Google "Paint colors for north facing rooms". Lots of good ideas. Since you like blues and greens, here is a link to one list that includes BM Palladian Blue.

BM paint colors for north facing rooms

I think you also need some lamps and better bulbs in your chandelier.

Yes, white usually doesn't work well when it doesn't get enough light. It has nothing to reflect, and starts looking dingy or grayish, and kinda sad. It needs light to shine.

So if a room doesn't get enough light-it usually helps to find more saturated, medium tone(or even darker if you're brave and the room is small)) paint color. That's what will bring the room to life.

Yours is a pretty big room so I'd chicken out of going dark)) But I'd definitely look into deeper, medium tone colors.

Start thinking which colors make you feel what, and what you would love to be surrounded with in this part of the house. After you narrow your choice-you still need to find the color that works in your space as you want it to work. Names of paints can be deceiving, and also each space is different, so same great color that works for fifty other rooms, won't necessarily work in yours. Or you'll try some drab color-and suddenly it will be glowing beauty on your walls. That happens too. Sometimes you're lucky from strike one; sometimes takes 20 samples. But you'll find it eventually.

Also, you might want to bring more lights. Floor lamps, table lamps, sconces..Every room needs them, especially a darker one. They are usually pretty too:) besides being useful.

And if I may add-I really like your house. It has good bones. It will be fabulous.

..and-found a nice round up with 15 colors for north facing rooms-what's good about them-they're vastly different..:)

http://www.housebeautiful.com/room-decorating/colors/g511/color-north-facing-rooms/?

..and a very nice blog entry about which colors works best with the wood trim-in case it has to stay:

https://laurelberninteriors.com/2015/07/19/the-stained-wood-trim-stays-what-colors-will-work-with-it/

Do you want a color or a neutral? If you want a neutral that can go with the wood or with the trim painted white and with your blue and cool colors, I'm going to suggest going to Sherwin Williams and looking at the strip that has Agreeable Gray and Anew Gray. I have Agreeable Gray at 150% in my kitchen, breakfast and family rooms. Between the three I have windows on three exposures -- everything but south. I have warm woods, white trim, and cooler furnishings (blue sectional, blue/grey/green rug) and art that combines warm and cool colors. Agreeable Gray looked a bit too pale and almost chalky in my FR and I wasn't sold on the darker Anew Gray, so I asked the store to mix Agreeable Gray at 150%. It is close to Anew Gray, but just enough different that it worked.

I'd check out the Ben moore affinity line, only because all those colors work well together, so should you decide to use different colors in different areas, they will all blend nicely.

Thanks so much for the thoughts, everyone. We're just getting started and I basically need (ok... want) new everything! But with a crazy toddler and a newborn, I'm not ready to invest in nice new furniture yet. Paint will be a big help and you've given me a lot of great ideas to think about.

I really like the wall color in your library, anglophilia! I've always kind of thought the cooler green/bluish tones don't look great in N facing rooms, but you've proven me wrong. Your room is beautiful and your dog is pretty cute, too!

Lascatx, I just looked at that SW strip and agree that those colors look good. Great idea to do Agreeable Grey at 150%!

aprilneverends Thanks so much for the advice and links, I ended up spending a good chunk of time on that blog. Great insight! I'm really hoping I can convince my husband the wood trim has to go. He likes it, but it is ORANGE. There were some nice looks in the blog about wood trim though, I suppose I could probably live with it for a while if I need to!

Cool colors are harder to make work well in dark rooms because they are black based so absorb light. They tend to look very drab.

I would definitely paint the trim white, if you can. Keep in mind you'll have to also paint the window grids, so you want to make sure they are paintable. You don't want white trim with brown window grids!

In the darker rooms, use either a very warm white, or a color with medium saturation, i.e.: an LRV of between 30 and 60.

they will neither reflect nor absorb light, and so the paint color does all the work itself and therefore will give the room more life. Look at BM Blue Nose, BM Majestic Blue...(Pic below is Majestic Blue)

In the addition, I'd keep it light but use something with a little more weight than the white. For white, I LOVE BM Capitol White. It's got a yellow base and it is creamy and really great. Also, BM Bruton White is a really great neutral.

North facing light is cool. If the paint color has any gray, green, blue or lavender undertones, those are going to be magnified. Stark white has gray undertones. Henceforth, it is likely to look gray and dingy— not airy and bright.

This is my favorite color for a north facing room. I'm always thrilled when it's done North facing room

Here's a picture of a living room with the above paint. paint

I have two north facing rooms with plenty of windows. One is SW Creamy, which does not look drab at all. Maybe also try BM Capital White.

I'd add some curtains, pillows, art work, maybe different rug. Most Scandinavian rooms are white with natural wood.

The other is BM Windham Cream. I was determined to pick a something slightly bluish gray (Healing Aloe or Quietude), but it just doesn't work. Yet another room with NW exposure is SW Agreeable Gray. Changes constantly with light but is lovely.

Windham Cream is beautiful. Capitol White is a wonderful color (but note it's with an "o", like the Capitol in DC ;-))