I think gray blue would indeed look dull. I would go with a rich navy blue, but one that isn't too dark. Maybe BM kensington blue or phillipsburg blue. When there's not a lot of light, there's nothing to pull out the color in the paint. A gray mixed in will make the paint fall even more flat. If you go with something a bit bolder than you'd pick in the store, it will calm down nicely on the wall. I would also do faux wainscotting rather than a simple chair rail. And potentially swap white to above the chair rail since you said the room tends to be dark.

Very pretty room, Katie. Going by the photo, I'd never there's a problem : ) .

This blog post by interior designer Laurel Bern, on paint colors for north facing rooms, might be helpful; read all the comments too,

https://laurelberninteriors.com/2014/10/05/im-losing-sleep-north-facing-room-paint-color/

I would go to Benjamin Moore and get the color cards for both Van Courtland blue and Jamestown blue and then pick a lighter shade (maybe a shade or two?) of each. Whatever you decide, get decent-sized sample pots to try in the room.

You could also try a less "greige" neutral; it would depend on your light, but two that work for me in my western Canadian light (and I will admit that I am a color person who has most of the house painted BM Copacabana yellow) are BM Natural Wicker and BM Windham Cream.

I would also be tempted to try faux/fixed Roman "shades" or valances on the windows, to add some color and pattern to the room, possibly instead of painting.

Updated to add: depending on what paint color you choose, you may have to repaint your trim, depending on how well the existing trim color plays with a new color.

I actually agree, I love the room as it is! It’s very serene. Would you maybe consider going with a creamier white since it does get a fair amount of natural light?

Elle- I think you have nailed my problem, the dull light needs something more vibrant. But when I look at swatches and online pictures of more colorful colors, I hate them!

Becky- thank you! I did like that article, and i definitely need to be hunting for warmer and lighter. Looks like Wedgewood Gray is the lighter version of Van Courtland Blue, and I do have a paint chip for it. I like it, but of course online pictures are mostly a baby blue, which I would despise.

Bri- that is nice of you to say! I definitely like the idea of a serene room. I fear that I posted an overly flattering picture of it!

Sooo.... I think I will move forward with the chair rail and white paint (maybe wainscoting too). I’ll also look for some table linens I like, since I usually do keep it covered. (We eat on it for all meals and I have 3 young kids, so trying to keep it in good shape.)

Then if I still feel that the room is too drab, I will do sample boards and go from there.

Thanks for the advice, and I’ll update with pictures once I have sample boards done...probably to ask for more help!

The key here, is that your room won't look like those vibrant rooms in the pictures. Those pictures have professional lighting, giant windows, 12 foot ceilings... that makes the color come alive. You don't. Compare how accessible beige looks here vs the rest of the house. Paint your samples and bring them to somewhere the accessible beige looks good, I bet they'll look too bright. Then bring them back to your dining room and watch how they calm down.

PS, for a white consider BM Chantilly lace. Very light and bright without feeling cold. It will do a lot to brighten your room. Realistically though, you should probably match your trim color.

Try Woodlawn blue for a lighter blue color that isn't baby blue. I agree light is best for your space.

Thanks again Elle. I have a Woodlawn blue chip and I really like it. I am hoping to eventually repaint all the trim in the house something just a touch creamier . I will check out Chantilly Lace.

Good luck, Katie, and let us see the changes here please : ) .

Thank you Becky, I definitely will update!

P.S. as it turns out, Woodlawn blue is on the same strip as Van Courtland Blue, two shades lighter... exactly what you suggested!

as it turns out, Woodlawn blue is on the same strip as Van Courtland Blue, two shades lighter.

Great, esp because now you can be checking to see how your existing white trim works with WB!

I just wanted to update with a few pictures of my dining room.

I did go with Woodlawn Blue, and I love it! In low light situations (most of the day), it is a quiet gray blue that still livens up the room:

In evening and early morning it goes much greener:

It is NEVER baby blue, thank goodness.

The chair rail and white portion of the wall are Chantilly Lace, which I chose because it kept its crisp whiteness even in the shadowiest times of day. (And... I liked the name.) BUT it doesn't match the trim at all. I will repaint it to match but couldn't quite face the task of doing it once I was done with this project!

(You can see here how the original trim color looks dingy next to the Chantilly Lace.)

I can see now a dark blue gray would have been a big mistake! Also, when I looked at pictures online of Woodlawn Blue I really disliked it, but it seems completely different in my space.

Thanks again for all your help!

Simply lovely, Katie.

Thank you both! Without both of your help it would probably be gloom city in there right now.

It's amazing what you can do through the internet : ) .

Very nice. Really like the look. You made a good decision.

Thank you Walnut Creek!