Help me with my colour scheme please...

[MrsJaneyT]

My dining room is a mismatched mess. I live in a v. old house and have an oak dining table and oak flooring with orange/red curtains. All of which I have to keep.

I want to paint a dresser, the walls, dado rails and skirtings - but what colour? All the same? A slight variation? Completely contrasting?

I've tried painting furniture in the same colour as the walls, it disappears it. How light is the room?

How about browney-grey walls, cream dresser, then put things on the dresser that pick up the orange/red.

orange and brown-grey

if you are a bit braver then grey-green Walls would look good with orange-red curtains and great with the oak.
what colour for the Dado/ skirtings? depends on the look you are after, a contrast for a traditional look or "paint them in" for a more contemporary scheme.
off White for the dresser and then, as has been said, bring the red into the room with ornaments or seat pads for the chairs.

My God you guys r good! Thought I'd def have to bin the curtainbut it now I'm embracing the orange. Ooo I can't wait to get the paint. The room is pretty dark, but it is a dining room after all. I think the skirtings/dado would look better painted in. Could try to do something clever with the lighting to counteract the darkness.