A blue or blue/green would look nice as an accent or a soft green. Both would reinforce the natural view from the windows. You could use the color in pillows, a throw, planter/vase, paint on the back of the bar (island?), for example.

Personally, I like the wood trim because it goes with the scene. What is that just below and around the ceiling?

Lucky you! Beautiful spacious home with that lake view! And love the fireplace stone! I agree with keeping the vertical blinds for now and just take down the valences. Paint will go a long way, people here will have specific paint colors to suggest but I agree about keeping it neutral. Is your backsplash paint or tile? Pick a backsplash you like that coordinates with every thing else since it's so open and get your accent colors in your throws, pillows, and accessories.

Thanks for the suggestions!

powermuffin- I was just thinking it would look silly to have a mix of white and wood trim how it stands right now. I'm not sure if there are 'rules' on mixing the two. Below and around the ceiling is the window valance for the vertical blinds - it definitely needs to go!

Fori - I agree, vertical blinds will need to stay until we can put curtains up. I guess we'll have to see what the condition is of the tops of the blinds. Otherwise, I'd need to figure out a good pattern or maybe beachy wood to cover the valances? I was thinking a pale blue or other neutral color would be nice for wall color. The back-splash is just terrible in the kitchen - baby blue and almost plastic looking. I'm not sure how easy that will be to remove! Thank you!!

jlj48 - Thank you so much! The back splash is not tile or paint - I'm not even sure what material it is. Great recommendations!

Personally, I love bamboo blinds and shades. I think they are classic, timeless, and earthy, and would go with your outside view. I bought mine at overstock for my last home and was very pleased. It doesn't look like you need privacy, maybe just to block or filter some sun on one side.

I also wondered about the vertical blinds. The house I bought last year had vertical blinds EVERYWHERE! I removed all of them except for in the south facing sunroom. It gets really hot in there in the summer if I don't close the vertical blinds during the day. Eventually I will replace them with something else, but I have other more important things to do first.

Now that I've looked again, it looks like you have several sliding glass doors. Not gonna work. You will likely need some nice drapes down the road. Keep the verticals for now and take your time. Don't be in a hurry. Look at lots of images on Pinterest and everywhere you can to get ideas

You may not like the vertical blinds, but with that many windows it is going to be crazy expensive to replace them. Definitely not an "inexpensive update." Unless you can live with no window treatment, you might have to learn to live with them. I'm guessing you need sunlight control even if you don't need blinds for privacy, so I'd definitely live in the house a while before making that decision. FWIW, I don't think they look bad, and are fairly unobtrusive when open.

The floral valance on the other hand, is terrible. It's exactly the wrong pattern size and color to work with the stone of fireplace. And the colors don't work with the blue of the fireplace. Taking it down (or covering it up as Fori suggested) would transform the space.

cawaps - I agree! The vertical blinds will likely remain there for a while. Privacy isn't an issue, but I have a feeling it'll get hot from the sun without those shades. The valance will definitely be going - it'll probably be the first thing I do when I move in!

Anyone else have suggestions on the mixed trim? I have a nice mixture of painted white and natural wood trim all over the house! White is the floor trim and there's wood trim around the wood doors and windows throughout.

I would not do anything with the white trim around the floor until you decide to put down the hardwood floor and take up the carpeting....not ideal but workable. Yes, please take down the valance...to me it is distracting....

erinsean - Thanks! Yes - the valance is an unattractive distraction. Those will be coming down as soon as I move in.

I wouldn't sweat the vertical blinds. I have them, and they are a snap to open and close and we have them open most of the time and they have a very low profile/space requirement when open, so that is a plus. And yours are a neutral color so a win on that. The valance is another story. Fights with the fireplace stone, so replace with nothing or a neutral color. My dad had a neutral valance on his, something like a tweed/burlap fabric and that looks good. Frankly in your situation, vertical blinds make a lot of sense, maximize views! But when I have mine closed, it is a wall of blah, that's the downside, and I have to close them early in the winter to save heat and avoid a wall of black blah when it gets dark so early.

Besides the valances, I think the place looks fab! As for the kitchen, if you don't like blue, that's an easy fix. What colors would you like? Everything else is so neutral you can go a lot of ways with it.

