Try to keep the room simple by adding wicker furniture, bamboo ceiling fans, and fun tropical accents such curtains, print cushions, with palm trees, starfish, seashells, canopy nets. and add accent colours such as green and blue. By keeping the room simple you will able to add or change decorating accessories.

For it to be a habitable space such as bedroom, living area, etc it needs a minimum 2.4 m ceiling height. It looks closer to 2.1 at the moment. A garage, bathroom, laundry, kitchen can be 2.1 m. Its a large space (and valuable) so its a shame for it to be unused on a regular basis. Enclosing it with walls, windows, ceiling's, etc is not a drama, but gaining the legal ceiling height for a habitable space will add up to a few dollars as excavation is probably needed, as is new flooring, termite controls, etc.. Personally its probably worth it in the long run as it looks like you live in a nice spot with water views.

Original pressed tin with a clear coating would suit your style and work beautifully with a luxe industrial SoHo kitchen or you could ramp it up with one of the pressed copper options.

In my early twenties I designed kitchens for my mother and two aunts (Uncle built them and they worked), but when it came to designing my own - had to fit a constrained space and no possibility of extension - I chewed my lips for ages - like Nicole, I drew and measured ad infinitum, and used graph book walls, views etc. I did one extra thing - which I think worked - I listed all that I wanted to store, and tried to analyse how I liked working in the kitchen. Some things I had to settle for because of space (such as a smaller dishwasher) but most of it has worked. We have a corner pantry, which I (and the cat, husband a bit larger) can walk into, but have not put small appliances in there - they sit in a large drawer beneath the main working bench, which also works well. It all looks good to me Nicole and thinking carefully about needs and how things work in advance usually results in something you'll be happy with. Good luck!