Hi, can you post some pics please?

sorry this was early morning so lights not great

I love white paneling with a color above.

Celadon / sea / vintage blue. That range of colors. Not too much.

Add some warmth. Sand / beige, gold / champagne. A different table cloth (or even better bare wood), curtains. Some contrast. Artwork.

By the way, your chandelier is up rather high ;)

And do you have lights under those upper cabinets?

Some pendants over the island?

thanks very much, waiting on new table and chairs also bar stools. I have 3 glass pendants over the island. need a new light for over the table but finding it hard to get a nice one

What table, chairs and stools, if I may ask? And pendants? That helps to get the whole picture together.

F&B pink ground would work as a colour over panelling, and have the panelling just half way up. It would add some warmth and a great contrast. Definitely a little too much grey about, so the pink ground could work well, it's a sort of pale blush.

I don't think the bar stools help as they stand out more as a cream than white, so swapping them and the dining table for wood will help too as suggested above. Maybe a pale rug under the table to lighten the floor, which being grey, sucks the light out.

its an oak top table and cream legs ans like the one in the picture and these are the exact chairs. pendants are clear glass

il have a look at that pink colour thanks. will be getting new bar stools. rug wont work on my kitchen. busy table with kids

i know middle lights height needs to be fixed

How do you feel about a wall of mirror on that wall instead of the panelling? I think no matter what colour you will paint it the dark aspect will still be there. Having the mirror will reflect light back into the room making everything feel brighter more spacious. Failing that I agree you need a softer white. A bright white only ever works well when paired with lots of light.

im planning on putting a big circle mirror in the middle. thanks

table is being change to an oak table, the neptune sufflok with cream legs. I have chairs above ordered and a company coming out to spray them so they wont stain. i will have no table cloth, its only on that table because its glass. my island is f&b railing so its dark. i love the navy wall but i was looking to go with the below panalling. iv looked at them tan chairs often. they will look well with the island and the grey floor. the cream ones are from my old house so am looking for new ones. im wonder will the tan chairs suit my kitchen with the table and chairs? i dont know what you mean about too much grey, its only on the floor. i like that pendant over table but would it suit my table and chairs also? thanks for the advice

this is the panalling i plan to get. table and chairs will be same shape

Lovely kitchen and the panelling will look great. I've got a corridor off my landing which only receives light if the bathroom door is open. It's only had one coat of paint so far but I've used dimity which seems to be working well, it may be worth a tester of that and joa's white. You could then look at smoked trout, dead salmon etc for the panelling?

I think texture could work for bar stools, I think these rattan ones would work well?

maybe in future consider an antiqued glass mirror splashback behind the hob?

I forgot to say I noticed you don't have any downlighters, not a huge fan but they would obviously help with artificial lighting even though it may create some disturbance

thanks, will have a look at them colours. the barstools are lovely... I have the quartz backsplash the same as the counter tops. will look into that lighting, the kitchen is so dark because it has no window. this is because i swapped the kitchen and dining room to give me a big kitchen so the kitchen window would be were the doors beside table is and i put an extension on so thats the doors from the kitchen. pity its doesnt get much natural light. thanks for the advice

Oh, I can see the splashback matches now, ok don't change that! If it's an extension is there any way of adding sun tunnels? I do sympathise, my kitchen is east facing and annoyingly is the darkest room in the house!

i did put big windows in the extension and it does help. its not as bad in the pictures. they were taking at 7am. im just afraid of the colour i paint it will make it worse.

oh ok, I make the brightest of rooms dark with my pictures, If you just painted the panelling it might be worth looking at peignoir. It's apparently shown here with railings although I wouldn't have guessed it!

I notice that you don't have any spot lights in either the kitchen or dining room, this will not help an 'internal kitchen'.

I know it's an expense, but we have a north facing kitchen and dining room, we couldn't manage without them, it would just be too dark. I'd put up spot lights rough guide is 1 per metre squared. You can have angled ones now too.

