Decorating and Design - Colour coordination query

Am moving to newly built bungalow and taking existing furniture. The diningroom and kitchen are open plan. Am in process of ordering kitchen units which will incorportate an island in centre of kitchen. My dining furniture is a honey coloured Danish pine but I feel that if I use pine for kitchen units also that it will make this smallish room look even smaller,and not only that but I really don't want to be totally surrounded by so much heavy pine. Is there any painted wood colour which would somehow compliment the pine and at the same time brighten and make this room appear more spacious? I really cannot afford to replace my dining furniture and anyway it is still in perfect condition and very beautiful. I don't really want to have to screen off my kitchen in order to hide clashing colours. Is there an answer without having to use pine on kitchen units? There would also be the problem that my own pine is now mature and would be almost impossible to match in colour. My thanks in anticipation for any response to my query.

The key to your question is "color coordination" - Not Color Matching........

Matching existing woods is close to impossible -- If faced with similar situations, I tend to try to find a contrasting, but coordinated finish, to make my decor complete.

yep, I agree. Don't try to get a perfect match -- you won't be able to anyway plus it looks too "matchy-matchy", you know? Bring home samples from the kitchen cabinet place and see how it looks with your lighting (natural and artificial) and with your pine table. Most cabinet places will give you a good sized sample to keep but if you want a bigger sample (ie cabinet door sized) they will charge you for it or want a deposit, in my experience.

Hello,
When you say "kitchen units" I assume you mean cabinetry? So, some questions:

1. What colors are your walls going to be?
2. What is the flooring in the room?
3. What are you using for countertops? Color, style?
4. What are the appliances? Stainless, white?
5. What style are you going for overall? Clean-lined? Contemporary? Country? Craftsman?

I don't necessarily think that you need to be concerned about matching your dining set to your cabinetry...but if you get TOO many different colors/finishes/patterns going in the room, it won't (probably) look very good.

Also...if you can see from one room into another, be sure that whatever you do in the kitchen will flow & work nicely with the other room/s adjoining.

definitely take into account the other wood tones in the house - coffee tables, entertainment centers, the cabinetry in the bathrooms, doors & trimwork, etc. it should all flow together (flow - not match). if you can't find another wood tone to work with your pine, or if your flooring will be wood, too, then by all means, go with a painted finish. white, whether stark white or distressed & slightly off-white, will usually work with any style. black is very chic right now & goes with several styles. if your style is country, almost any color would work - especially if it's distressed.

what style are you wanting?