I'd stick w/ a neutral color - probably a medium/light grey to tie in with the dark tile of the kitchen flooring.

I'd also carry the color into the kitchen so that the space reads as a whole rather than smaller chopped-up spaces.

It really depends on your furniture and personal style...

I've been on a Danish kick the past year, and would go with beautiful whites (Donald Kaufman, of course). For the floor, I'd install Dinesen Douglas Fir floor finished with lye and white soap. It would help make your basement apartment as light as possible.

Is the pic of your apartment right now or a mockup? I actually love the color in the picture.

Aww it's so cute! I would also go with some type of white or eggshell and then pick another color for an accent wall.

Or a light grey would be tres chic.

Ashley
http://rainycitystyle.blogspot.com

A basement in the Bay Area?? LUCKY!

I love the idea of a deep peacock--what's wrong with making the kitchen pop? Anything that makes a basement unit look brighter is a plus in my book.

I would paint the entire apartment (kitchen AND living area) in white. Unite the two spaces. What shade of white? I dunno... Good luck. I really like the wood beams, btw.

I think I would ditch the barstools. The space as a whole does not look diner and the tiles could lend themselves to some other style especially temporarily. The barstools are kind of off a bit to me. White or cream paint and the same color on the stools would be nice and airy.

agree with the above, I wouldn't go with any dark colors in a basement except as maybe an accent.

I think yellow would look nice if you wanted something other than white or gray.

OP here, those grey tiles are just catching the light they are black and white.
The pillars are structural, and the diner set are bolted to the concrete floor so I'm living with them for awhile.
Also, while the carpet reads beige in this photo its actually a multi-colored fleck.

I think you should really utilize those beautiful wood beams more, they seem really out of place now. Go with rich, beautiful colors that will bring out those beams.

I agree on getting rid of the barstools. Unless you feel like reupholstering and using a more neutral fabric. That might be nice.
I am a sucker for checkerboard tile and I don't mind the color of the walls too much! Kind of an unexpected color for a basement and it's light and soft.

white!

i would go with white, too - or, if it works with your furniture, a warm orange.

I'd do a combo of things. Definitely pull a lovely grey color in for most of the walls. Then pick your favorite wall and use that peacock color you were thinking of. Then you can accent it with the colors you like best! (lime green would look AMAZING) :)

OP here, the tiles aren't grey (realator photoshopped this image) they are black-black and white-white. The dinette set is bolted to the concrete floor, and the carpet is actually a multi-colored fleck.

This place is in Seattle.

Would the lye and soap look like a pickled finish?

Since the pillars are structural I'm keeping them ;)

I like the idea of light gray walls (BM Cement Gray?) to give the space a graphic feel mixed with natural elements (wooden pillars and stairs).

I read the comments and kept thinking "what beams?" Beams are horizontal supports, columns or pillars are vertical supports.

Anyway, I would paint the entire place a neutral color like a bright white. Live with it for awhile, then choose an accent color for the far wall with the windows only. The accent color will draw you eye across the room towards the lovely windows. The accent color will probably depend a lot on your furnishings. I do think it is important to live in a space for awhile before choosing a color though. That way you will get a sense on what the light is like during different times of the day and seasons too.

ALL white seems kind of boring to me since there's so much of it already. It looks like you get a fair amount of light for being a basement - and painting it white would help in keeping it bright and clean looking. So maybe painting it white with an accent wall could be a good solution. I like your deep red color idea - is that what color your stools are in the kitchen? So maybe a deep red accent wall to keep it interesting. Are the cabinets paint-able? That might be another solution to tying the two rooms together.

I just read the suggestion about lime green - that would be fun as an accent too!

Good luck!

Another vote for "white" here. I recently repainted our living room in Farrow&Ball "Great White ("A bright white but one which is neither 'yellow' nor 'cold'") and couldn't be happier. In a small patch, Great White seemed to have a slightly mauve tint (in particular against the beige color I was replacing), but once the whole room was painted it just became a bright, warm, non-beige white. So I'd suggest trying a bunch of possible interesting shades of white (or go for the eternal favorite, BMs Decorators White).

A light Taupe or Greige, all the way. Either of those will make the space look sophisticated without trying too hard. I painted my living room Olivewood by Glidden and all of my furnishings look better against it.

http://www.tangiedecor.blogspot.com

Grey is the fashionable answer, but I think that (despite all the light), it might just reinforce the basement-ness of the place. It might also be tricky to get a shade of grey that would work with that off-white carpeting. Ditto for any shade of yellow.

It would be easier if we knew what your furniture, etc. looked like, but I think white or pale blue would work and provide some relief from the deep red and milk chocolate of the other rooms. If you want to keep the spaces separate, why not paint the kitchen the brighter, bolder color and leave the larger room more muted? Deep peacock would work nicely with the black and white floor and white cabinets.

Are those beams wood, I think they look great as it and I would keep them raw natural wood feeling.

I agree with unitizing and keeping it all neutral. You could eventually do washed wood floors. Keep it airy and light. I love BM -white dove paint its not too stark white nor too much yellow or grey.

