How would you paint this intricate molding? I want shades of white or cream. I was going to leave the white inner trim and paint the green portions. Any suggestions?

I love your dining room! Craftsman homes are my favorite, but I am always curious to see what they look like when the wood has been painted. Yours is lovely.

I wouldn't paint anything :) so i'm sure I am a big help!! I love the hutch the way it is!!! oh no!! :)
in fact, I would strip the built ins down to what must be beautiful woodwork underneath...I know I know i'm not going to be invited to dinner! the lampshades could be updated, and the walls, sure..but the rest is wonderful.

Well... to be honest I don't love your molding. I think it detracts from the great built in and lines of the room. I would consider painting the walls, molding and all, a white with a gray undertone and painting the built in cabinets the same red as your table. I would not paint your hutch. I would remove the chandelier shades.

look at this blog post, second pic down of living room with lots of moulding and different whites.

http://roomlust.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/most-popular-trim-colors/

not sure if it helps you out, but it's really pretty use of whites.

These are great comments - thank you! Julielen I LOVE the picture and suggested color -- I think that may be the very thing I do! I have always used BM paints. I feel like the room has such intense molding, painting a more muted color choice like Julielen's suggestion so it is not so overwhelming is the way to go. I personally love distressed painted furniture, so I am leaning towards painting the chest distressed black to match my table - plus I think it would pop against the white paint, and open the space. I envision a mirror behind the chest with a nice lamp, a pretty arrangement.

BUT I am going to do everything else first and then see if I need to change the big hutch. I feel like because I already have this big built in, another tall hutch is overkill and overtaking the space. I don't want to paint the built in red, I definitely want that white.

Here's my take. An all white room is really successful when you layer different whites and here you definitely have many options because the planes of your walls offer subtleties that most people will feel rather than see on the wall. I've studied and used all ben moore colors here since you said you wanted whites and you prefer BM. The combo i came up with uses 5 whites in your room.

Since your own furniture is in warm tones, I would use predominantly warm whites not gray - the harmony will make a huge difference, and I think that is part of why you think you have to paint your sideboard - together the wood tones don't like these cool walls. But you can add some of the sophistication you want with gray if you blend in some platinum / warm taupe whites.

I would draw from the BM white palette shown in Julielen's link for the walls - linen white, cloud white and for the painted built in casework, you need depth from the slightly richer muslin white.The one place I would put some color is on the ceiling, use a platinum white up there - i found the perfect shade in white winged dove. I found all of these, then went and searched for the perfect big trim color. For the major trims and crowns, the whitest tone - simply white has a great undertone with this palette.

- or if you can handle more rich color on the ceiling, go for bm abalone for the depth of layering the warm taupe undertones and shift white winged dove out of the room mix. If I did this I would use high gloss on the ceiling to get the depth of color but the gloss will add light to it - it will bring up the tone a tad and add the reflective quality. If you go for additional depth there, please consider painting your red sideboard in this white winged dove if you paint anything (i love the red, but once the room is all white and wood and black, this will add another layer, tie back to the ceiling tone and main trim along the creamier walls and can be distressed back to show hints of red).

Here's the mix concept summary - Simply white in semi-gloss for the major trim elements (crown and sills and baseboards) and linen white for the main plane of the walls, cloud white in the recessed panels and the now picked out transition edge trim - don't pick out the outline of the recesses paint them with the recess. White winged dove or abalone on the ceiling Muslin white on the built in casework.

Now your hutch (which is gorgeous and you don't need to take the top off) will shine in a room full of complimentary tones. This concept is the white version full of camel and platinum undertones with the reflective qualities in all the right places. You do have a gorgeous room. It is only paint, so try to layer them and see how you like it. You can always simplify after its done.

your room is beautifull as it is,but if you want to change then after following all the wonderfull advise give the hutch could be stained a richer brown and it will look as fabulous as the room then...

do you know what the greens are you have? I am about to paint my dining room (far less moulding, but has a chair rail, crown moulding, window trim and a fireplace mantle) in November Rain above rail, Swiss Coffee below, and Oxford White on all wood trim... but I'm starting to wonder if I want something a shade lighter than the November Rain? It seems about as dark as the lighter green you have...

libra thank you so much!! Loving your thoughts. There actually is no baseboard. I am attaching a pic. So there is the portion that is currently white, the lighter green (the main plane) and the recessed part which is dark green. So I'll paint the cloud white on the recessed part AND the inner trim as well (which is currently white). I also was thinking of getting covers made for these cushions in cream - I'm over the stripe. I like my rug and hope it will really pop with the toned town paint.

I believe this light green is silver sage BM 506 julielen. Thanks again!

You have a gorgous dinning room! I think you will love the layers of white like libra suggested. The rug is lovely too. If you change out the chandelier shades with red/dark pink colored ones, that will really tie it all in and give it pop. I don't think it will look very good without the shades. For your chair cushions a textured white fabric would be beautiful. I love your hutch and would think very hard about painting it. Maybe a new coat of varnish or stain?
Can't wait to see it transformed, please share a picture!

