I have had my kitchen area painted with Dulux Cowardly Custard half strength walls for years now and I love it and never tire of it. I love how cheerful and clean the rooms always look and the colour is not overpowering. Other areas in my home have walls in green and aqua blue and the three colours mix together well and stronger shades of yellow can be mixed with it also. I have just redone the kitchen cupboards and did them in Cowardly Custard too with white benchtop and white glass mosaic tiles and my small kitchen looks so much bigger now. A pale colour will not make a room look smaller.

Thanks Helen. Actually I've read that Bristol paints have a record of the formulas used for Benjamin Moore's paints. Not sure if that's accurate though. Also thanks Tilly for all your suggestions. Ironically I used China White throughout an entire house many years ago and I loved it. I also used Whisper White for a lot of the painted shelving and some furniture. It was an open plan house and the colour scheme was seamless. Received lots of compliments. The woodwork in the rest of our current house is in Antique White USA (as are the walls), but I'm wanting to go for a more 'intimate' look in the sitting room, and I'm still drawn to the idea of a warm charcoal grey for the walls, and Antique white USA for the architraves, skirtings etc. I'm attaching a picture of the Benjamin Moore Rockport Gray, but I know it's impossible to choose a colour from a photo, but it will give you an idea of the colour scheme I'm wanting for that room. By the way I know what you mean by the picture rails limiting the use of walls. I'm attaching another photo I've found that shows a similar room (although a lot grander) without picture rails. But my partner is rather fond of the picture rails, and I can just imagine his response if I suggested they be removed! It's hard enough trying to decide on paint :)

Cheapest thing to do would be to paint the doors put a bit of timber benchtop from Bunnings and perhaps mirror the back panel, but where's the Bar Fridge going or are you planning a bigger fridge nest to this. As Louie suggested it might be better to get rid of the old as there's no place for a much needed Bar Fridge, A Barn door of whatever style suits you would work well, you can pick up second hand doors with character for this. Then again some Bunnings timber benchtop , (Mel) fitted & supported by beams screwed into the rear and sides of the nook and hidden by a strip across the front as your bench top. With a bar fridge under this, floating shelves above on the wall for bottles /glasses and DVD player etc, much easier to use the DVD when it's not in a cupboard love the room.

Timber tones, but take a photo of your samples and put it up in comments. Also a picture of your kitchen.