Sorry, first pic was the original green, next is the new gray, but my camera stinks hard to tell, but I added the original so you can see the cabinet better.

Totally agree that it is best to keep it white and tie it in with the board and batten.

Thank you! Yes, I guess that makes the most sense ;)

If you want contrast, put wallpaper at the back of the shelves. If you cut foam core to the size you need and cover that, you can push it into place and noy damage the built-in, at all. you can switch the paper out whenever you want something new or seasonally.

Paint the built-in that charcoal. take a look at what we did here with color

Here's one example.

http://houzz.com/photos/1458546

Haha! Great minds! My example was the exact one that Michael Lee posted! Love it!

Since you plan to add white board and batten, don't paint the cabinet yet.

Why you you try adding removable panels (wood, cardboard, foam board) to the back of the cabinet so you can try out a paint color or even a pretty pattern or fabric print in there to liven it up a bit for now.

Great Idea smartin1/mswilder!
I do like that charcoal color of the built in Michael Lee Int. The room gets so much light during the day, I think the room could handle that dark color. I am just wondering if it would contrast too much with the Board and Batten I am eventually putting up. The table and chairs are black and I have a black buffet that is in the kitchen now, that will go in this room. Thank you All!

Part of the beauty of older homes and their built-ins is that they are built-in. I am not a fan of making a built-in appear something other than what it is.

That Michael Lee image is for a built-in that is totally different in scale and function than yours. That built-in has a new and contemporary appearance in a house that likely has minimal finish carpentry details. Your room looks classic and I"m guessing the house has more traditional touches built-in. You already intend to enhance that traditional old style with the board and batten. Don't fight yourself.

I think a crown molding with some heft and size to it would compliment the board and batten, once installed.

Our two built in china cabinets match the ivory trim in our 1920's house. Their inside walls (behind the glass doors) are painted our wall color (greige), which makes a nice, subtle contrast. I'm not sure that was their original appearance, but that's how we found them when we moved into the house, and we haven't felt the need to change it as we like the effect.

Agreed mswilder. The more I look at the room the less inclined I am to paint it another color. I would have loved to strip it down to the original wood, but not that ambitious :) I have started looking at crown molding as well and hoping that is enough to add some drama that I don't feel the need to find some kind of topper for the built in. I did paint the back of the cabinet the same color as the walls and perhaps for the holidays I will punch it up a little with some decorative paper over foam board or something. I think I will also look at replacing the hardware on the drawers. I should probably declutter it now too, amazing how many more bottles of wine are on the bottom shelf!

Since I am not going to attempt to rehang the glass doors, does it work being open? Or should I think about investing in a Carpenter to custom make doors. Other suggestions?

Thanks again!

Think white is fine but would look at changing the hardware as an option.

The unit looks fine without any upper doors. If you aren't ambitious enough to rehang the doors you have (assuming you like them), it is much less expensive to get a handy-man to re-hang the doors than to have a carpenter make new ones.

Here in the desert where I live, any doors on a cabinet are blessing because they keep the ever-present and ever-accumulating dust off the dishes. You are lucky if you don't have that problem.

Great cabinet and it doesn't need anything on top since it mirrors the window moulding. Yes, keep it white, add your crown moulding, foam board color or print and new hardware. It's a wonderful room! The color or print inside the cabinet could be used throughout the space to tie it all together and even be changed out for the season. Enjoy!

I think that if you put a few nice colorful display pieces on it without cluttering it, it would look a lot better as is in white. I would make the back wall of the cabinet dark so that your items popped.

Go to Pinterest for 'hot to' to add removable fabric backing which is easily switched out to fit your mood ( as suggested previously). I also concur that you should hold off doing anything else until you finish up the room with wainscoting.