I am going to paint the room in a couple weeks first, then see how the hutch looks against the light walls. I still have the sense that the top portion could come off -- I could put a pretty mirror, arrangement, lamp on the chest and it would open the room. But I can wait till after I paint -- also definitely taking the suggestion of texture white or cream fabric for the cushion covers. I am going to try the chandeliers without shades - it was like that when I moved in and if needed add a solid back on. Thanks again! I will post pics when I get going!

Thanks for sharing your process for brainstorming - fun to kibbitz.Might consider that robins egg blue in your rug for chair covers but what you has is really going to be great with the white walls - love to see the progress but just enjoy!

Love following. Nice house.

Does anyone know how hard it is to stain wood? I have never done that and I was also thinking on Carole's suggestion about staining the chest darker -- I kind of like that idea too. I can cross that bridge when I get to it, but that idea intrigues me. I would still have the natural wood, but just richer. I ordered some new pulls for it already to give it a more contemporary look.

here is a site that will give you information about staining cabinets www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-stain-wood-cabinets/ ;-)

I love your dining room too, it is homey.

Really like where you're going with this. For the paint, I think I would go with two different colors in whites, one a bit lighter than the other in the same family. I would paint the built in cabinets the lighter white, since you said you wanted that and the interior of the areas within the molding as well as the molding itself the lighter white. I would paint the recessed portion outside the molding the darker white. I would paint the plate rail molding the lighter white and the area above the plate rail molding the darker white. I would paint the ceiling the lighter white. I like your idea of taking off the top part of the hutch, and going darker as well either with a stain or paint. I think adding some red accents or dark accents within the glass portion of your built in cabinet or the counter there would help add some accents there as well to tie in to the rest of the room. Looking forward to seeing the outcome!
... Just wanted to add - another option would be to paint just the molding the lighter color - saw this inspiration pic on another posting so thought I'd post that as well.

Beautiful picture Collette! I really like your ideas and appreciate the feedback. Funny because I was wondering if I could find a lampshade big enough to cover my chandelier like this photo! I saw a do it yourself website on how to transform a chandelier to a drum fixture. I think it give is a contemporary modern edge I really like. My chandelier measures about 26" across and I think I would need 17 or 18 " height. i"m going to search for that.

I would describe my style is very farmhouse glam -- I like the idea of mix this farmouse table with some modern pieces. I am painting in two weeks I can't wait!! I thnk I'm going to stain the chest dark and remove the hutch -- I really feel it will open the room. I will post pictures as the project gets going. Thanks again!

I wouldn't change a thing. Once you bring out your linens and set your table add some flowers you will have a beautiful room as is.

My husband would LOVE you Missy!!!! He thinks I'm nuts and watch too much HGTV! LOL I do like the green -- but I feel like I want t a change, a fresh look that's a little more elegant.

My husband says I watch too much HGTV also. I actually like the white on white cream ideas. And the drum shade would definitely modernize your light. Is there a blue/green/turquoise in your rug what about that for the chest.

The shades in the rug are greens/reds/beiges -- no blue or turquoise - the issue is the console table on the far wall is red which I really like as is. I am leaning towards staining that chest a dark brown or distressed black which would match the table. I have really prettty silver circle pulls for it already, but the golden brown wood just doesn't look modern but rather rustic. I do like it, but I'm going for adding elegance. I am having a hard time finding a drum shade that goes over this chandelier! What about just buying cream or white small shades? I did find this drum shade, but do we think the wires to hang it look funny? I feel that might be distracting. It's a 28" which is next to impossible to find.

I wonder what glass individual shades would look like? I would have to check and make sure these fit my fixture
http://www.wayfair.com/Sea-Gull-Lighting-Clear-Glass-Chandelier-Shade-90016-32-GX3605.html

I like the big drum shade if elegance is where you are headed - wires are fine. Individual shades read cottage to me . . .

thanks libra -- as long as you don't think those wires will detract. I think I'll try this one -- it's the only one on the market I could find! We need to start manufacturing big drums for chandeliers, we'd make a mint (:

I think Home Decorators has tons of shades. It may not be that catalog store but there is one out there with many shades like above.

Bev -- there is not a Home Decorators near me -- I just checked their site & didn't see any large shades. Maybe I could call them. thanks for the tip though~

I love this room. I love the comments regarding tones of whites, tones of gray. When I think of craftsman style, I think of dark stained wood. Have you researched Greene and Greene lately? I often see craftsmen style interiors in the movies and love them. Often they are rooms with dark stained wood and the requisite builtins. If you have the time to possibly make a grand mistake, you could strip some of the wood and stain it a red-brown color, somewhere between the floor color and the table. The critique of this scheme usually is "dark and depressing." But I myself will have a room like this someday. The dining room is a special place. Yours is no exception. And your windows contribute a lot of light...just some food for thought.

Thanks for the comment David -- I am attaching a few pics to show you a little bit of the hallway/foyer that this dining room opens to - I am not home so I can't snap a better pic these two first pictures are old when we first moved in. I have since painted this hallway a really pretty truffle color - but of course left any wood trim that was intact. The molding and beams in the living room is also painted white, but the foyer is all natural wood trim. I just re-did my living room (which the dining room opens up to ) so I'd like the dining room to mirror the contemporary feel of the living room a bit more.

