Apart from the paint colour there are a few other things I would change first. Are you able to change the vertical blinds? They are contributing to the dated look. I would lose the table clothes completely and get some modern art for your walls. The lighting is also something I would look at changing especially the ceiling pendant ( too traditional) and the floor lamp. I would also get rid of half the sofa cushions. Changing the paint colour alone will not make your place look modern, IMHO.

I think the white and charcoal will look great. Go a soft slightly blue charcoal like Dulux Monument. If you want a different option, I've seen a soft olive (Deluxe Mudpack or similar?) look great and quite modern with those bricks also. It completely changes the look of a facade as it makes the timber trims blend in subtly with the brickwork rather than being the first thing you see.

Hi L Shum. I think it depends on the style and colour/s of your house, whether it's brick, weatherboard, or other cladding, and where the planters will be placed in relation to it. ?? Not knowing this, I'll suggest there are lots of warmer whites you might like to sample: Antique White USA, Natural White, White Duck, White Duck Quarter....

Thank you to everyone who has commented - it is really lovely and so useful to have such thoughtful and encouraging comments! annab1997, the natural white is very yellow against the essastone sample we have, but does seem to work with the ticking. I'm trying a half strength version to see if that works - I also need to try it in the actual kitchen space but can't get in until the weekend (it is a building site). We don't really have any wall space in the kitchen/dining to paint as the wall opposite is full length windows. This provides loads of light to the island, but not much passing through to the back wall of the kitchen. Those small sections we do have - to the right of the bifolds on the picture - will either be in ticking (a great background to some of our artworks) or in the colour we paint the cupboards. I will definitely give the Resene colours a go as well as the Whisper White.