Thank you both for your advice, but to complicate matters we are going to be running the flooring lengthways down the room so that there is a seamless join from the flooring we are installing on the landing as we don't want floor bars joining the room thresholds

Good Morning Ranj, This is an exciting project, it has plenty of potential. I think you would benefit from hiring an interior designer who can look at all of your options and come up with something really innovative. The safe option is to go with one level, however the different levels can be fabulous for sunken seating or transitioning from an island to a table height. Different levels can be navigated safely when planned by an expert and they can add depth, interest, wow factor and more. I would love to help you and invite you to visit our page. Interior design can prove to be a great choice not only ensuring that your interior is a heaven for you but also through ease of the process, communication, project management and passing on trade discounts to you. We are happy to work remotely and can still visit site with precautionary measures in place for the current situation. We cover Cheshire and Wirral. Many thanks, Sophie Ellen Utley Interiors

Patio and steps need a refresh and safety improvement. We’d like to have the patio height at the same level as the kitchen however not sure if we need planning permission or if it is permitted development?

Tiles and skirting like the existing would be best, if you could find similar tiles. You could use scotia instead of skirting, but it would look better if you removed the existing skirting too, which would mean repairing the walls.