like so (sorry took liberty with your pic using paintbrush app). in second tv be installed on an island of a solid wall, remaining wall be of glass: use frosted tempered glass for doors n all.. this way you get another expanse of wall to do loads with n utilize full potential (area) of room.. also providing a wall surface on the back of the tv 'island' wall to the sitting area for say a painting, maybe? plus tehre won't be glare on the tv screen either if it's on teh wall-glass partition.. only issue being the slightly longer approach (i-e through dressing room) to bathroom area, which ain't so bad either.. in ur original plan i don't like how a door is sprouting out in the middle of a great expanse of wall... what a waste..

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.

Sophie, Patricia you are right cleaning the crystals would be a hell of a job. Hence I would like to look at designs like the other pic I attached which is I believe from the e.ion range of Falmec. As I have mentioned before this is a second chimney. The primary chimney hood is above my gas job in the kitchen countertop and is the main and daily area for cooking. This is the secondary area which I plan to use for some quick heating, occasional stir fry etc. The pendant chimneys that I have come across in brands like Elica and Falmec do not require ducting. The filter needs to be changed every 6 months or more. With my kind of usage I am assuming I would need to change it even later. What I am looking for is different brands which have pendant chimneys. Right now I am only aware of Elica and Falmec. I know Siemens and Bosch don't have it. Siemens has 2 models which are like a flat rectangular panel to be attached to the ceiling or false ceiling. But the cost is same as the Falmec chimney. My only respite may be the cylindrical Isola chimney models from Faber or even Hafele which are ip within budget.

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.