Just a thought...my girlfriend just put her house on the market and her REA suggested putting a small lamp on the counter to help with the dark kitchen. It is cute and has helped some as well.

I'll let someone else suggest colors. I've already caused one person to have to repaint!

The color that came to mind is one that Redbazel just did in her dining room. Ben Moore's Northampton Putty. It's kind of an olivey beige and looks fabulous! I would change the hardware and put a nice bowl of colorful fruit (lemons or limes) and some fresh flowers. ;c)

Red's Dining Room

We sampled BM Quiet Moments for a room recently, and while it wasn't right for that room, I think it would be perfect for yours. It's a lovely gray/green color that would read pretty neutral up I think, and would look beautiful with your granite.

Lynn

Because you are doing this for resale I wouldn't go too bold on the color. Look at SW Ivoire and Blonde - they are both on the same sample strip. They are both warm golden neutrals that would play off of your backsplash.

You are right that changing the hardware would update things as well. Consider some brushed nickel handles, and cup pulls for the drawers.

Nicole

Thanks for the suggestions! I have to pick something today, I think, so I'll be at the paint store later. I do have sample pots of a lot of different colors already, so I gotta get to splotching!

I'd love to go with a bolder color in here, but I don't want to scare off buyers or make the room darker. If I were doing it for myself, I'd figure out a way to make the room brighter so I could have the darker colors I want.

I've still got a master bath to pick color for, WTs to sew, a closet to revamp, big yard sale tomorrow, and more...I'm so tired. :D

Canobeans, I would think a great way to lighten the room and work with the dated cabs would be to lighten them and use an antique wash over them. I have never painted cabinets so I don't know how big a job it is.. but that would give you a lot more flexibility in your paint color.

If you do update hardware, I'd go with an antique brass or iron. Nickel seems out of place with the style.

funkyart, thanks for the suggestions. I agree I think nickel might not work well, not the least because the whole house is brass and I think it would look out of sync. If I were living here long term, I'd change out all the hardware from the brass -- but that's a HUGE job!

As for the cabs...sigh. I thought about painting them when we first moved in, but it's such a huge job. This kitchen has an unbelievable number of cabinets!

Do y'all think the cabinets are so dated that I really should do something with them? They are really good quality, and darker than the usual blah oak. If there is something I can do with them without a horrendous amount of work, I'd consider it, but I know painting is out.

For the walls, I would go safe and pick one shade darker than the tiles. It matches and it would brighten up the kitchen. For the hardware, I would do oil-rubbed bronze (venetian bronze) or iron. Brushed nickel would look nice but wouldn't match the style of cabs (drawer pulls would look nice). I would then buy lighting to match your hardware. For the cabs, if you were staying I would definitely say to paint them but since your not then leave them alone. I just finished staining mine and I would NEVER do that if I was on my way out. I would buy a good wood cleaner and give them a good cleaning.
One last thing you might consider is getting a nice faucet. Something special (also matching the hardware). It's jewelry for the kitchen in my opinion.

Cabinets are fine...very classic. Don't give them another thought. Brilliant idea to ditch the wallpaper. You've done enough.

I think you have enough excitement with the Sassy Green and I would not use another strong color. Kilim Beige is a good idea, unless it doesn't work with Chop Sticks. (I don't have C.S. on my fan deck.) Just to make it easy, would the Chop Sticks work with the tile?

This is for resale...don't try to be too clever. It is a waste of energy. (Ask me how I know!!) ;-)

I didn't mean to make you feel bad about your cabinets. The wood is gorgeous and they are nice and tall. I only mentioned it because you thought they were dated and because you were concerned about the darkness in the room. And.. obviously I didn't know how much work it would be. Don't give it another thought!

No, I think the cabs are fine. You can tell the are nicer quality, and while oak may not currently be 'in', quality is always 'in'. I think replacing the handles would do alot, but that's a bunch of handles! I don't know what kind of money you're wanting to put into it. If it were me, I'd probably replace some in an area and decided if it were visually worth it. I agree with the ORB or other dark color working best.

Here's an image I borrowed from another thread on oak cabs [from Showplace Cabs]...

Don't forget you can paint the handles to save money. Don't forget the ones on the hutch.

Keep in mind that on the color wheel your secondary colors to green is orange and purple and your complimentary color is red. I am not saying to paint these colors, stick with something neutral and light reflecting. However, use these colors in your accents to add a bit of that bold flare you would like to show. Remember fruits & vegetables (red peppers) in these colors when you stage to sell. Large containers filled with these types of things not only looks completely natural in a kitchen, but also gives the buyer a sense of "I can cook in this kitchen."