Ideas for what exactly? To me, it looks like a good facelift on the entire space would be needed and would turn this into a truly amazing space.

I would suggest to hire a local designer to have them come out and pick your brain for what direction you want to go, how you want the space to function, and what budget you had in mind so that you can get a proper design plan for you and your home.

What kind of budget are you looking at and how extensive do you want the changes to be?

New carpet or other flooring, new light fixtures, new curtain panels and getting rid of the stark white wall would definitely be on my list. Could there wood floor under the carpet?

It's hard to make suggestions if we don't know what you like. Can you post some inspiration pictures?

Hi!

The very first thing I notice in your photo is the room looks very cavernous, I actually thought it was a basement; sorry-just being honest. So my first recommendation is to add lighting. The second would be to get rid of the carpet. Have you looked underneath the carpet to see if there's Hardwoods? If there are you can always have them refinished or you could install a laminate floor or porcelain tiles that look like wood. Main thing is you want one continuous floor for a cohesive look.

As for all the wood trim, paneled pony walls, columns, and ceiling, that is a personal preference if you want to keep it. I'm not a big fan of orangey coloured stained wood and because sanding and staining a ceiling would be expensive, I would paint it in addition to all the other wood elements.

I've attached a photo to serve as inspiration. Note the walls and ceiling are a nice warm creamy hue, the floor, and the wood tones are warm with ash undertones, which makes the space light and bright. If you choose to refinish the ceiling, the color of the beam is what I suggest for stain.

The window in the dining area could appear more expansive if it were dressed like the one in photo--- rod hung closer to ceiling and extended beyond casing.

I can't offer any recommendation about the fireplace without seeing a photo. :))

Hope these few suggestions are helpful.

Like Kevin mentioned, it might be best to hire a local designer to assist you with the overall design. You have a blank slate, so the sky's the limit.

Good Luck!

some additional photos. Just bought the house. I plan to paint it a light turquoise. I would have liked the pine ceiling if it wasn't in FL, but I think we may sheetrock over it and put additional lighting in. I'm a country girl, but it is time for a change.