Hi! I am moving into my own place (wee!) and have a blank canvas in terms of the walls that I want to paint ASAP. The kitchen has a high counter space that separates it from the dining area, then the dining/living area is an open space. Because the rooms are all connected, I'm pretty sure I am going to paint all the walls gray, but I'm wondering if it will all be too monotonous? There is a short, narrow entryway/hallway that leads to the kitchen area (see left side of pic 1) that might be good in a different color to give the place some depth -- but should that color lead into the counter walls too? Or should the counter walls be gray like everything else?

I've never painted anything before so I want to be sure I'm painting the right walls and using color to make the most out of the space. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about the yellow oak cabinets. Also, the rooms get a lot of natural light, so any recommendations on a true, mid-to-light tone gray that won't make the cabinets look uglier would be so helpful. Any suggestions for the entryway/hallway would be great too. Thank you!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/Lucky321/House/pic1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/Lucky321/House/pic2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/Lucky321/House/pic3.jpg