Well, I think you're going to avoid vivid stripes by going with the muted colors. And I don't think you really do end up with stripes in a lived-in kitchen. Are you going to hang anything on the walls? Or have anything on the counters? A stripe in a new kitchen just becomes background when you start living in the room.

Take a look at BM grey wisp. We are also doing a white kitchen, pine floors and I am totally in love with this color. It is the same as Restoration Hardware silver sage. If you have a store close by, it is usually the color the store is painted inside. Looks great with everything and is not pastel.

I'm doing gray in my kitchen as well. It is BM's stonington gray. This is a true medium-gray, not gray-blue or gray-green. I looked at every gray in the store and this was the only one that didn't do funny things to the off-white of my cabinets, so try and take a cabinet sample with you when you go paint shopping. It's just amazing how a color changes depending on what it is next to. But if you are looking for a more blue-gray, I liked feather gray and bunny gray.

I think a muted gray-green or gray-blue will look very nice. As to which of the two to choose, I'd look to your soapstone - does it have either?

Take a look at BM baby turtle. We have it in the dining room and it's lovely and muted. Reminds me of good, thick pea soup. I think green/grays would look beautiful as well.

I think I am looking for something more colorful though. I am not a fan of gray. I admire it when I see it in the magazines, but I just can't imagine it in my house. (I do WEAR alot of grey though). But maybe I need to stop thinking about the colors I like and think about which ones will actually look good, LOL. I love the name of BM Baby Turtle, I'll definitely look into that one.

My problem is that my GC suggests he paint before the cabinets go in, especially since there IS so little wall space. He has to re-plaster some walls too. It would be such an easy job then! He will probably charge me much more if they have to paint at the end of the installation. (He charges everything at cost, on an allowance, adding his fee on at the end). We could paint ourselves, as we always do, but DH makes such a mess and I'd be so nervous myself about getting paint on my new everything!

i have jogging path/sw in my mudroom and love the color. green (with greyish undertones). i believe nomorebluekitchen has it as the wall color in her kitchen. she has dark cabs but soapstone counters. try searching for her photos to take a look.....

But maybe I need to stop thinking about the colors I like and think about which ones will actually look good.

Maureen, they are one in the same!

As for the contractor, ask what the difference in price will be. Maybe it's worth it to you. Otherwise, just get as close as you can before the install, knowing that if it really isn't right, you can DIY later. It's great that you have that option.

Since you're doing a lovely 30's kitchen, and you want muted without gray tones, how about going for true clear Jadeite green? This will highlight your white cabs and resonate with the green in the soapstone.

There are a number of Jadeite greens made.
This is from Dutch Boy, a brand I'm not familiar with, but you can have it made up in your favorite paint:
{{!gwi}}

Sherwin Williams does a fabulous Streamlined Years 1930's palette that would fit very nicely, check out their Cascade Green.
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Whatever you chose, I can warmly recommend having it made up in Benjamin Moore Aura paint - slightly more pricy, but oh so worth it, particularly for richer complicated tones.

I think you liking the colour is most important since this is a room you will be in multiple times every day.

We did BM Nantucket Gray (it's a green colour though, despite the name). I second the recommendation to mix it into Aura paint, we did this and it worked really well. I don't have a good photo of it right now though, but have a look at it. Definitely get some samples and put them on your walls, that might give you a better idea of what you like too.

We painted before the cabinets and flooring went it. We were painting ourselves though and wanted it to be easier (and I was really nervous about getting paint splatters on all the new stuff). It was more difficult to make the decision but I'm glad we did it that way, otherwise I might still be obsessing over what to choose. ;)

Circuspeanut - That's the look I was going for when I painted my kitchen about 7 years ago. The wall color is extremely similar to the one you've shown (cabinets are yellow). I was very happy with it. Perhaps I should take the REALLY easy road and repaint the same color!

Olga - very good point, the decision will be over. Thanks for the input.

Stephanie93-

OMG! I just went thru four BM samples of green and decided they were awful, then I saw my neighbor's kitchen which was painted grey wisp, and now it's up in my kitchen and I love it -- and then I came back to this thread, and saw your advice again! You were totally prescient!

I think the grey wisp is terrific, it's very soothing, not cold at all, and reads as slightly green without looking toothpasty. I'm delighted with it. Thanks for confirming that choice -- I didn't realize it was the same as the RH silver sage, either.

I think you're on the right track with a muted grey-green. I'd also second the recommendation to use BM's Aura paint. The palette is very earthy; the colors are very rich and change with the light. Also, the paint is odorless and goes on easily.

Here is a link that might be useful: BM Aura