My Kitchen / Living Room Tour {The Need for More White}

Over the holidays, Hubs and I were going to paint the walls on the main level and stairway a wonderful gray color. When we had our house revamped about 8 years ago, the guy who painted our walls used flat paint. I guess I should have told him then that I had not requested flat paint but had requested satin finish (my girls were 7 and 6 years old at the time... flat paint takes a beating from kids!) Well, we've lived with it, but I'm ready to move on. 

Here's the color I want to paint it, Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter. Are you familiar with it?

Source: michellelalala.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

We usually tackle a big project during spring break, over holidays, etc... so this time - even though we wanted to - we decided to NOT paint right now so that we could just enjoy the holidays.

But, confession time, now that the decorations are down, I kinda wish we had painted. I LOVE our house, I HATE overhead, bright lighting, but the rooms can seem so dark at times.

Reading Katie's blog post about painting furniture white got me really looking at my furniture in my rooms. I already painted my coffee table... but it there anything else I can paint?

I need your help on how to lighten it up the room. (P.S. I don't have funds to get new lights or cabinets installed or buy new furniture or slipcovers. I'm looking for frugal ideas!)

The most recent pictures I have of the main rooms are from Halloween, which is why you see my Halloween Mantel in the background and pumpkins all around. 

When we had the house renovated 8 years ago, we had the walls taken down between the kitchen, family, living, and dining rooms. We have 4 white columns that separate the two larger spaces, and we love it that it is the open concept. How many times have you gone to a get-together and everyone ends up in the kitchen anyway?

Here's the main living room:

You can see the DIY board and batten treatment in the background hallway and foyer. I think the reason I love this treatment so much is because it's white! Just to the right of the columns is our dining table. I don't know why I didn't take any pictures of it or that space. It's a brown pub table and there's a brown buffet under the windows as well as a large black shelving-type unit over there, too. 

This view is from the kitchen. Here's looking into the kitchen:

Of course, when I look at this picture, I just see all the things I want to do:

I love it... it just seems so dark to me. I need some white!

Here's the sitting area just to the left of the space pictured above:

I love my huge chalkboard mirror with the white frame. My gallery wall needs lots of TLC. Maybe a complete overhaul! Notice the brown leather chair and ottoman, brown rug, brown side tables, black chairs, brown dining table, brown floor... sad. 

Can you help me? Is there something that I should paint? Other ideas on how to lighten up the space? 

I'm linking up here: