Seeing this, I thought of this room. I love this color scheme:

But you’d need to put wainscoting on bottom for this look — is that something you’d like?

If not, I’d do the same color above and below the rail:

Thank you so much! ! Like wainscoting idea, but may just want paint. I do like same color option on top and bottom. I like the light color paint, do you know color? Floors are highly polished, hitchcock dining furniture, beigy/gray area rug.

I’m sorry, no … I’ll see if I can hunt it down. :)

I'd add a paneled wainscot below the chair rail and paint the chair rail and baseboard, too. A simple Shaker style paneling would look charming in this room. Have you thought about wallpaper instead of paint on the non-paneled walls? Either option would look nice.

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Ok, no color info available, it was a Houston real estate listing years ago. Awesome house:

https://pay2day2advance.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-traditional-new-england-style-home-in.html

Hopefully our color experts see this and can come up with something similar!

Keeping the stained rail, put the lighter color under and choose something darker for above.

Hitchcock furniture looks great with B.M. Cloud White.

Above the rail I suggest a wallpaper. You have the perfect setting to pull it off.

This is from Thibaut.

Jinx, et al, I followed the link because Royal Barry Wills is probably my favorite style, and was I surprised. I had to go to the Doctor this morning and traffic on our one way highway was backed up (commuters going to Boston), so I took the 6A route (also called Kings' Highway). Just about every house is an antique. What a surprise to see in the link, three houses I drove by this morning, in Yarmouthport, MA.

How amazing, Judi! I love those houses, too.

My late husband and I spent a lot of time up there and both fell in love with the houses, scenery, history, and great people. :)

This Paulus Potter print came home with us from one of our MA trips:

Since there are no windows in the room, I’d look into putting a wall mural above the chair rail.

Well, Jinx, if you ever get to the Cape again, you can continue a few houses past the three in the photo and stay at the Inn at Yarmouthport. Mixed in with the quintessential Cape Cod houses are some beautiful Greek Revivals.

Maybe we should send the photo of the mural to the owners. I would look great in their living room.

I'd use a soft sage green, top and bottom. If you post what type paint you'd like to use, I can be more specific for colors...

Judi, love the sound of that. 😍 DH (I’m remarried) is from NY and one of his relatives had a place on the Cape. Wish I’d gotten to see it.

OP, are you in New England?

I just want to say that I love everything on this thread :) I was able to live in New England for a few years -- spending weekends in little towns across the region was such a highlight - the homes are so charming and lovely in that area

Look at BM Soft Chamois. I have been using it in my north facing rooms with low light. It is a warm white/off-white. If you want something with more yellow, BM Timid White is nice. It gives the effect of candlelight.

I always like the dark color on the bottom I find the dark on top feels heavy . I do love wallpaper on the top if yoy can find something you love.

la_la girl, you would have loved my old house. It is a 1840 half Cape. Here is a photo that made a Cape Cod magazine. It is of my kitchen/dining area. That space had two fireplaces...one you can see and the other, a cooking fireplace, is in the kitchen area. We had 7 fireplaces in all.

I had to set the table for the shoot, so I chose my Johnson Bros America pink china. It went well with the color of the walls. Do you remember when Martha Stewart had her line of paints with S W? This green was called Shagreen. It was and still is one of my favorite greens. Can't see it well in these photos, but the sofa was the same green in linen and the original wainscoting was B.M. Acadia.

7 fireplaces??? oh wow that is incredible -- totally covet the stone fireplace AND the dishes (is that red transferware?) 😍

Can we see a picture of the entire room and some pictures of the adjacent rooms?

I am seeing a floral print on a chair and it looks like a floral print tablecloth. it looks like beautiful upholstery on the chairs and my guess is the red was supposed to complement the chairs, but I'm not crazy about the red next to the color of the wood railing that you can't change.

I might do a simple damask wallpaper with the darkest tone or one shade darker than the darkest tone on the bottom and let the upholstery be the star.

I love this discussion too! New England colonial style is my favorite. A mural would be awesome. But the wall color usually is chosen last-the color depends on everything else going on in the room. Do you have a rug? Or another item that you can pull a color palette from? Ben Moore Historic colors would be a good source for your room.

Here are two blog posts by Laurel Bern, a very knowledgeable and talented designer, on affordable wall murals.

https://laurelberninteriors.com/2022/10/19/exquisite-and-little-known-panoramic-wall-murals/

https://laurelberninteriors.com/2022/10/09/affordable-chinoiserie-murals-panels-sources/

You could also use a very large-scale wallpaper in your room. Either way, I'd install the wallpaper above the chair rail, and then paint the trim and below the chair rail the same coordinating color. It could look awesome!

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I came across a wallpaper this morning and thought of this thread.

OP, I know you’re leaning towards just paint, and understand, but please indulge me sharing this. I wanted to show it to my like-minded people here, and it might give others ideas who are doing a similar style. I just love it!

Blogger dining room re-do:

https://www.wildflowerhomeblog.com/our-swiss-chalet-inspired-dining-room-reveal/

The fabulous paper:

https://www.astreetprints.com/2970-26146-dard-green-tulip-ogee-wallpaper/2970-26146

I want to put it over your chair rail, then paint the bottom in the backround color pulled from it. :)

I tried the room previewer feature; it ate up your furniture. :D

Nice, Jinx! I love that room, it has so much character, and has color even though the palette is neutral. Love the furniture, lighting and accessories. It's a warm, inviting room, and the OP can get that feel easily, although the wallpaper is a bit expensive.

It is expensive, I agree.

What an amazing transformation! I wouldn’t have believed it was the same room.

I want to be having my coffee in there right now. :)

Oh wow i LOVE that dining room - I am also such a fan girl of cafe curtains 😆

The homeowner has serious DIY skills--she installed a tongue and groove ceiling BY HERSELF!!!!