Wow! Super lucky to have the luxury of extra space! I can't tell you what to do exactly with your space, but I would suggest to change out your garage door. I love this idea, and I would really like to utilize it when I build! If I can't have it...I'll just be happy that someone else is enjoying it in the meantime!

The Green Antiques Idea book "Decorating with Chinese Antiques - Design the Ultimate Beach House" has some creative ideas about how to achieve a fabulous East meets West design which gels modern design with the inclusion of numerous antiques (some even painted bright colors as suggested by Blawnox Upholstery above!). http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/29094412/list/Decorating-with-Chinese-Antiques---Design-the-Ultimate-Beach-House This might not be the style which you are seeking, but similar mix and match old and new concepts can also be applied to many other style homes - see for example photo's from the Dream House project (a 7,000 sq.ft. Frank Lloyd Wright inspired prairie house which from the outside looks much like the world famous Robbie house). Completely different from the beach house example above, but nevertheless merging the old and the new in interesting ways. http://www.houzz.com/projects/594005

This is a kitchen I designed and painted for a client in fl The first photo is what it looked like before it was painted. You can leave it raw and add a clear coat or stain it any color. This is a beach cottage, so she went with paint.

A garage door does not sound like a good idea. A rolling barn door is a popular thing these days, but a simpler solution might be shutters to close off the kitchen area, if that is possible. Draperies are another option. Carolyn Albert-Kincl, ASID