I have a wood kitchens idea book which has both newer and older, refreshed kitchens. It might inspire you:

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/75202366/list/wood-kitchens

The second kitchen is mine, and there are more pics in my "my pics" idea book.

My own walls are cream with a touch of beige. I wanted the white trim to stand out a bit. Sage works well with warm wood and is a possibility if you like more color than a cream. You can go from a light sage or a darker one, and some have a more pronounced gray undertone. Because gray is popular there are some who use a light gray or a white with a gray undertone as in this pic:

BM Maritime White:

Light grays and warm grays ( which often read green) work better than cool and dark grays. Warm wood and cool grays do not bring out the best in each other.

Do not invest in a backsplash unless you will be keeping the counters for several more years. Backsplash comes after counters because a new counter will probably not be the same thickness as the old, creating problems. Also, it is best not to tile on top of a 4" built in splash like you have. You can do a less permanent backsplash - bead board wallpaper or peel and stick subway tile if you really want something in the meantime, but there is nothing wrong with a simple, painted backsplash.

Bead board paintable, textured wallpaper:

Agree with jhmarie. White will not do that wood any favors. BM gentle cream, seashell or classic gray may be nice if you’re looking for something light. You may be looking at primer white, which doesn’t look good with anything anyway. Gray-greens look good with that wood tone, also. Anything with a blue or purple tone will make the cabinets appear even yellower.

I'd choose a dark paint color. I think honey oak benefits from contrast. I'd try either a medium to dark grey, a dark warm green, or even a dark maroon.

Then I'd install under cabinet light strips.

Ditto what was said above, stay away from blue or cool colors.

Good luck!

I agree with pippabean, I think honey oak looks better with contrast. Darker colors might work better.

Light sage green. Leave the cabinets as they are, but add new hardware.

pippabean would this color work you think? I originally thought to paint the cabinets this color, but I think it looks great with the orange wood.

I think the brilliant emerald green would look great. I have a very similar setup with honey oak cabinets and grey countertops. I painted a black accent wall in the kitchen and left the others cream. I think it draws the eye off the cabinets and on to the accent.

do you have any photos you can share ilikefriday? Which wall would you have as the accent wall in my setup?

If the dark contrast ideas don’t work for you, you can consider ivory colored paints. I used SW Antique Ivory in my house on the walls and creamery on my kitchen cabinets.

If you do like contrast, I think dark blues in the teal and navy family would be gorgeous.

We had similar cabinets and painted our kitchen SW Perfect Gregie. Along with slate colored appliances it looked much more updated.

RedRyder, Thank you! I plan on painting a wall in the dining room a dark teal.

Sage or a similar green should work.

Recommendations for your kitchen

Paint the walls a light sage green. If you're looking for a move into the 21st century then skip the accent wall in the dining room.

Replace the pulls on your cabinets and drawers. A simple design.

This one is 3 inches. Does that size match your pulls? Measure from the center of the left screw to center of the right.

Yes it does, leelee

A roman shade over the sink when the scalloped trim is gone.

All of your other trim is oak so don't paint the trim around the window white. When the walls are painted you will see that isn't the way to go.

Thank you all so much for your advice! Any simple wallpaper removal tips that don't involve chemical solutions?

You do not want a highly saturated color for your kitchen. It will close in the walls and overpower the room.

ilikefriday thank you for the photos. I do like the dark walls...and I am an artist, so a mural may be in the works as well! I never thought of one in the kitchen. The wall opposite the window in my kitchen is just a big blank canvas waiting for something. ;)

OHHHH Art makes my heart tingle! I say go for the mural. I really wanted to paint my cabinets but my dh was not at all interested in that so the mural was the compromise. It started out as a huge painting on a frame but then I decided a mural would have more impact. In the end it was a lot less work than painted cabinets and now I am able to live with the cabinets and it cost me pennies to do.

An artist, that's wonderful. You can paint huge framed piece for you dining room and kitchen. Put your dark colors in the art not on the walls.

Something a little abstract will give both rooms a boost.

luckily I have a closet full of abstract work I did for my senior thesis.

That's fabulous! Any large pieces that can work for your walls?

several!

Valerie - I do. It's a pretty vignette.

But I also think that the pictured wood isn't quite honey oak, it looks darker and richer, a bit patinated.

To me, teal often looks "in your face", I think it works in the photo due to the other greens which help to tone it down (he mirror's warmer green and the plant's darker green). By itself, next to yellow/orange honey oak it might look harsh.

