This is wonderful how you opened the stairs - you get a real sense of the architecture and it brings in more light. I applaud what you have accomplished. I'm going to assume that the wall above is patched with quickcrete and the whole thing is painted (try to get the wall beyond under the stair too). If you have / want a flat screen, you might mount a swing arm wall mount for a flat panel television on the vertical wall element remaining on the right - just about 3' - 3 1/2' (around 1 meter) above the floor so that it is eye level when you are sitting. The swing arm support will allow you to tilt the television away from the wall ever so slightly across the nearby corner. This can help to eliminate glare from the nearby window and make it possible for more people in the room to view it / expand your seating possibilities. I reference something like http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/Chief-Thinstall-TS318SU-Medium-Dual-Swing-Arm-Wall-Mount-18in-Extension/2555661.aspx?cm_mmc=ShoppingFeeds-_-GoogleBase-_-Video/Monitors/Cards/Projector-_-2555661_Chief%20Thinstall%20TS318SU%20Medium%20Dual%20Swing%20Arm%20Wall%20Mount%20-%2018%22%22%20Extension%20-%20_CIF-TS318SU You can even mount a television tlhat is wider than the wall behind as it can sit flat on the wall and extend beyond the wall to the left when at rest like another plane in your architectural composition. Since the upper stair is just behind, this should be fairly safe for the electronic. Determine precisely where the television will be at rest before you hang the mount itself. Then, look for a low height chest to sit below the television. Ideally a chest with one open shelf near the top to hold your component receivers. You may want to try to run electrical to the remaining vertical wall on the right (the support for the stair landing) to get power into the wall itself, while everything is open. Depending upon where the nearest source is, with concrete walls, you could mount the power junction box low on the wall under the stair and drill out small diameter cord passages through the wall after placement of your components. Or use the baseboard area to run needed cables and power to the area behind the chest, then conceal it with baseboard trim. The more you can hide the power and connection cords, the sleeker the look, to match your gorgeous architectural stair element. If you have a larger deeper television, put it on a sideboard chest under the upper stair where you have the depth. In the rear area, take care with putting cables together in a cord cover - ikea has a good one that is inexpensive. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20097954/ so it looks "neat" from behind when you come down the stair.

Leather sofas can really dominate the room and can give an overall cold feeling. I would add some earthy elements, like a wood coffee table with glass or metal. Go to Restoration Hardware's website and look at their sofa room scenes. And I'm sorry I think the art is too harsh for the room. That's all your eye goes to in the room. too overpowering. I would look for something softer or maybe a cool mirror and I would add color to the room with pillows and some colorful lamps. I also think woven blinds would look great. They add warmth and give a finished look. The color of your window treatments should contrast your wall color a bit, not match it or else it starts to look generic and blah.. You have warm walls, warm floors and the woven blinds, like Hunter Douglas brand would pull it all together for you.

I agree with divadeva. More lights. If you can add pot lights do it. If they're already there add task lighting and up the wattage on the bulbs on the pot lights (replace with LED and you can make them brighter because the wattage on LED is lower for brighter light). If you have all of that add decorative lighting. If ventilation is an issue find a way to move the air around or add air filtration. Maybe the HVAC is deficient. Maybe you can add a HEPA filter instead of the standard one that comes with the unit. Call an HVAC specialist to see if there is a way to boost air flow in the room.

actually, to brighten up this dark and small feeling space, i'd look for a creamy base colored stone like khasmir gold or ivory gold, being sure to add an overhang on the island (if you like movement in the stone check out juprana granite) then exchange the pot rack over the island with either a pair of great pendants or a statement chandelier. from my own kitchen remodel experience i'll share you with you this: you'll get a much better price from a granite company then you will from a large home store ;) and be sure to take a cabinet door with you to shop. you can continue the granite onto the wall as a backsplash...they can cut the stone and make it go higher up the wall than the standard 3 inches which can be a great look. but if you really want tile, go for something simple that won't compete with the granite....like a cream colored subway tile. you can apply thim in a running brick pattern or a more modern stacked geometric pattern or even a herringbone. to control staining from food prep, don't use a white grout, use a slightly darker grout color that is inspired from the stone countertop. just remember that using a pattern on the countertop and another pattern on the backsplash can easily become overwhelming and then neither element stands out as the focal point. if you are spending a lot on a granite countertop, do everything you can to make it stand out as the best feature.