@feisty68: thanks for reminding me. I wasn't able to find older threads, so I thought posting a new thread might help others in the same situation. The house was built in 1868 and has a Mansard roof. Very little architectural detail has been preserved on the inside. The first floor basically consists of three 13'x13' boxes connected by arched openings: a front living room with a bay window, a dining room, and the kitchen in the rear. All rooms have the same red oak flooring in a reddish tone very similar to Adel Medium Brown. The door on the east wall, which is being resized, leads to a tiny room (can be used as a pantry) on the north and the outside on the south. The nook on wall D leads to the dining room. The door on Wall C leads to a bathroom. http://kitchenplanner.ikea.com/US/UI/Pages/VPUI.htm?LoadDesign=8bf8333e60ed4994bff77dfdf111ee09&UIContext=Kitchen&IsSharedDesign=1 Here is a link that might be useful: Link to Older Thread: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0420205914987.html

Thanks for your input! Dh can mix a stain that matches the top exactly. The actual grey color will be in the same hue as Requisite Gray. DH is only mixing black and grey lacquers that he has. After reading Pal's post and then yours Les I started thinking about the chandelier in the DR. I'm re-using the one that was in the house when we bought it. It's brass and sinilar to this new one pictured below, but I've wanted to spray paint it a different finish for quite some time. Maybe silver is something to consider then for both the feet of the table and the finish of my chandelier? I just finished the black chalkboard wall this evening so that's done! Hoping to have this done by Thanksgiving!

I like edenaurora's wood look tile-might try even a little warmer shade. I'd stick with medium....[not super dark tone ] to play with the dark gray base cabinets. Too dark a floor presents maintenance issues and very light presents contrast. To me, the nice thing about dark grey base cabs is that they will recede into being a neutral palette/backdrop.....so you want a floor that plays along...you could go with taupe- or some wood tones present....but with the same intensity of shading. I don't think it has to be strictly a gray tone. They have resilient products of all sorts now-vinyl planks/etc. Tile is for some folk--way too hard for myself and others.

You could go 100 different directions, from lots of color to minimal color. Besides looking at photos on Houzz, Pintrest offers a lot of ideas for rooms with grey walls and dark wood floors. We recently bought a small cottage in another town and just moved in phase one.It has light grey walls and medium dark wood floors. Grey/black/white counter tops. We wanted to see how things fit in before we add a coffee table, entertainment center, end tables, lamps, etc. It's not a very big place, just under 1600 sf and a second home for us. Our color pallet for this house, is natural linen, browns, greys, and we will add in come black, and colors. The coffee table will likely be grey and I am putting a collage of old photos, advertisements, and other art on the top. It will be colorful, Here is what we have done so far. Hope it helps. Your house is beautiful. This was taken about 11pm and the lighting is terrible. There is a contractor grade boob light in the entry that casts yellow and over head is a cheap ceiling fan globe light. Sofa's are light beige linen and pillows are dark charcoal and patten is charcoal, chocolate and tan. Chairs are light beige linen and chocolate. Rug is natural fiber rug. Daytime now and boob light is still yellow cast. That will go eventually. Anyhow, entry rug is natural fiber, then dark table. Entertainment center we are considering white bookcases. You can just see the edge of the kitchen island to the right. The cabinets are white. Now enought light is coming in and we turned off the yellow entry light. Natural fiber rug between island and stove. That's all we have done so far. The two bedrooms upstairs have beds and linens and the bathroom is done. Our master is getting this wood on Tuesday (taking out the Puce color carpet). The bed is black. Will likely do some rug under is or runners. This is a photoshop pic I did of the bed and inserted it into a photo of our room with our exact pillows I bought. Coverlet shown is on the photo but ours is grey.