete gray'. The floors will warm things up a lot and I don't think you'll have to worry about the room looking cold. Is your white creamy and warm at all? I think you have some classic material colors planned and can go many ways with backsplash. What is the overall style you're going for? Classic? Contemporary? Whimsical? Organic? What is the style of your cabinets? If you're using a cabinet style that is somewhat classic, I could see adding some color like burgundy subways. You could even do something wilder like painted Mexican tiles....Something modern like glass...or older like brick. Sticking with something the color of your cabinets with a little pizazz added in accents or a liner would be elegant.

@pink-peony, so pretty, are you doing the whole house with agreeable gray? I looked at that color a while back to re-paint the master, before the remodel started, why I thought it was a good idea to try and do a little project on my own leading up to a big one I don't know why (and by my own, I mean my husband would paint because the last time I did was a decade ago and it ended in tears). Any thoughts from folks about how to deal with the fireplace and walls in living room, I'm keeping it simple-no mantle, we have a gas insert with a decorative brushed nickel surround and an iron black trim.