Decorating and Design - Color scheme and peninsula

I thought I had it all figured out...but now I'm clueless. I purchased an older home which had been somewhat abused (it was a foreclosure) and had great ideas. Now that it's time to put it all together I'm overwhelmed. Long story shortened - I tore down a wall from the kitchen to dining room with plans to add a peninsula between the two. The opposite wall is mostly a picture window (facing the street). Standing in the center of the dining room, facing the window, with the proposed peninsula behind me, I have a solid wall on the right, and the opening to the livingroom on my left - my problem is tying the color scheme together.
The livingroom is rather void of light, although I have a small window seat, and I don't want anything too dark for the walls, but I would really like some COLOR! Transitioning color from the livingroom to dining room isn't difficult - but there's the kitchen to consider. Since I haven't started on the kitchen (it's phase two), I'm not bound by any color schemes. The peninsula is what troubles me. I don't want to select anything too trendy in color, (it will be around for a while) and yet, the neutral colors seem so stark (or blah - I'm not sure which).
My consideration for livingroom and dining room colors range from sage to plum - based on my couch colors. I have hardwood floors in the living room and dining room, and I plan on wood cabinets in a medium oak for the kitchen. Does this make sense?::confused:

you've practically answered your own question! you can base your colors on the colors in your sofa. if you're not afraid of color, you could paint your living room sage and your dining room plum and it will work, because you're pulling colors from your sofa fabric. that ties them together. you could further tie them together with an area rug under your dining room table that has both those colors. then tie the kitchen back into the picture by using the sage in there, too. with that scheme, the dining room becomes the "dramatic room", your fairly dark living room will remain light (as sage is a pretty light color), and your kitchen cabinets will be very striking against the sage.

if you need more to go on, start looking for anything you might want in your kitchen that would have a pattern (like window treatments) or for your dining room (like placemats) and "preview" what will be available to you IF you painted those colors.

will you be wallpapering any rooms? if so, find your paper first, THEN match the paints to it for the adjoining room(s).

Bottom line: don't try to just pull paint colors out of thin air, with nothing to base your decisions on.

Thank you! I think my courage fades easily. I appreciate the coaching.