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.

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'm a Certified installer for Trex decking. Trex Transcend is encapsulated board, with a finish that resists staining, scratches, mold and has a high definition wood grain surface. I don't know what you did to it or whoever worked on your house did something to it, but Transcend decking does not need staining or painting and the protective shell protects decking against fading. Trex Transcend and a few other Trex decking products like Trex Enhance, and Trex Select, they cannot be painted or stained. The only thing can be painted is Trex Transcend White Railings and you should only use light color paint. If you use dark colors, it will absorb heat and it will damage the surface and you can kiss your railings good bye. Also high quality fast drying primer should be used and you have to use Oil or Water based exterior paint and most importantly surface prep is the the key. When it comes to painting specialty surfaces like Trex Railings, hire a Pro to do the work. With that said, if you installed Trex yourself, you have to go to the store and have a Trex representative come out and check your deck. They will determine if loss of color fading was due because of negligence or not. If its a material defect, they will cover the material cost. If you had a Certified contractor do the work, they will cover material and labor. Call your contractor and he will get a Trex Rep to come out within a few days. Good luck

Tsilanko, I would always recommend professional installation where needed. But what I am doing here is suggesting that WHEN you are planning to build or renovate, to consider how your plans will affect you in 20 or 30 years time. Split levels are very hep when you are young. A kitchen 3 steps down at 30 is rarely a problem, but might be a hazard at 60, or, as Marjie1059 suggested, if you break a leg. ... All my parents' homes were terrible for old people. They were forced to move to a bungalow in extreme old sge because the location and design of their home was more suitable for an active young couple with a large family than for an elderly couple with stroke disabilities. I would not want to move again, so my present home has features built in that make ageing in place simpler. Mostly small changes, like grab rails, and lever handles on doors and faucets. A major disability suddenly suffered requires major changes if permanent. I did look at this because it came up in the discussion, but if you look at the heading, Planning for Disability, it means just that. Plan ahead so you don't have to make expensive changes later on. But thank you for your advice, yes, major changes are not in the DIY domain.