My experience is that dark gloomy areas need a strong saturated color. You have to have the lights on when you use this room and artificial light murders lights and whites, so why not do a deeper color? I would paint everything, trim, walls one color so the room is not broken up by distracting trim. Relying on my monitor to make this S.W. suggestion, because this shade of green looks like a good backdrop for you darker sofas and rug. Don’t you rely on my monitor, though…the green/blue in the rug.

we are now waiting for 3 samples to dry by sherman William's anew gray, agreeable grey and accessible beige, think I got the last 2 names right or reversed the adjectives!...I do like the idea of defining the pool and drum area with another color. want to see what would make the Yankee collection pop. and then I want a sewing area with a raised work table under the recessed porch lights

You can make a scuff mark cleaner with a tennis ball and a broom handle. I looked at painted stairs in Houzz and I like the brown step/white riser look. You will want a semi-gloss paint for durability no matter what color you use, but I like the idea of risers that match the color of the basement walls. Wall color does not have to be white to bounce limited light. Any pastel (which includes pale beige and gray) will do the trick. Below are Sherwin-Williams colors as displayed in their ColorSnap Visualizer.

Hey Louisa! That looks like an awesome space. You and the kids are lucky! As for the playroom colors, I think you could really benefit from my latest blog post on the topic. You can find that here on my color expert blog :) To give a quick overview of my thoughts on playroom colors, I think it's so much better to let the toys and the items within the room provide much of the bright colors while keeping paint, walls, and furniture bright but still a bit neutral. Kids (and adults!) can easily be overstimulated when rooms are too bright or busy, so I like that you're keeping the walls one color. That beautiful greenish teal color looks great, and some evidence shows that green is great for concentration and creativity, which is perfect for a playroom. Hopefully you'll post your final choice when you decide; I'd love to see!