Hi anne, that's what I was originally thinking, my issue is what colour I use for the 'pop' :) I keep coming back to a teal/turquoise colour (it's one of my favourite colours!!), I love blues, purples, teal/turquoise - many on here have suggested yellow but I'm really not sure about it. Here in New Zealand we're in Autumn, nearing Winter so uncertain about the yellow. I found these cushions that I've fallen in love it, and wondering how I could make these work.. do I try teal and mustard together, as an interior designer suggested?

Hi Ang, I thought I'd follow up my earlier comment with pictures of before and after of pine cupboards I specified to be painted in a budget makeover. My clients tell me people presumed they had purchased brand new cabinetry, so startling was the makeover. Somehow I have put the "after" on the left and "before" image on the right!

Wow, that was awesome Mark, thanks for that and everyone else. I thought about the desk facing the other way actually, to avoid feeling enclosed I do have really great views there so I thought about a small couch and maybe a bookshelf on the back, but having the dining table in front is probably not the best either.... complicated :( Here are a couple more pics, today was a beautiful day so I managed to get more of the views

The all black kitchen looks scary as. Maybe because there's no lightness in there at all.