What type of light/heat /privacy control do you need?

Do you need the blinds or can you do without them and just do white linen (faux) drapery panels? Can you do woven shades? I for sure would bring in white drapery panels and mount them as high as possble. If you can eliminate the blinds and just have functional panels that would be enough. If you need the windows covered for privacy consider woven shades. Once all walls are white I would consider adding some beams to the ceiling to warm up the space and ridding the cherry wood finishes where you can and going with more brown or narural wood.

Here are a few photos that might help you visualize

These windows have woven shades on them in a Spanish styled room. I would also add whtie panels floor to ceiling along with woven shades.

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This room has linen panels

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woven shades and panels

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Also note the beams on the ceilings which you could do within your tray ceilings. Also your lighting. Look at these lights

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another shade and white drapery photo

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Need to know the function of window coverings. Do you need, privacy and sun protection? Or just decorative side panels? And, yes, they should all go together. They don’t necessarily have to match but unfortunately with open concept, they have to compliment each other.

You can match fabrics throughout but mix styles. Drapes at some windows and roman shades or faux romans at others but in the same fabric as the drapes.

Thank you all!! I’ve gotten so much inspiration from this. I’m thinking bamboo blinds (the house is in the desert so it needs sun protection).

@Design Interior South i love these examples. I’ve been looking at faux wood beams for that area- what do you think those?

Yes faux beams. There are some great ones out on the market. Or simply have a carpenter wrap some 2 x 4's or 4 x 4's or whatever size is appropriate for the scale of your space in some wood.

Also your space is screaming for some great area rugs to anchor the rooms.

Yes, woven or bamboo roman shades in a medium wood tone (with creamy side drapes if you want a richer, dressier traditional look) will help create a Spanish look.

As your living room is large, I'd be tempted to put in a medium-light flat hardwood ceiling with no beams in the dining room - and then I'd use other touches in the living room to carry the theme. If you really want beams in the living room, I would keep them in a lighter oak color, not the traditional dark or, imo, it will look far too heavy - see photo below, but omit the large lower beams.

With no beams in the living room, I would have a carpenter to build (less costly!) French pane frames (each pane a fairly large size or it looks like a jail) in a medium or dark wood to insert into your current windows, but don't do both ceiling and panes - too much - choose one or the other or put one or the other in opposite rooms - dining and living rooms.

Yes, as the poster above says, you really need one or two large rugs - I'd recommened a cream or neutral monochromatic or a muted Persian usually in warm oranges or reds or creams.

Your fireplace needs some updating and larger design to give the room more of a Spanish feel (stucco, plastered - arched or with a tapered fake chimney front like in the photos below - it can be quite a lot simpler/plainer than the one in the photo), maybe some open medium wood shelving beside it, but I would NOT overdo the Spanish touches or it can start to look touristy tacky. You've already got arches, great; now switch out your dining room chandelier to a black (or gold) candelabra wrought iron style as the poster above suggested and it will look lovely.

I would edit some of your obvious Spanish touches - put your heavy wrought iron tables and your lovely patterned and terra potta pottery outside as they fight for our attention. Keep the look inside the house creamy or bright light and modern - using creamy neutral pottery instead of patterned. You will still have your Spanish look but more of a modern one than a dated one, and people will "get" the Hacienda look from your beams and arches, etc., don't worry!

@Design Interior South @prairie gal i love these suggestions. its exactly what I was going for. Btw, i am prepared to get rid of ALL of the furniture. We bought this house furnished and I dont really like anything in it. Let me tell you what I’ve done so far.

The interior is offically painted White Dove. I had three shelves (jacobean) installed into the left nook. I bought this cream colored couch (picture below). Bamboo shades with cream drapes are on their way. I will install the shades closer to the ceiling for added height.

