Wow. Quite a mess you have there. It's hard to tell from the pictures but, seeing the brick, it looks like this is a masonry fireplace with a masonry chimney. I assume it hasn't been damaged structurally during the removal. If you know how to work with mortar (if not hire a mason) you could apply a bed of high temperature mortar (regular mortar mixed with mortar (fire) clay) around the firebox opening (12" to 16") on the sides and top (check your local building code for the non-combustible material minimum clearance) so as to form a smooth and even surface to which you can affix stone tiles using fortified thinset). You could then frame out the remainder with wood studs and drywall and install a mantel and surround if desired. You can build the raised hearth out of 2x4's and plywood topped with at least one inch of non-combustible materials. For example you can put a couple of layers of cement (hardiboard) board down over the plywood and then affix stone tiles. Check you local building code for the minimum hearth size based upon the firebox opening. If you're reasonably handy you can do this yourself. Hope this is helpful.

Just when I was getting over seeing those cabinets the first time, here they are again!! To my horror I think I saw some just like that at my local goth like decor beauty salon. I am surprised they let me in there since I don't have a neck tattoo....the things we do for beauty...

"Should I do the same thing all along the fence? Or figure out something else?" That's such a wide open question that we would really want some guidance. What you do there depends a lot on how you use your property, what kind of time you have available to spend working in the garden, and what appeals to you aesthetically. For instance, if you have little kids that like to play soccer in the yard and you like to spend lots of time with them, you aren't going to want what Ken refers to as "foo-foo plants", ones that are fussy, delicate and take lots of attention to keep looking good. Two goals you've stated are that you want the area to look more appealing and to have plants that do well in shade in your zone. What else is important? If I were you, I'd spend some time looking at gardens in your area, both public and in neighborhoods where you find the gardens appealing, focussing particularly on shade or part-shade gardens. Take photos both of the gardens and of individual plants you like and get plants ID'd on the name that plant forum here on GW. Look through books from the library, visit landscape designer's websites and browse photos. Meander through the Houzz landscape photos for your zone or area. Get some kind of an idea of what appeals to you and then ask for suggestions in the relevant forum on GW: Landscape Design, Perennials, shrubs, etc. Figure out as well how deep a space you are willing to use. What is planted right now realistically isn't wide enough for anything other than grass/groundcover, so you need to decide if there is a max width you will be willing to use for something that looks nice or if you are willing to give free reign to ideas of depth of the bed. Once you have some idea of where you want to go with this (and the possiblilities are wide from a single row of plants all of the same kind, to just grass or other groundcover to a perennial border to a mix of shrubs or a combination of shrubs and perennials) then you can get constructive suggestions on what to do. When you ask for specific suggestions, I'd start a new thread, and stand in one corner of the yard and take a series of photos (not a panorama shot) that fans across the yard so we have an idea what the whole thing looks like. As well, a shot from your plot plan or Google maps would be useful to see the whole thing in plan view.

I'd paint every bit of that 90's fake oak baseboards and everything around the windows, a bright white. actually, for the baseboards I would remove what's there and replace w/simple 4.5" white mdf baseboards. you can replace all of the door trim too if you don't like it and don't want to bother with paint. rent a small table saw and learn how to do it yourself. it's easy and cheap that way. the next thing I'd do is take down the wall w/the arches. if you want an enclosed dining area, then enclose it and take it to the ceiling. that 1990 half wall look, w/Spanish style arches, is just horrid. get rid of the track lighting in the kitchen and have decent recessed lights installed. replace that dining light. (also easy to do yourself. learn how to do it and save yourself ($150 per light) . in the living room, please replace that fan w/more of modern type, that corner stone fireplace,,what do you want to do with that? does it work? you can remove those stones without too much of an issue. even replacing it with simple tile, ship lap, or dry wall would be an improvement. again,,not that difficult. study on how to do it. here are some beachy decor ideas to get you going do you see that 90's wood trim/baseboards anywhere? no. start w/whites, charcoal gray, soft blue grays, aqua or navy, and go from there.