I don't know where you guys are, but actually around here everything gets painted white..:) (ah unless it exterior-they're suddenly into a tad darker browns. The builders I mean) I know there's gray trend but I know because I'm here and I read blogs and such otherwise I wouldn't know probably. (we re in OC, CA) so I wouldn't care whether gray is a trend or not I would just care that whatever color I choose(if deciding to paint at all) it's the color that makes sense with other colors that are there to stay..and with my own mindset that's probably to stay too, at least to some degree all these whites and grays and greiges are so different too..like, hundreds of them they also change in different lights..that is our brain that assigns them a constant definition, really I have a very warm greige kitchen and sometimes it's totally oatmeal and sometimes it's more greenish off white..it doesn't even have a name since the color is custom, and it's somebody else's custom color, so I just called it after myself lol, to make things easier. and recently I got so confused, like majorly confused, since I read on one blog "greige is white with some gray in it". I thought white with gray in it is an off white? don't you have to have beige-a light version of brown-thrown into it to get greige? I think that's a hard-to reach-consensus since I'm not even sure of definitions. and I'm very into everything about colors, so would make sense for me to become more sure, but it doesn't work that way lol. Somehow. What I know though-until we have our world and nature around us, all the colors that are there, be it sea or sky or snow or sand or leaves..they're timeless..:) to us they are, since we have much shorter expiration date..:) ah, and I love that idea with foam too..much easier to apply and to switch and to change

20K to paint everything in the house (kitchen cabs, vanities, all door trim, window trim and all of the baseboards)? I think the oak vanity is fine. the front door and back slider is fine The bannister is ok. All of the door trim and window trim? yes to painting. (again, if changing any of the flooring, you may just want to get new door/window trim that has a more modern look to it) As for the baseboard, if you have any plans on changing any of the flooring, then just get new baseboards. don't bother painting what's there. They're too small short) anyway since you said you wanted more of a modern look. update to a 5-6" simple baseboard molding for an updated look: Plus, we aren't talking about quality oak trim here. It's not the solid oak from the 20's. it's 80-90's crappy laminate honey oak that they put in all new homes. As for the kitchen cabinets and island. Do you like the layout? The door style is very dated (especially if you want modern) It might make more sense to have them refaced. those heavy chairs around the island? just, no. The backsplash? also a no. The window above the cabinets, yes, and yes to painting those, if you can't replace them. Don't know if they are low-e, but during the summer it might make a diff if you got new windows that reflected the heat a bit better.

My house is completely covered in golden oak. The doors the windows and all the trim. I would like to update this but I do not like the look and feel of DIY painting especially white since I feel like white everything is in its way out. I would like to replace the baseboards with white and maybe stain the rest darker. Has anyone done this? I can’t find many examples

So i happen to love midcentury style, and when i saw your first pictures, immediately thought you could go that direction, what with your stairs. Agree with others you need to get rid of the carpet stair tread, and paint white. But reality is that if you go that direction, your decor has to match. Otherwise, you're just going to look like you have an old oak house without style. So those curtains have got to go and be replaced with clean roller blinds. And the rocking chair doesn't go either....