Help Pick Out Paint Colors for Foyer, Kitchen, Living and Dining Room

by Rachael
(PA)

Dilemma:

We just bought our first home and need help picking out colors that will flow together.

We want color - not just cream or tan - and like a beach theme, so blue or green. Something inviting and open.

When you walk in the front door, living room is on the left. It has a nice window and is pretty square, and leads into the dining room - no wall separating. Second picture shows dining room from the living room. The kitchen is straight ahead down a hallway, when you walk in the front door.

The kitchen is kind of dark with the countertops and black appliances. I'm not sure what we can do to lighten it up. We do want to refinish the cabinets since they are a pinkish white color that we hate.

We will make the flooring in the foyer/hallway and kitchen sand color tile. For the living and dining rooms it will be a light oak.

Our appliances are white and red, dining table is cherry and black, and furniture for the living room is burgundy for the sofa and chair, and dark wood desk and coffee tables.

Thank you for your help!

Critique:

Rachel, let's start in the foyer and hallway leading into the kitchen.

Because this area is dark, and because you want a beach theme, I'm suggesting a color from Benjamin Moore called San Mateo Beaches:


This soft yellow will make up for the lack of natural light and brighten up the space with a bit of painted "sunshine".

And I would use the same color for the dining room as well - to spread the "sunshine" to the darkest corners of your house and help the color scheme flow:



For the living room, I recommend Seacliff Heights - a beautiful sea green that will complement and enhance the red in your burgundy furniture, and add to the beach theme:



Now for the kitchen, I've selected a light sky blue for the walls (Silver Mist) - to coordinate with the backsplash and countertop, and a very creamy white for the cabinets (Woodmont Cream) - to counter the darkness:


And to brighten things up even more, I want you to use the same creamy white for painting all the ceilings and woodwork (including the door in the dining room) - a flat finish for the ceilings, and semi-gloss for the trim.

Here's how all the colors look together in a scheme:


Beachy, open and inviting just like you wanted, and you can repeat the same colors for painting the rest of your house - because you have a complete color scheme here now.