I believe that it's important to keep the finishes the same especially when working on a small space. It gives the illusion that the space is much larger than it appears. Even keeping the wall colour similar to the cabinetry enlarges the space visually. Then accent colours can be introduced for impact in smaller or accent pieces. We've done this many times on various projects and we've always been asked if we moved a wall, even when we hadn't. In this project we opened up the wall between the kitchen and family room.