Think Weimaraner (dog) taupe/silver, white linen, hints of chocolate (just a bit) silver and burlap for coverings and accents. Think natural, soft wool, cotton, linen with minimal tones. That would be very chic and soothing.

Keep the stairs a natural wood finish.

Another thought was to remove the upper cabinets in favor of open shelving.

What do you think slowdown? Paint the kitchen peacock and the living room white?

Starting from scratch on furniture mostly. Have some dark wood clean lined pieces. Looking to make a more masculine space.

One thought was to remove the uppers and replace with shelves (way more storage than needed, what a nice problem).

Slowdown, would you suggest painting the kitchen walls the peacock and the living area white?

Lose or re-cover the red barstools and go for a "French" white, grey, black look. There are some decore stores near where I live that specialize in this ultra-girly look, and it's so romantic!

"...the tiles aren't grey (realator photoshopped this image) they are black-black and white-white..."

"This place is in Seattle."

Perhaps since this is in rainy/grey Seattle, cool colors such as Greys or Blues would not be such great choices.

Perhaps a nice earthy taupe or terracotta would make your space feel warmer and brighter - These would still offset the black and white tiles as well as the white/cream cabinets nicely and would help tie in w/ the lovely wood columns. If you want blues, I'd reserve that color for tertiary elements such as draperies, area rugs, throw pillows, etc.

Shame about the barstools/table. I wonder if you could unbolt them from the floor and put them safely in storage - and replace them with a freestanding kitchen island w/ additional storage between those two columns w/ a couple stools of your own choosing?

And I certainly wouldn't do an accent wall - Despite what AT Bloggers and HGTV say, it's a tiresome effect and often leaves 3/4 of a room appearing unfinished.

thank you bepsf, i hate to bite the hand that feeds me on AT but Seattle is SO grey most of the year that it simply isn't an appealing decor choice.

I like the idea of a nice warm terracotta beige or orange.... it will keep the Seattle basement cozy! Then you can add pops of red throughout to echo the barstools, and detract from the diner motif. Good look, looks like a nice place!

DahliaCactus: Yes. It would also be a way for you to test the color out. If you end up not liking it, then it's easier to paint over than the entire living room. I think you could also leave the red stools and get some red kitchen accessories to pop (hate that word, but am using it anyway) against the peacock.

Oh, and the purple walls need to be primed anyway, so painting them white first might make more sense than priming, painting a different dark color, then having to do it all over again if you want to go lighter.

I like slowdown's idea of painting the kitchen peacock blue- it would be a nice contrast with the white cabinets and appliances, and would probably look good with the red stools, since those are staying put. I have no idea about that living room area, though- aqua? Taupe? Plain white?

Candice--

You're most welcome - I think that many of us were thrown off by the bright blue skies and greenery that were photochopped by your realtor into those windows (I know I was!)

BTW: When you do eventually replace the carpet in the living area, I wonder if you'd consider doing the entire space - including the kitchen - in a nice medium/golden-tone hardwood?

What has been bolted, can be unbolted. I think that's step #1. I wouldn't live with that another day.

As to color, something like a french grey with a nice apple red accent wall. Add a great area rug and some mustardy greenish yellow pillows and you've got a nice updated look. Think CB2 colors.

I agree that I'd ditch the retro dinette set, then view your checkerboard flooring as "vintage" (as opposed to 50's diner). The columns currently look out-of-place next to the decidedly un-rustic look of everything else. Maybe you could white-wash the walls, and paint the kitchen something warm and perhaps add in a couple of other more rustic touches to help those columns not look so lonely. I'm thinking wooden shutters at the windows and/or some not-too-prim wainscotting. Then you could even go a step further and distress the pure-white cabinets -- just sand a little around the edges.

White. If you also get rid of the dinette set, you'll have a fabulous loft-like space in your basement. The original wooden beams are wonderful.

From the perspective of someone who rents and isnt allowed to paint or change anything permanently... plain white is soooo boring. I get the whole "keeping it light" thing but whatever color you go with, make sure it has warm tones. Like a buttery yellow or a warm cream. Grey in a basement makes me think of cement...

Can you reupholster the barstools? Maybe a white leather?

I second the hardwood floor idea and the accent wall behind the kitchen cabinets.

I would use white and a grass green - bright and leafy. Those posts make me think of trees. I'd slipcover the stools with a leafy print.

It's half aw-shucks diner and half pretty princess pony castle.

You say that like it's a bad thing :)

Check out a few pictures here:
http://decor8blog.com/2007/03/16/color-of-the-month-green/

The top one, which shows a yellowy green. And then much farther down, a similar color shown with the diner chairs/table.

The color works with wood, works with rustic, works with diner, works with modern.

If "Pretty Princess Pony Castle" isn't a real paint color name, it should be!

I changed my mind about the greenish yellow. Paint the lavender walls a deeper warm white (not quite tan). And the ceiling in the kitchen a dark red. Just the ceiling. It would make the kitchen positively GLOW in warmth (nice in a coastal area).

The colors shown here in the living room:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/house-tours/allison-mikes-contemporary-townhouse-house-call-092363