@Jeff Thompson I think that @Cassi Justiz had some excellent insights and would like to second her comments. 

My thought was to have one splash of color in the kitchen (the counters), and do neutral colors (white, gray, ivory, cream) in the rest of the kitchen.

It feels like this weird gray area of me wanting to work for them and them wanting to know who I am first and we're both trying to impress each other?

Most people are in the gray area in between these two extremes, and this is where the action is.

I am looking for referrals for property management in Grays Harbor County, WA.

These will be addressed without any "gray lines".It is stated in my lease that "Tenant is responsible for keeping all interior and exterior of property clean and free of clutter and dirt/grime".

Very little is black and white - there's a ton of gray in between!

When it's time to paint the doors and shutters perhaps use some semi-bright color to offset the gray and brown. 

My name is Toby Thompson and I live in Marietta, GA.

It is a very gray area that seems mostly illegal but is very very rarely prosecuted.