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.

the back wall panels look like ikea besta doors. the hanging cabinet could also be besta boxes, but with customized doors. the console in front of it, you could get a similar look by using a malm console table and cutting it to height. from there you'd want to use a couple of besta cabinets to create the closed off storage. the low bench could be made with plywood and then stained or painted to match the finish of the malm/besta combo you choose. besta cabinets :: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/living_room/11794/ malm console table :: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80196480/

I have no idea about your place, but i found a dog fence very helpful. You can adjust them to different witdh, they are pretty inexpensive and you can remove them later when you move out. But i would also ask you landlord for a permanent installation because he must be concerned about your security too....Good Luck for You

I love the exterior lights in the first photograph! It's a great and simple way to give your property a major makeover with something so settle. We talk about exterior lights and 8 other ways to easily add curb appeal to your property in our latest blog post. Read about it here: http://goodfellasconstruction.net/blog/9-ways-to-add-instant-curb-appeal