But really, you will see and live in your kitchen, not any of us, I suggest you paint some sample colors on your walls and see what tones /hues you like best.

Wallpaper removal...it depends. Pick up a corner and pull, if it comes right off, just wash with TSP to remove any lingering adhesive. If not, you'll need; wallpaper scorer ($7 @ Lowes), a 6 inch drywall taping knife (for scraping - $10), and a rental steamer. WARNING, this is a messy job, take your time. Keep "testing" the paper's edge to see if it's ready to come off, you don't want to "soak" the wallboard. Nice smooth strokes, don't gouge the wallboard. SO worth it.

Definitely a light color with some art on the walls. Emphasize the art! Galleries have white walls for a reason.

That emerald is beautiful and it does work really with the orange tones, but it also emphasizes them. Not the way to go if you want to downplay it. Whatever color you choose, coordinate it with the counter too. On my screen it reads kind of vaguely pinkish gray.

Yes, black hardware for contrast, but there are more modern options out there if that’s the way you lean. A simple bar pull can work with many different styles.

Heres a link to a great site that uses color theory specifically with honey oak tones.

I think if you bring your artist’s eye to it, youre bound to end up with something that makes you happy, and that’s the important thing!

Oops. Here’s the link

http://www.true-design-house.com/blog/2016/3/14/bestpaint-with-honey-oak

Good luck with your kitchen threebyfivebt. You've gotten some great advice. I like both ideas: the lighter (green) wall colours or the black. I'd be tempted to buy black poster board and tape it up on the backsplash and see how the room feels for a few days. Don't know how the other side of your kitchen looks though. I agree with not painting the window trim white. Those cabinets look to be in great shape and I bet you've a solid kitchen working for you. Just needs a few cosmetic tweaks to please your eye more. Hope you keep us posted on your progress.

ilikefriday: your space is just fab! I love the mural, the chandelier, the angled table... You've got a great eye.

ETA: Just saw your link, townlakecakes. It mentions BM Muslin. A friend has this in her kitchen and it's really nice. I asked her for the name ages ago and never forgot it. A neutral with life, if that makes sense.

townlakecakes thank you so much for your suggestions! chiflipper, thanks for the wallpaper tips.

Here is my adjacent living room to give you all an idea of my style. We just moved here and I also plan to paint this room. The photo is a little dark, but it's a muted olive green at the moment. I am thinking of painting the walls in this room an off-white and painting the trim white as well. I have already tested painting the trim in our bathroom and love the way it opened things up. Our previous home was all neutral wall colors with white trim, cream doors and cabinets and antique bronze hardware...so all this oak in our new home is kinda throwing me for a loop! After living here two months however, it is growing on me. Maybe I'll hold off on painting all the trim.

tartanmeup Thank you! The other side must have been messy the day I took photos. I have a white refrigerator and a white and black electric cooktop, a SS sink and SS dishwasher. It is ALL messy at the moment...may post more pictures after I do some cleanup. ;)

If your walls were properly sized before papering, removal should be very easy. A razor blade, a scraper, and a steamer. If you have more than one room that you will need to strip paper from....I suggest you buy an inexpensive one. It will be cheaper to do that than renting one. Score the paper. Place the steamer over it. Wait a bit....and scrape away! And, scrub down your walls to remove all traces of adhesive after the paper comes off. Otherwise, it will show beneath the paint as an uneven surface. I love stripping wallpaper. Very therapeutic! And you get a nice facial while you work! Good luck!

Tartanmeup - Thank you! Its a labor of love.

It feels it, ilikefriday. :)

If you go with a dark wall color, do be sure to install under cabinet lighting. I love my under cabinet lighting with my light walls, but I would find it absolutely necessary with the dark. Dark kitchens require excellent lighting.

Small mosaic glass tiles do not work well with wood cabinets. The grain in the cabinets gives them "movement" and mosaic backsplash are busy - creating a busy, not a calm space.

Great point about the small mosaic glass tiles, jhmarie! Never realized that was the reason.

If the living room is adjacent and you want to paint it Ivory, then reconsider Ivory for the kitchen cabinet walls and paint a fabulous mural on the blank wall that needs some love.
Since you’re a talented person, use the room to show it off!

My very feeble attempts using Microsoft paint to see what I think of this green. LOL!!! It might not be everyone's cup of tea but I LOVE it!!!!! Will test it on carboard first...great suggestion! Still have to get that wallpaper off though. :) Thank you everyone, stay tuned for the "after" reveal.

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