Painting the splash back behind the cooktop is not recommended as it's flammable and will likely peel, blister at least or ignite or release chemical fumes at worst. I love the chalkboard though, although I would mask up a doorway on your wall between the fridge and island and paint that, like a menu board, handy for shopping lists or recipes, and will look clever without being permanent. For the window area, I think those two narrow windows are smart and have personality. You can make a mdf pelmet for above them, simple as. Measure the width of the window frame, and cut about 150mm for each side. Ou can have the timber yard cut the mdf into a 200mm strip, and you simply cut the lengths, 1 x front measurement, 2 x side measurements (150mm). Say. Screw sides through front board and cover with wadding also know as Dacron from fabric store, about $10.00 worth, secure with staple gun and repeat with a fabric of your choice. This is where it's fun, I think something like a lemon lime print or citrus stripe, and perhaps make the top of those pellets have a mdf top also so you can place mason jars filled with lemons or limes on them like a ledge, it will look like fresh preserves in a kitchen window and the blackboard wall will tie that into a theme. Like the roman blinds too because fabric will add colour and style cheaply. Don't mind you took off the doors because you are neat, and items seem to match but that can become messy quickly. Reconsider the blackboard behind your cooktop for safety, and even could go to a tile supplier, buy a heap of se nods or discontinued tiles in your mustards, yellows and teals, break them up and mosaic a sheet of fibre cement sheet cut to fit. Then you could attach that to the wall directly over the old tiles, and it would be made by you, the right colours and have that bespoke eclectic look in a cooks kitchen. Sometimes it's as simple as grouping things like a timber chopping board leaning up the wall,a bowl of picked lemons with leaves on, and a teal striped washcloth for it to have those zingy pops of colour.

I would have your bench top supplier cut a thin batten of timber in the same 40mm thickness, and fix this as a front to a white melamine shelf. For a couple of reasons. Melamine is easiest to keep clean, whereas a varnish or oiled timber will require constant maintenance and resealing if it is used often, it will discolour and even with the sealant it does not like moisture, being natural, all timbers expand and contract in temp changes. Melamine is stable, and won't be seen from the viewpoint, and the timber front will make it look more substantial. Secondly, this thickness will be necessary to avoid shelf deflection, where lengths over 900mm will commonly sag under weight. Reinforcing your shelf with timber battens will avoid this, and the timber edge strip again hides it. If all this seems a little too hard, just invest in solid timber shelves of around 40mm, but have the tops laminated.

Did u actually pick the colour from a colour card and agreed on that with the kitchen company? If so, have u still got the colour card? If so, put the card up against you cupboards in the (daytime) and then again in the (evening), when not a lot of light is reflecting. Paint always looks different on walls etc than they do on the colour card. It depends on the lighting in the room. The colour of the walls or floor throw off reflections, so can actually make the colour seem different. 1/.. If this is what's happened, your stuck with the colour.Your just looking at a bland kitchen and only the paint colour is in your face. So stands out alone. But honestly, wait till all the kitchen is finished and furnished ect, as you will find the colour won't affect you as much. 2/.. If it's not the colour you chose, and you can prove it, you can either get them to give u a big discount or have them re do it. It's that simple. I'm sure you'll find that once all is completed, it will be fine.

Hi there Sharon, Yes, I decided to go a Grey Pebble in Dulux (Half). It is a warm, soft white.......although I haven't seen it on the walls yet as the painter is only coming tom!! Fingers crossed I chose the right colour!!! I will keep you posted.......if I remember lol I also choose to get the ceiling painted in Grey Pebble but in Quarter??? OMG, scary to say the least!!!!