Hi Stacey, I know you like the white wash look and the photos you posted were great examples of this finish. No one really likes that dark brick look so why not do the ceiling first after you knock out that wall in the middle & step back in to look at the changes. I'm sure you will be tiling before the new kitchen goes in so after this is done your room will be lighter again. The ugly duckling is becoming more like a swan! At this point you will be more certain of the finished look so before the kitchen is installed do a patch behind where the cupboards will go to see how you like it.There are some you tube videos of the process if you want to diy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkVBm3bitEE And here's a before & after story like yours with a happy ending on Houzz. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/before-and-after-brick-and-dark-wood-transformation-dsvw-vd~3130506 Good luck!

Thank-you all so much for your advice so far, i've already gained so many ideas simply from reading your suggestions. oskuee: The house is a single story, and we have spoken about solar tubes before but weren't too sure how to incorporate lighting fixtures within the hallway as well. How did you go about it? Did you just install the 2 solar tubes with/without lighting fixtures? scottevie: the windows in the lounge will be remaining the same, we will eventually change the colour of the curtains but not straight away, either way the styling and shape will remain the same. Surprisingly there isn't a whole lot of natural light than can enter from that point of the house. There is a very large verandah at the front of the house which this window backs on to, plus the amount of trees from the front of our property and next door's front yard makes it difficult for natural light to seap through. I just had a quick look at some Dulux White Duck examples, i definitely favour something around this colour tone. telperien: i really like the ideas of mirror(s), this would be a great idea to distribute that natural light. I think we are going to try our best to steer clear of knocking down any walls for now unless we really need to! Embrace interiors: Thank-you so much for the recommendations in paint colour and for re-assuring us that we can paint below the dado rail in a darker colour. We've had a closer look and Stone Lion is definitely the tone we are trying to achieve. If we were to paint the bottom half in Stone Lion, what would you recommend the colour of the picture frames for the artwork be on the top half? We definitely would consider painting the top half in a warmer white as you have recommended. Once again, thank-you all for your suggestions and recommendations!!

We use Lexicon Half on the walls and ceilings of our beach house. We were very confused as to which white. In the end went with our painter's suggestion. Don't over think it!

Good morning Jill, I'm kind of an expert at helping people choose exterior paint colours to match green roofs in Australia. I can help you choose exterior colours to tie in with with current roof colour, windows and balcony. Head over to my website and send me an email and we can chat and exchange info. Click here for link to Website