Also there is a double front door both are original mission style beautiful dark wood. And in total three archways that are the natural wood (into the dining, living rooms and into the kitchen next to the stairs) I do love the wood, but I also love the light modern feel. I can't wait to get going on this project! I have gotten such good ideas from all the posters here too thanks again!

Don't change the hutch! It's awesome! Instead add colorful updated pieces displayed inside, beautiful home! Keep the integrity of the architecture, but update and keep it 2013 fresh!

Also the dark chairs are too heavy, consider painting them. Ethan Allen has vibrant colorful furniture in their showrooms right now!

Not sure if it will work for you and they are pricey, but I am a big fan on this mission style chandelier: http://www.missionstudio.com/Mission-Chandelier-Classic

I love that chandelier -- but my hubby won't let me go for a change out right now -- plus I have to say I love the lines of the one I have I just wish I could update the shade.. I'd hate to just ditch it, it also came with the house. I have kept a lot of original light fixtures. I also don't want to change this dining table just yet - I think adding white textured cushions and layers of white paint is going to lighten this up big time! I will leave the hutch at first, and see how it looks. I still am leaning towards taking the top off (:

Please don't paint your hutch. I think you will regret it. It's lovely just the way it is.

be sure to let us all know what time to be there for dinner :) and what we should bring :)

Libradesign -- I hope you see this post. I ended up purchasing a new rug for this dining room that has grey/blue tone. I wanted to still do your color scheme listed above and have purchased testers of these shades (cloud white in recessed planes, linen white in the main planes and abalone for the ceiling) I am going to paint my console black to match my table. I also bought cream cushions for the table chairs and an ivory drum shade like the one above. do you think the paint shades you gave me would still work even though I am veering away from such warm tones in my furniture and wanting to incorporate gray? I am keeping the red side table. It was costly and I don't have the heart to change it and feel a pop or the deep red will be ok.

here is the rug:

http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/rugs/rugs-usa-moroccan-trellis/beige/200HJHK03B-36056.html
also mentioned in this blog:

http://decorchick.com/our-new-living-room-rug/

I attached two photos of the direction I'm going in. But I haven't put the rug down or painted the chest yet. I like the paints you chose -- and the abalone does have quite a bit of taupe/gray undertones which I think adds depth. Would you change the whites you picked to something with more gray or leave as is? Thanks!

Got the rug! Wanted to attach a photo of the rug too. Anyone have paint ideas? I want to do a light gray white that possibly has some warm undertones on the wall, true white trim (maybe white cloud BM) and then a bit darker gray on the ceiling that also maybe has warm undertones. Here is a pic of the rug down. I really like the look but am ready to hire a color person b/c I can't figure out the paint.

Where did you buy the chandelier? Love the rug!!

Thanks! Look earlier in this post -- the chandelier came with my house. I originally added little Pierre Deux shades, but wanted a fresher contemporary look so ordered that retro fit shade shown up above. It worked like a charm and does looks really nice in person. The rug I got on rugs USA and am so happy. It's the moroccan trellis rug in blue/gray. The color used to be called charcoal, but people complained some thought it looked more blue so they changed the name. Here is a link from a design blog where I found this rug:

http://decorchick.com/our-new-living-room-rug/

Now if I could just decide on the right paints!!!! I have bought tons of samples and not feeling anything is right.

the new shade on your chandelier looks beautiful. Just what it needed

The makeover is finally done!!! I ended up going with a blue/gray color scheme and couldn't be happier. As it turns out we painted both the hutch and the sideboard. The only thing left to do is hang the mirror I think - but it looks cool leaning on the chest too.

Here is the redone sideboard which used to be a distressed french country red. Quite a difference, huh?

Very nice

omg! missed the post 8 weeks ago, but got here in time for the reveal - love your rug and glad you are happy with the blue-grays you used on the furniture. Hope the whites I suggested gave you a range of things to work with - love the result and glad you are pleased.

Hi libra!! I loved your whites and was totally going in that direction until I decided on a new rug which completely changed the color scheme from warm to cool. I ended up hiring a colorist - best $120 I ever spent!!! LOL

She helped me choose the following to achieve exactly the look I was going for:
navajo white on the main plane
simply white in the trim
natural wicker in the recessed plane in gloss
pebble beach on the ceiling
in the inner built-in (the dark blue part) Oxford gray
Temptation on the furniture

Thanks again for the help - makeovers are FUN!!!

I like the old color with the new rug, bit more Craftsman looking, but this is nice a subtle, and more "colonial" looking. I like subtle white on white schemes, if you have the endurance to edge all that! Low to medium contrast color schemes do tend to look best on complex molding. It is quite an art to get it right! Congrats!

Thank you victorian! The old paint colors were pretty, but if you saw it in person the rug would have clashed it's got a lot of slate blue. The green also tended to be VERY dark. I love these shades of white - it brings out the angles in the room without being overbearing.

temptation on the furniture? that's too funny!!!