Beautiful house and great possibilities!

Aside from removing the valance, I'd try to live with the vertical blinds and trim as long as possible to get a good feel for the house and how things work/look/feel before making any major changes. I think it would be helpful to see how the light comes into the house, and what the heat situation is like, through all four seasons.

If you find you're able to use curtains on the windows, Ikea's Aina in linen is beachy, comes in long lengths and several colors (white, tan, gray, blue), and is very reasonably priced.

l pinkmountain - All very true and thank you so much!! We're very excited to move in. I really love neutral/light blues, greens and beige colors - the kitchen is more of a baby blue, though. Not my cup of tea.

beckysharp - Thanks, I really appreciate that! I'm definitely taking everyone's suggestion about keep the vertical blinds and removing the valance. I'll check out those linens, I might consider doing that sometime down the road. Thanks for letting me know about that brand!

I agree with everyone's responses to take it slow. The previous owner's things are making the space look most dated. And the valances. The blinds are not helping but changing them will probably be surprisingly expensive. So hold off until you can afford something great.

Once you add your things and take off the valances, I think your space will be very livable. Your budget may be holding you back but it's smart to hold off on spending a lot of money updating a space until you have lived with it for a while.

d_gw - Thanks so much, appreciate the input!

It's a beautiful space. I think blues and greys would look fabulous here. I would paint the trim white for sure and on the cabinets. There are ways to temporary update until you can replace. The back splash for instance could be painted or use a peel and stick tile. I've seen people use contact paper for countertops( I don't know durability)

some blue chairs could be nice

dover P - I LOVE all the ideas!! Thanks so much for sharing!

I bet you could tile right on top of..whatever it is on the backsplash. That's cheap and DIY. But that needs to be worked out with all your other colors.

That valance (valances?) really is amazing.

The kitchen cabinets are a bit retro but I have a suspicion that they are good quality, and not the builder grade version we have all come to dislike. Retro, yes. Cheap? Not necessarily. I would not be surprised to find that you have a lot of better-than-builder stuff in there. Anyone willing to spend a fortune on a mile-long valance probably spent more on other stuff as well.

Fori is extremely displeased - They are good quality cabinets minus the retro look. If I paint the trim white on them, I'm sure it would make a big difference (along with covering that baby blue backsplash).

That valance really is something else! lol

i'm glad you are getting multiple voices on keeping the verticals for now. we have 4 pairs at our beach house and nothing NOTHING works better at light and privacy control on sliders. we actually replaced our old ones with new ones in updated fabric. if we ever sell our house, if verticals are still 'out of style' i'll replace them with something that looks great in the listing and let the next person hang them back up. ; )

You can actually put drapery hooks into the thingies that the vertical blinds snap into.

And get inexpensive Ikea off white curtains.

I love your home. When Magnaverde had an incredible view, this is how he decorated:

No need to look inside when the outside is amazing,

Credit Magnaverde

"You can actually put drapery hooks into the thingies that the vertical blinds snap into."

nosoccermom, I've never had vertical blinds, and I don't know that I ever will, but this seems like helpful and important information. Thank you!

Live through the cycle of the seasons here to see how the house and lake relate and what length the seasons are. I think you'll do well to coordinate this room with the outdoors when you figure out which season you prefer to repeat with your interior colors and fabrics (and the fireplace.) You want the interior to work with all that view, and if it does, then it should feel good in other seasons too.

I remember seeing some painted furniture here -- older upholstery given an updating. Seems like that might be a way to give a facelift to that valance if it is needed to dress the top of the blinds. I also think I would like it covered in a natural, grey or blue linen. Fabrics Store is an online source for linen fabric at reasonable prices and they have regular sales (some colors on sale every day and they rotate through -- you can sign up for notices).

The wood and white is a dated look I usually hate -- but it doesn't bother me here as long as it is part of the whole natural/beachy outdoors and white scheme. If you paint that all white, consider whether the fireplace will seem off balance and heavier with no color to balance on the other side. Your backsplash choice can help provide that balance.

You really have a lovely place and setting to work with -- take your time to see how it lives and make it right.

