Ideas for Kitchen Colors to help brighten a very wood room?

Although I love the knotty pine, you can use a primer/paint all in one product after a light sanding and it will look like planking instead of paneling. Use a light color to add more light to the room and make it appear larger. Use corner shelves between the windows to lift the height of the area, and have a place for storage or display. If you added cushions to the benches and chairs it would give it more dimension and personal style.

For paint colours, I would start with a rug or curtain pattern you like, and choose a colour from that.

Pale gray-blue / gray- green, or just gray tones down orangey tones in cabinets and trim, and a warm yellow or orangey tone will enhance it. Creamy white would be good too.

https://www.google.ca/search?tbm=isch&q=cool+wall+colours+to+put+with+orangey+wood&chips=q:cool+wall+colours+to+put+with+orangey+wood,online_chips:oak+cabinets&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjztJm4r-_bAhXaIIgKHaQwDd4Q4lYIKSgD&biw=1396&bih=690&dpr=1.38

I would probably leave the buffet, since it is also part of the living room. I would treat it as a piece of furniture. You could leave it last, and see what tyou think would look better.

The first thing I would like to suggest is a chair rail all the way around the kitchen (perhaps counter height) to tie into the buffet, that would tie all the areas together.

If your husband still wants to maintain the paneling, perhaps you could convince him to paint from the chair rail down. This way it still has the appearance of paneled wood, but now there is color.

The area above the chair rail can be covered with a (wall paper) product specifically designed for this purpose that is paintable.https://www.amazon.com/Liner-Heavy-White-Prepasted-Wallpaper/

As far as the crown molding is concerned, there are so many options out there I would make a trip to your big box store and talk to someone in the molding/trim department.

Here is a good example fro Houzz: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/938610/can-i-tone-down-all-the-orangey-oak-without-painting-it

https://st.hzcdn.com/simgs/1ee1e7d10faef975_9-0942/eclectic-kitchen.jpg%22%20src=%22%20https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/1ee1e7d10faef975_0942-w240-h160-b0-p0--eclectic-kitchen.jpg%22%20data-pin-no-hover=%22true%22%20width=%22240%22%20height=%22160%22%20onmousedown=%22preventImageDrag(event)%22%20ondragstart=%22return%20false%22%20onselectstart=%22return%20false%22%20oncontextmenu=%22PhotoContextMenu.show(event,913817);return%20false;%22/%3E

I totally get your problem! Luckily wood walls are gorgeous with white paint and even totally match the Farmhouse trend going on. Vinyl flooring is way different from the hideous and temperamental monster it often was and is now a way for modern/stylish and affordable flooring (there is even water resistant vinyl which is great for kitchens.

Ok. Retired interior decorator here. (1) It looks like your living room is painted an off-white; use that color to paint -- in satin finish -- (after washing the paneling with TSP, rinsing well and lightly sanding) ALL the paneling. (2) Paint the buffet piece that separates the kitchen from the LR, kitchen baseboards and window trim, and kitchen cabinets/island, the same color as the doors and trim in the house, which is probably white semi-gloss. (3) Invest money in one thing: new countertops on your counters only (leave your island butcher block as is). Quartz is more durable, impervious to bacteria, but you can NOT sit hot pots on it; with kids I'd go for quartz. (4) Whitewash your brick backsplash to bring out a tone in whatever countertops you choose (and don't pick a brown! Get OUT of BROWN MODE!) :-) (5) At Walmart, you can purchase a white horizontal unit with cubbies (6 or 8, can't remember) that should be placed beneath the window where you have all those bins stacked up around an antique little buffet piece. Move this piece to another room and put those plastic bins in this cubby unit and make a skirt to cover the front if you like that matches the new valance: (6) I'm almost done! Choose something fresh and colorful for new valances, but put them on regular rods (not tension rods) and mount them just outside the frames and so that the hem hangs just 2" below the top frame. Lets more light in! Window treatments should never cover up the windows! OK! I hope you post pictures after you are done. And do take Nancy's suggestion above and make new seat cushions!

Here is a Hometalker who shared similar info:

https://www.hometalk.com/diy/kitchen-dining/kitchen-dining-furniture/5-top-wall-colors-for-kitchens-with-oak-cabinets-2389914

https://www.hometalk.com/diy/kitchen-dining/top-5-wall-colors-for-oak-cabinets-part-2-2422240

you definately need some contrast..you could paint walls in dining area and maybe the cabinets a light bright color. i would go with stark white. it would make the bown pop!

I think Alabaster white would look nice and maybe leave the trim wood. https://lifeonsummerhill.com/sherwin-williams-alabaster-white/