Okay now for what I’m planning on. Planning on getting a muted persian rug. I went to a website that let you look at rugs in your space and tried a jute rug in but because the floors are so light, it seems to kind of blend in. I think I’d like to add some darker tones. So with the persian rug I will add a leather ottoman. Buying an iron chandelier. Hopefully will add wood beams.

Now…… I’m struggling with the fireplace. My dreammm is to add a hood like those pictures, but I have to spread the budget to redo the whole house. What can I do that would be afforable and make it look better?

Also, what can I do to the space with the tv? I’d like to get rid of the tv console and hang the TV (maybe frame it?)(or will that look tacky?). Then add a lower tv console with minimal decorative items on top.

@prairie gal @Design Interior South Also, what can i do to the kitchen?! What color to paint the cabinets? Is there a way to keep the counter tops and change the cabinets? Or do i have to change these black/brown counters

Can you post photots of the kitchen? One looking in from the family room , one from the eating area etc. I have some ideas but I can't tell you if they will work until I see the kithcen. Thanks

Your photo isnt exactly clear, but your plan for the TV sounds good. You are making excellent new choices as well, make sure the rug is in soft colors - not darkish, also also, i didnt mention soft teals, taupes, greiges, steel blues, olive greens and creams would be nice in the carpetRory if you dont like the orange/red family (I dont).

The 3 wooden shelves surrounding the TV look fine though although they could be stained to match your Jacobean shelving or painted a nice neutral white if you want to save $$.

To save moulah, simply have a carpenter build a wide, slightly A-shaped hood above the mantel area- to be lightly stuccoed or oainted- use NO picture above,

Place an olive tree in a big plain neutral or white cement pot in a corner.

Do post a photo of your kitchen! I’m excited fot you! please post photos when you are done!

@prairie gal @Design Interior South Hello friends! I am dying for your help on this section. This kitchen BOTHERS me. The black appliances, the brown/black counters, the red cabinets. (The items on top of cabinets are being removed).

Is there a way to fix this area without paying someone to paint the cabinets? Can i stain them myself? Can I add a backsplash? Paint the counters? Can this kitchen be saved or do I have to do an overhaul?

It can definitlely be saved as the style and quality still looks good. Your cabinets look as if they are real cherry; if so, it's a real a shame to paint or stain them, but lighter (or even black) is the trend now....

To update your kitchen, you could take off the doors and paint them yourself. However, I think it'd be well worth the money to find a professional who would laquer spray them smoothly for you in a satin/matte creamy white or light oatmeal colour, all black, or perhaps most modern of all would be creamy white on the uppers (to match your wall paint) and matte black on the lowers. It would also be nice to have someone bleach them to a pale oak to take the red out, if possible, but that's probably difficult and would be a lot more expensive; I don't know.

* You could also have someone reface the box edges and buy new doors in whatever colour and style you like - it's a cost effective way to update a kitchen if the carcasses and drawers (boxes) are still in good condition.

To save on costs, I would not touch the countertops and backplash -- you are lucky -- with lighter cupboards, the neutral black/brown granite will still look wonderful. Also, your black appliances are fine atlhough a range hood in stainless steel to match your refrigerator would look nice and wouldn't cost too much to replace. Another elegant touch would be to have a carpenter replace the cabinet doors over the range hood with a flat drywall or slab flat cabinet white box to match your wall paint - with the range hood inserted underneath. See photos.

How does the storafe function for you in this kitchen? Do you have plenty? Or do you use every last cabinet? If I had to choose 5 things to do for this kitchen they would be

1. replace the dark counters with a warm cream counter with some warm veining in it. Taj mahal Quartzite or porcelain slabs in calacatta lucca.

2. Pull the upper cabinets between the fridge and the pantry and I would do a plaster hood, This would brighten the space and take you to the spanish look you're craving. (note the counter top color in photo 3 and 5.

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3. I would trim out the drywall on the island.

4. I would bring in two great lighting pendents for over the island to frame that new hood visually.

5. Carry the beams on the ceiling in here as well of possible.