i would say, choose a theme just for that space and work around it! for example: maybe "asian" theme! paint the back wall RED or ORANGE, have a piece of buddha statue on the top most rack, you can use one shelve to just hold books with some decorative book ends, and instead of the chair, you can use the asian trunck boxes (if you google for asian trunks, you can see what i am talking about! - look for square boxes), this way, you can also tuck those boxes under the desk/shelf when not in use and the trunk could also be a storage for your files - you can also place a floor vase with some bamboo sticks - the asian theme would really work here as your wood is black/brown this would also turn out to be a peaceful writing space - enjoy!

Dudes, that is a stock image from Dear Kids. That is not the person's room. Dear poster, It would help a lot if you showed readers the colour of the floor, trims, other furniture and even the ceiling. Too, it would be good to know what style of house you have and the other colours in your house. Why people who reply go to more bother than the person who asks the original question, I do not know.

Oh, wow, 10 years ago! There is a special tool meant just for grout removal, your local hardware store should have it. It will be time consuming but aside from removing everything it's probably the way you'll need to go.

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.