Iascatx that was my thought--PAINT THE VALANCE. I've never painted upholstery but plenty here have!! I had DH build me wood valances to put over the UGLY tops of the verticals. No way will you want them exposed. I too think after living there you will find nothing works better or is less obtrusive than verticals in all your sliders. When you win the lottery you could check out woven woods brand of verticals. My parents had some lovely ones. Your back splash could just be a pieces of laminate..which would come down easily and then a tile job would be pretty inexpensive. It is a great room, you are blessed!!

Paint or cover the valance. Cover the backsplash with vinyl stick on paper sold at big box stores everywhere. Paint the walls in a color that speaks to your views. Relax and enjoy your beautiful home. Congratulations!

I agree, paint the valence the same color as you choose for the walls.

Thank you everyone for the great suggestions!

lascatx - I've never heard of painting upholstery, but it's something I will really consider now! Thanks for sharing that!

Actually it was Magnaverde who had great success painting his sofa with latex paint,

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/363525001152388061/

I couldn't find anything still on GW after searching, but forum member/pro Lori Sawaya did write a how-to using his instructions,

http://thelandofcolor.com/can-you-paint-a-sofa/

I'm generally skeptical of the durability of upholstery painting (but I've never tried it!) but I think valances that you don't touch would be perfect candidates.

It's actually kind of neat how the cabinets are trimmed to match the counter. It's sort of sailboaty, although a tad more spacious.

Once you move in and have a chance to evaluate the situation, things will get interesting!

What an amazing room! I know real estate listing photos are deceiving, and it's probably not as spacious as it appears but those windows and that view...WOW!

I have seen painted furniture in person and it was not good. A valance, is different, and a temporary fix, which I don't find objectionable. I didn't look at BeckySharp's links, but I'm wondering how one might handle the tight tucks around the piping-like trim.

The backsplash looks like laminate. Are the counters not the same blue? Laminate can be painted or tiled over. Tiling over it is possible, not not cheap once you factor in all the supplies. For example, I tiled a 14 SF countertop, and it was $300 when I added up all the materials for the job. That was basic 4" square white tiles with trim pieces. It is a less expensive alternate to stone, tho.

Paint the valance. Paint the wood trim on cabs & countertops white (take in a door for exact color match, be sure to use a good bonding primer), Boom - done.

It then becomes a lovely blank slate for you to furnish/grow into.

I think there are paints (not ordinary latex paint) that can be used for vinyl fabrics and such that stays somewhat flexible - maybe use that on the valance + the drapes?

I think valance should be some midtone gray or color to go w/your furnishings & the wood trim- not white which would make it disappearI do like the architecutral "weight" it provides, it becomes sort of a frame around a picture (ie your lake view).

Not sure what your worries about wood + white are about, have not heard that before - what exactly is the concern?

zmith - Yes, the counters are the same baby blue as the back splash. I think covering it with a nice looking stick on backsplash would be ok and not as pricey as tiling it. I think I'm going to stick to that!

Current Resident - I was thinking that exactly - painting the trim on the cabinets and counter tops white to update the kitchen. As for the living room, I've always heard that trim should be matching, so that's really my only concern. Maybe too much time watching couples nitpick on HGTV.

Hm, I'd hold off on painting that wood trim because it'll always look like painted wood trim, especially if you don't paint the rest of the cabinets, too.

Here's a summary of what one can do.

https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/5-ideas-update-european-style-melamine-cabinets-1980s-and-90s/

Looking at the pictures, I actually kind of like the light blue. If the old stools and the valance are gone, it may look clean and beachy with more blue accessories in that color, stools, rug, etc

I think you can paint tile too. I like the wood trim on the cabinets. Breaks up the monotony to me. Why the new decorating trend is to make everything resemble a cleanroom is beyond me but to each his own. My whole house has builder's white everything including the walls, backsplash and counters. There are worse things to deal with. It provides a neutral backdrop for everything.

You can paint vertical blinds - lay them flat and do the vanes with a roller.

Keep them until you have the money toreplace them with your final vision.

Rugs over the carpet?

Not sure I read anyone saying this but I think that you could get a lot of bang for your buck by just updating the hardware on the cabinets!! Also, Definitely getting rid of or masking the valance. Those would both be cheap and easy to do and by changing would provide more of that "updated look" you want. Your place is gorgeous and I hope you are enjoying it!!