Men never seem to want to paint wood, and here's why; it can't be changed back to wood once you do it. They're sure you'll change your mind again! Seriously, it is a fact that men like wood to look natural and women like it painted. You've lived with it almost 20 years, so it is time for him to give y ou the home you want! There are lots of pretty greys that will look good with the cranberry, just be careful that the undertone stays in line with the upholstery fabric. I think of cranberry as more purple and cool.

HI --- Painted wood can always be returned back to wood . They have great paint removers now . Go ahead and paint the wood if you want to - no problem and it's probably about time for a new look anyway .I really dought the Oak will return anyway . Oak has had it's day and it's done and if you paint ,it will make your cherry furniture sing. Please don't do two colors it will just make the room look chopped up and it's kind of a feature that is not being done anymore . So make the wainscotting all one color with the same or very close color on the rest of the walls.

If you truly want to update it, paint all of your trim white. I would paint all of the wood trim a soft white, such as Benjamin Moore Dove White. I would even paint 'everything' below the chair rail the same white, leaving your color for the top part of the wall above the chair rail. It will be a very fresh change for you, it will feel completely transformed with paint alone! Look at the photos below.
For the walls, I would go with a warm gray since you want to incorporate 'cranberry' into the pallette. Try BM Revere Pewter, A little lighter: BM Light Pewter. A little more gray: BM Apparition. These are all soft neutral grays that will work beautifully with cranberry. If you want to go a little less gray, look at BM Lancaster Whitewash. All of these are similar to the paint color in the second photo below (happens to show your cranberry too :)


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Gorgeous so far, totally tranformed style!

fantastic job! what wall color (trim and above chair rail) did you use? this is how I want my DR to look but hasn't turned out that way yet!

Thanks - can't wait for my husband to finish the floor so I can put the room back together and move on to the kitfchen! the color of the wall is Behr Gobi Desert - the bottom is just white.

Ccwaters image of the white wainscot and trim with the deep gray walls would be beautiful. Pale gray walls will look washed out and dreary next to the Cherry furniture and cranberry fabric. you definitely need a richer, darker gray. You could still use a light gray in the kitchen which would be a fine transition or go with the same darker gray. Paint the ceiling a slightly grayed off white than the crown molding so the trim pops. add a collection of cranberry glass objects and glasses to your table settings and side board or buffet.

I bought a pair of curtain panels and upolstered 7 chairs - all for $7.99.

Wow - love what you did with your chairs, and how you managed your budget, and the paint (I have Gobi in my boudoir, it wears wonderfully well). Be careful - the kids will want to move back in!

Really happy with the way it turned out!! (not sure why some pics upload sideways!)

Nice job! Very elegant, enjoy :)

Looks beautiful! I am in the same boat right now (several years after this original post). I have white gloss trim throughout home - would it work if I used it on my wainscotting also? Trim in dining room will be high gloss (I just like the look of it for doorways, etc). Not sure how it would work on wainscotting though, or if it is okay to change finishes in that room.

My walls will be Revere Pewter (BM) in eggshell.