Is this a flip or will it be your own residence?

If you are planning to sell, I'd skip the paint and replace the countertop. Buyers probably won'te be as scared of painting as they would be with that backsplash/counter situation.

Are you moving in or selling/renting it out? If renters will be moving their furniture in, the safe bet is white which goes with everything. If for you and your furniture, I suggest you base paint on the colors in your fabrics/textiles. I would leave the wood trim alone until I had the budget or DIY inclination to do it all.

We currently own it and live in it. We aren’t sure for how long though. It’s in an area that is tough to sell. Anything that gives it a leg up is helpful thanks. We moved from less than 1,000 sq ft to this almost 5,000 sqft home. We don’t have a lot of furniture to help with selling it. It will look more like a blank canvas for potential buyers.

If you are selling, but some creamy white paint and do all of the rooms. Definitely replace the counter first, tho.

Which is the room you consider top priority? Try some off white paint colors on foamcore boards you can move from room to room.

Painting a 5000 square foot house interior (not the trim) yourselves will take months of weekends and some cash. Do one room at a time, highest priority first.

Get an estimate to replace the green Corian kitchen countertops and backsplash. Then you'll know how much to save up. If that's the only real update needed, you are lucky.

What color and material would you suggest for the counters that won’t darken the kitchen too much?

I'd do the lightest cream color from your flooring for the counter. Hard to say what material - price them to see what fits into your price range.

Sammie J's suggestion of light cream is perfect.

If we decided to paint the cabinets and went with a cream countertop, what color would look good for the cabinets? Or would you go a completely different route with the countertop color? We are leaning towards quarts counters that go up as the backsplash as well. We aren’t sold on painting the cabinets yet but it is up for discussion. Trying to brighten up this home. I remember when we saw the pictures before buying, we noticed how dark it appeared. It is a lot larger than it appears. I am home full time, and have the time to put the work into it.

When you say "executive" house, do you mean size? What price range are you talking about? When I hear executive house I think high-end, up-to-date finishes, which the photos don't seem to show.

If budget is tight, start by painting all the rooms cream color. Paint all the ceilings reflective white. Even if they look clean, painting the ceilings usually brightens a room.

Don't paint the cabinets. It's a big job DIY, and expensive to get done professionally.

Consider updating the light fixtures. New countertops and backsplash would definitely help. Otherwise just clean the place so it sparkles.

Beth H.: Thank you so much! The trim was the first thing I noticed about the house when we bought it. It’s crazy because it was built in 2005 but feels like a 90s home on the inside. (It could be the area we live in though). The trim is stained cherry. The previous owners left a sample I found yesterday. I agree, I think painting it all will make a huge difference. Do you think Simply White throughout the house or just the kitchen? As far as the counters...we actually have just over 55 square feet as that picture is about half the kitchen and the side that has all the appliances. I’ll hold off on the counters until the trim is done so we can make a decision about the cabinets first. I agree with waiting until the trim is done. I prefer to do the projects in chunks that can be completed and left if we can’t do anymore. If that makes sense. I have new hardware on the way now. Your pictures really show the difference painting can make. I am a sucker for grey walls with white trim...just so clean looking but not sterile. Thanks again...I’ll add more kitchen photos this weekend.

Latifolia: According to the realtors it is considered an “executive“ house. It’s just under 5,000 sq ft. and about $400,000 in rural Arkansas in an area that is nothing but executive homes. We are new to the state and think that the trends, at least in this area, maybe behind. Maybe that’s why it was styled this way when built in 2005. As far as features, it is a pretty cool house with lots of amenities/features that are REALLY high end for here. However, I only posted photos of what I considered needed the most help in the house. So it’s hard for anyone to see the “executive” in these photos. Lots of potential...the amenities don’t match the style...the outside of the house doesn’t match the inside, way nicer outside. It’s time this house looks the executive it’s supposed to. Could have been way too personalized for the previous owners who had it built? The neighbors house was built at the same time by the same builder and looks way more up to date but I’m not sure if they had it updated since then. It’s hard to wrap our heads around for sure. Thank you for pointing it out though...because it is the issue. It doesn’t look executive.

We are definitely considering the light fixtures, especially in the kitchen and maybe even the dining. Today we painted the kitchen light fixtures to see if that helps. As far as the cabinets go, I’ll wait until all the trim is done before even considering that project. I‘ve done cabinets before and it is a heck of a task. Super clean home, just dingy looking in the photos, dingy wall color, new but drab carpets. Just not full of light and with around 30 large windows you would think it would be.

I’m currently building a table for the downstairs patio and then a modern yet rustic living edge table for the dining room. I plan on covering the sconces for now and may paint the chandelier while we figure out what we want in the dining room. If we can budget it, I’d like to replace the ceiling fans with something less “Texas Country”. One step at a time.

I'd start w/the trim and work from there. it's amazing what painting that trim, and then the walls will do for a room.

I'd pick a neutral white for the trim. Personally I've used the White Base #1 straight from the can on ceilings and trim (I don't get any tint added to it).

But if you want it tinted, try Oxford White, or Simply White.

I did Simply White on my own walls and trim if you want to see

Here's a warmer gray color that will work w/the whites, your flooring and even your current wood cabinets. It's Light Pewter

better shot of it over on this side of the kitchen.

All of that trim you see is done w/ Simply White, semi Gloss

I used it over here too on the crown and on the walls (but in eggshell)

all 4 of these are more neutral, warmer grays. you can see the Light Pewter that I used top left

Sherwin Williams has these.

these floors have a slight reddish brown tone. the wall color is Smoke Embers. Also a really nice gray that looks great w/white.

you mentioned your kitchen. what you could do if you paint the cabinets (this is SW Alabaster) is to do a butcher block.

Or, a butcher block on one part and maybe a quartz on the other.

This is Silestone Charcoal and would look great w/your floors and the white cabs

This slab of quartz cost about 2K. You'd have enough left over for bathrooms

I also love this combo. Pale Oak on the walls, and either Simply white or White Dove on the trim. (I've tried White Dove and it just appeared dingy to me, so I repainted w/Simply White)

Change the light bulbs to "bright white" LED bulbs before finalizing your paint color choices. If gray is still in fashion there, a lighter gray (not a mid gray) will be easier to update in a few years when you may sell.