Hi MATH, please can you tell me where those leather bar stools you posted are from? The ones with the high back? Could be just what I’m after. Thanks

They're from John Lewis:- John Lewis bar stool These are also nice and half the price:- CB2.com

" i did put big windows in the extension and it does help. its not as bad in the pictures. they were taking at 7am. im just afraid of the colour i paint it will make it worse "

Dare to get some contrast in there, or it will be light yet drab. Some darker colors make the light ones look extra light. (Reading comments above I see MATH said that too.) For example paint the wall above your kitchen the same navy as your island.

Note: my house's footprint is 6.5x6.5m, dining+kitchen facing north, pine floors, white trim, most walls white, but two rather large walls painted a really dark moss (people often think it's gray). It makes the white pop out! (and I'm even pondering whether I'm painting the entire 6.5m wall into the living area.)

Yes go Navy as Rinq says, makes all the light colours stand out more, just cut down on the gray as it's very light absorbing. I'd still have wooden or white chairs, not fabric with kids and def not gray. Wood or white against navy looks amazing.

my chairs are order and i have a company to spray them. i only have grey on the floor

Suzanne, are the chairs a creamy hue? Could you pick their colour maybe and use on the panelling or are they too creamy? or the same colour as your kitchen units?? you said what you have so far is working and you are afraid to spoil it. Maybe choose one fo the existing colours to keep it consistent?

these and the chairs and table will be similar

this is the panalling thats going on the wall

The chairs are beige coloured arent' they? They look it on my screen. If you've got white cupboards then the table legs or chairs, or both should be white, not cream and beige. . You mention in the last post that the island is F&B railings, but the first post says it's navy, hence the suggestion from a lot for a navy wall. Railings is dark grey. Getting confused.............it's not difficult for me !

f&b railings is navy

Suzanne, my kitchen is dark (North facing) and you have to work with what you have. Before we ripped it out it was painted a quite reflective yellowy cream and it felt warm and not too bad but naff. So, wanting to embrace the whole tasteful colour thing is tricky when most paints are very 'greyed'. The odd bit of dark or saturated colour can really lift a dull space as MATH says. Whites in a dark room read as grey, so it's all a bit tricky. The warm tan leather chairs could really lift it.

heres a pic from online. my island looks this colour

Railings is dark blue, very dark blue.

yes i like the tan chairs. just really have a problem picking the paint and painter is there all week. hes ready on monday to start kitchen so better decide quick. id love a navy wall, waa not sure i could use a dark colour but advice from people says it would be ok.. my front door is currently being painted navy and my couches are navy but wonder is it too matchy with the island?

A dark color on your window wall is the safest. Light comes in through there, so will reflect on your other walls. Pick the navy from your island and the tan from your chairs' fabric, will look great with white (paneling?). Add more color and shine with lighting, accessories, deco. Good luck!

im going to brave it and put railings on the panalled wall. thanks everyone for your advice. one last question? will i keep the kitchen walls in stong white or what other colour would suit?

HI, If your not keen on Dark colours then how about doing the panelling in a light grey which compliments your dining furniture and a Peachy Pink (don't be put off it looks fab with a grey colour). I am stockist for a designer paint. Please see the links to show you both Thor and Bea

Atom Interior Styling Paint house Thor

Atom Interior Styling Paint House Bea

both colour also compliment White.

Yes, sorry suzanne I was thinking of downpipe! What a billy! Glad you're being brave with the navy, I think it will look great, can't wait to see the finished pics.

Not sure if this is what you are after but these have to be the most comfortable bar stools ever!!! I bought them from the vintage sofa company who are near Halifax.

they look fab

Love those stools, how about a longer copper light over the table, perfect with navy.

The Tom Dixon ones do give off a lot of light I can vouch for that, our daughter has them.

them type of lights are exactly what i need but not sure about colour

Pastels, white, wood, navy, copper, hell yes! ;)

as Rinq says..............be brave x