It doesn't have to be a neutral but it also (IMO) shouldn't be a random color. Maybe you can pull a color that you like from a nearby room. For instance, if you have blue accessories elsewhere in your first floor, then maybe you'd paint the foyer blue. Or a green rug in the dining room -- paint the foyer a similar green.

Thanks for the suggestions. I was looking at getting a larger rug for that space that would extend into the foyer. Would a natural sisal or jute rug work the best or something with a pattern? I was also thinking of a table over the bench, but then it wouldn't be as inviting to sit on the bench, and the bench wouldn't get a ton of use if you had to take the extra step to pull it out from under a table. So, I was thinking of may be a ledge? I agree, I wish I had wired that area for sconces so that I could have sconces on each side of the mirror. Too late for that! Ok, may be I will go for the umbrella stand. I could see how sometimes that would be useful. May be I could convert my family from those compact umbrellas to the long ones. I'm sure that our boys would love using them as swords at the very least....

I think one of the reasons a different colored island works so well in many beautiful kitchens is because the countertop material is different than what is on the perimeter counters. (I think that's what makes many of us who prefer calm spaces without too many jolts of pattern and too many colors start second guessing ourselves... when we see those kitchens...) Then, imo, it starts looking more like it is a separate piece of furniture that just coordinates with the rest of the kitchen. That is what I ultimately decided when we remodeled our own kitchen and I went back and forth on a different colored island or not. (Saw examples I loved, and also examples that were just a bit too busy for what I wanted) I also decided to match the island paint color as closely as I could to the range we had purchased that ended up being a color other than SS. We knew our island counter was going to be very different, that made it feel safer and less trendy to us to choose a different paint color from the perimeter cabinets.

IMO not that fixture which IMO has too things bad. ONe is it looks like a bare light bulb in a shed ans sceond it has an Edison bulb , worst yellow light ever.. You have a lovely home please choose lighting to go with it. I think you need a more substancial table in that entry and a piece of art above it to get some color in there . I do not love the wagon wheel type light in that LR either but you do need some table or floor lamps in there for sure. IMO a large drum style fixture would be better in the LR and then something similar in the entry You could even go much more contemporary in both spaces