It looks like they’re veneered. The way I’d go about it would be giving them a sand/removing the remaining veneer and then either paint them or apply new veneer.

it's a bit convoluted, adding a dedicated search icon at the bottom might be a good idea

Yeah your dad is right, but using a slightly bigger screw (I’m assuming the box is made out of plastic) or tapping a bigger hole might be a better idea. Alternatively you could ask your dad to help you replace the box, it’s not the hardest thing in the world and it’s a nice skill to have!

An idea could be lowering the ceiling to create a faux-corridor or a "reverse island" and installing recessed lights on it. If you're into it you could also extend the base of the new lowered ceiling to form a shelf and then put plants on said shelf.

I don't know what the consensus is outside of Italy, but if you are on the cheap get a Bialetti mocha pot. It's not exactly espresso but it basically is.