I think a comfortable distance between the island and the counter is around 42". It seems that you have only 30" between your cook top and the counter. I might be a little too tight. The wall between the entrance and the kitchen could be 4' long instead of 6', you would then be able to move the island a foot which would give you more room between the cook top and the island. Could you switch the location of the toilet and vanity in your dad's bathroom so your enter facing a vanity instead of a toilet which is a lot nicer.

HI RinaI do agree I love jewelbox rooms, but I consider them more cosy ... and with a grey marble floor it goes all Versace Italianate! I am trying to balance the colours by bringing in a pattern on the covers rather than plain. I feel this will bring colour without overpowering the room. In the pictures I showed above, the rooms are basically neutral but the colour is brought in via pattern - I think this might be the way to go...Ideally a green or blue on a subdued grey would be the best, but I dont know what the market is like for Sumit...Cushions can do a lot to tie in the other white/grey elements.Shelley - navy is a good suggestion, but as Sumits area is quite tall and thin, trying to keep the general area light Any more suggestions most welcome. These are just ideas after all and Sumit will choose what works for the room in the end ;-)

coming to the dining area..yes id say you remove the seating entirely and concentrate on a foyer area since you already have space for a drawing room on the floor.. id suggest erecting a glass and marble wall in line with the wall that runs between the pooja room and the bedroom..say a bit of marble-glass-marble-glass-marble.in this case you have a small foyer area demarcated by this wall feature.you can deck it up by placing a nice console table in front of the central marble wall with a nice mirror to reflect the space and make it look larger or a sculpture with beautiful bracket lights on either side to accentuate the same.and on the backside of this wall you could have a crockery unit with a huge painting or a cluster of family snaps above it. if you could brief me a little on the look you're adapting for your house i could suggest some more treatments for the walls.if you want to avoid using too much marble you could also opt for a marble wood and glass look where you could take out some concealed storage for shoes etc. regarding the drawing room - what about a huge 4 seater in the center instead of 2 - two seaters with a table in the middle as in the plan..if you remove the central coffee table maybe you could replace the single seater with a chaise for 2 and also replace the 2 center tables with a nice long table in the center with an area rug running below it..if you could help me with the room dimensions maybe we could add 2 pouffes in front of the 4 seater so it creates more seating and doesnt obstruct the view if you plan to put a TV on the wall. what look do you have in mind for your terrace garden ? something zen or a little rustic toeing on the lines of the contemporary ? sorry for the late reply as i was travelling.. hope this helps! :)

Hello Latai, I think you could definitely opt for some colour on the far wall.. This would accentuate the curtains and the feel of walking through into another more intimate room than that of the dining area.. What I would say is that you do need to look at some re-configuration.. You have a very light sofa and all the dark furniture is over to one side... I am not detecting a specific culture feel but nonetheless can be a very nice room with a little rework... So take a look at see how you can integrate them a little more, so they function but also sit cohesively as a relaxing living space. You could try to move the back sofa against the wall further along. Perhaps have one of those display cases at one side in the corner behind the sofa.. Put the plant on the little table and maybe have that at one end of the other sofa? What about having a mirror hanging on the back wall to throw some light back into the room... Where that little grouping of pictures are... They are a little small for that wall... Try placing them somewhere else perhaps... It's difficult to see from the angle of the photo's but do you have a coffee table or a low ottoman between the two sofas? If not why not move the low table you have (with the matt and two ashtrays?) That could sit between the sofa... Then the other cabinet can be moved away slightly and then the table with the Television? has a bit of room... Thus all the dark pieces are well integrated into the room and not all grouped together.. Colours that would work well with the wooden dining area, are Terracotta's and Rust colours to compliment the dining table and chairs... Accent that colour with some cushions to add to what you have on the sofa's I'd have a plain linen table runner (nice one's at John Lewis) They are quite long and hang a little over the ends... With the cushions..don't put them all the way round the sofa, but have 1 or 2 together and a throw or two could be nice as well to layer the colours... I like the floor colour and that can work as it is.. I move things round all the time, and I'm always amazed at how you can transform something just by putting it somewhere else.. Lastly... I don't see any table lamps.. Perhaps 1 on one of the little tables with the flowers... : ))