You feel that the furniture is dark, dreary and outdated but you want to paint it grey or java stain? I don't think either of those options will give you what you're looking for. Also, I would suggest not having 3 different furniture finishes/colors. Are you keeping the sage green walls?

Yes, too many pieces and husband will not let me move them. A bed, 2 night stands, a tall dresser, hope chest, long wall dresser, and TV cabinet. I was going to possibly do just the very top of the dressers and nightstand in the java gel stain.

Is there a space in a hall or family room where the tall dresser or long dresser could go? What style would you like to have in this room? Romantic, modern, rustic?

I would paint the furniture whatever the white of your trim..leave the black metal as is…then find bedding ensemble to work with the sage green walls.

Think about adding red into the mix. Love a true red with sage...

You say the walls are sage green. Are they already painted? I think I'd make them white (or cream) and paint the furniture sage green.

For this look, I would leave your sage walls, paint the bed black and everything else white. Keep cream/white quilt and add euro sham pillows in a sage pattern.

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I am biting my tongue.

Applying dark gel stain to the tops is not going to make any difference at all in their likeability. If you hate them, you hate them. You can paint them white which will change their appearance dramatically, but you still may hate them. The best long term solution is to move them to another room and buy something both of you really love. Giving them to relatives may also work for your husband.

If you want to try dark tops, you can get some dark poster board or not-so-sticky Contact paper and cut it to fit.

JudyG Designs Yeaaah. I'm a "heard and noted" kind of project person. ;-)

Thanks for all the great advice! I appreciate the suggestions and the pictures. I have already painted the walls the sage, so yes that is staying. Love the idea of painting the bed dark and then white on the dressers.