Here is the kitchen which we are remodeling this summer.

I’d love to paint this door something bold, like blue... depending on paint in the foyer and the color of the islands.

View from the den. It’s a sea of sand! ;)

By the "islands," do you mean the room dividers that don't quite go all the way to the ceiling? That seem to have internal storage? When I hear island, I think counter height kitchen island, but I don't think that is what you meant.

The pics may be misleading, but the room seems underlit. On my monitor, your sand-colored walls look more like a mustard yellow, and I don't know if it is my new laptop (don't know how it color shifts things yet), the photographs, or the actual lighting. But if the lighting is inadequate, you should definitely try to address that BEFORE you pick paint color. The lighting will change the look of whatever paint you pick.

I like the idea of a neutral for the perimeter walls and blue for the dividers.

Thanks, design-savvy friends! We had decided on Revere Pewter as it’s a “revered” (pun intended) neutral. Do you have better neutrals in mind? We were thinking of sculptors clay or Edgecomb Gray... or perhaps a yellow. Would pale yellow be considered a neutral?

I like the idea of painting my ceiling something colorful. How would it look with grey walls and a pale yellow ceiling? Or should I do it all one color? I definitely don’t want my ceiling dark as I want our home to feel light and bright.

I’m not in total love with yellows or greys; they just seem like soft neutrals?

I’m a bit hesitating to paint ceilings white as that seems like soooo much white. But maybe it would look clean and breakup the walls a bit? I’m going bonkers trying to figure this out! I’m dreaming of paint!

The islands are the floating structures used for storage. Here they are in better light.

I am not the typical designer type found on Houzz. I get tired of us all being led down a single shoot when it comes to paint color and decorating. Currently your house screams 1990's, and is a dull, dirty, greenish tan. Can you imagine yourself wearing a suit or shirt that is this color?

To make this your personal space look in your closet. What colors make you feel like a 10? What colors predominate? We tend to pick colors that make us look good and in turn we like the colors that make us look good. We also have certain colors that bring back great memories, those colors will often sneak their way into our wardrobe, artwork, linens and other things we purchase.

Your home should reflect the colors that you love. Not what any decorator or paint company tells you that you should love.

My oldest sister is very conservative. She has white walls, tan furniture and mid toned green carpet in her living room, a mid toned blue carpet in her bedroom and a light stone look entry and kitchen flooring that has both tans and grays.

My second sister is a bold business woman who is extremely confident. She has light brown hair, brown eyes and olive toned skin. She looks fabulous in fall colors. Her house abounds with fall colors. Moss greens and golds, tans, creams, oranges and deep burgundy reds. She chose two neutrals for her home, one was called latte and the other moss. The names are pretty descriptive - light coffee colored geige and a light gray green. She has a deep red orange piano room off the entry of her home that is dramatic and fits her style. She has natural stone entry and kitchen and a mid to dark toned mossy green carpet in the piano room and living room.

My sister in law is blond and blue eyes, waif of a girl, who worked retail when she was not a stay at home mom. Her home is decorated in a country style. Lots of cornflower blue and light creamy yellows.

I have really dark hair and eyes and white white skin. I look good in clear colors and my closet looks like a field of flowers with every color imaginable, but they are all clear - not muddy at all. I have minimalist furnishings - all teak, throughout my home. I have picked a very light gray white flooring that will be installed throughout my house with the exception of the two bedrooms. Those two rooms will have deep, richly colored carpets. I will bring color into my home through wall color and carpets and upholstery.

Your style should start with you. Tell me about yourself, what you love, the colors that make you feel like a 10.

Hi again, Jennifer! Your home sounds gorgeous! I own a restaurant and am known for my great taste, love of art and have been told I should become a designer; which I always felt I would be good at before confronted with this 1990’s palace. I’ve only ever worked with more straightforward architecture before. Personally, my style is more bohemian. I have long dark hair, olive skin, and wear long, floral dresses, long beaded earrings, or little green dresses with funky buttons, lace sweaters, leggings, tall boots, and more big colorful earrings. Though I truly admire a clean contemporary style in other people’s homes, I call it “restraint” I typically gravitate toward colorful art; lots of blues, green, orange, and pops of yellow in decor. I love blue in my art and am dreaming of either a blue or yellow couch in my formal living. My wall color should be a pretty backdrop to all of my art. I like big, solid wood furniture; statement pieces. I typically have a house full of plants, though I’m trying to scale that back a bit, because... watering! I love to hang prisms and witches’ balls in my windows, and display my love of stoneware in my kitchen. I’m bohemian meets farmhouse meets bold meets contemporary. I’m also a mama of 2 active little girls!

In my little mountain home I was automatically going to paint my bathrooms and kitchen a green color because at the time I was obsessed with greens but a friend of mine said, with your slate and tile, why not a yellow and rusty orange? I stepped out of my comfort zone and 8 years later, I still love it! That’s when I realized I had been looking at design all wrong. I think if I design more toward a specific space than my specific style, it starts to flow and come together much more naturally.

I hope I didn’t tangent too much!

Jenna, the lighting really makes a difference in your two sets of photos. The first look like mustard , the second looks like tan. Is the carpet staying? It looks like a nice neutral. I love Revere Pewter and used it in my home. You have nice artwork and a light background would be a good backdrop.

The Arlington Residence inspiration above is beautiful because the muted blue works well with the windows, wood floors and other light paint color. A vibrant blue ceiling might be oppressive in you home, with less natural light.

The paint really is a creamy, sand/brown. If I had to choose a brown it would be in the running. There’s just so much of it! I would love to get rid of the carpet but I’m afraid it would make our house a giant echo chamber, so for now it stays.

I’ll add about colors that I dress very differently than I decorate. I don’t wear my art, per say. I would wear the color of my walls, in fact I’ll show a favorite top that looks great on me, but I’m not sure I’d want it on my walls except in a painting.

I think painting the ceilings white will make a huge difference.