Since we are only able to see a small portion of the entrance the only suggestion I have is to paint the wall. The creepers might be a nice addition but I think paint would really make the wall and your plaques stand out.

This reminds me of my kitchen in Hyderbad, India. As others said, go with open shelves. Both wood (contrast) and stainless (brightness) would work well for upper shelves. I would also do shelves in the lower cabinets. If you want to minimize cleaning, add heavy, easily washable curtains to the lower shelves. You can add some battery operated lighting so you can see into those darker spaces. As for the walls, I would use a white subway tile and go as high on the wall as you can afford. The glaze will reflect more light and the surface will be relatively able to keep clean. Paint the other walls in a high-quality white paint (use a ceramic one if you can find it, as they are a lot more durable). Keep the appliances to a minimum. Kitchen gadgets might be handy, but lost of them will make the space seem small. For the ones you do buy, go with white or stainless steel. Finally, hang pots, pans and utensils on the walls to free shelf space and get them off the counter. Make sure what you use frequently is within easy reach, while "occasional" tools can be higher up, where you might need a stool to reach them.

thank you very much to everyone who responded! I'll look into espresso and charcoal grays. As well as the steel backplash. Emmarenes, I'm living abroad in India, and the only granites in my budget are the local ones. I was advised against the gray and white local ones because i was told that they would not hold up well in the kitchen. I could have gone with a black galaxy as well but i have that granite now and despise it because of the way it hides ants and bugs so well. we live in a tropical area and there are always critters here and there. My first choice was a Brazilian white granite but it was triple the price. This granite is called Shiva pink, so it has a pink salmon and gray look to it. Im really hoping I don't hate it once it's installed. The stoneyard was a 9 hour trip up and down and i was just pressured to make a choice after several undecided trips. And I'm getting new cabinets put in. but I think I can wait for them to put the slab before staining the wood. Thanks for that idea :)

I wish you all the best for your renovation. One of the most positive thing about the house is space looks convenient. To start of with the designing, 1. first let us start with a creating a focal point, now that the sofa Color is Blue, let us try creating a palette (photo attached) starting with blue, so we can paint white Color on the walls. 2. let us put on two mirrors on both sides of adjacent walls of the curtain which makes it look spacious and reflects light. It gives a cool effect. Even when the curtains are covered. 3. U many use a rug to match the Color of sofa and white walls. Make sure the rug is either beige or a combination of blue, white and grey hues. So that it complements everything well. 4. U may paint the wall behind the TV grey or give it a wooden panelling effect with wallpaper or tiles. That makes a focal point. 5. Increase the height of TV stand with Aluminium or Stainless steel rods, u will find them in the market and paint it white. (Photo attached)