Kbear- On your north facing windows, it is going to be the height of the window that limits your light admittance most. I'm guessing you meant 60 inches and not 60', right? :-) If your windows are 5 feet tall, the bay at 10 foot distance will be your only significant source of light in there. Afraid it will be a bit dark in there as you describe it. What is directly above your kitchen? These are solar tubes that bring in a ton of light all day. They run through an attic type space up to the roof.

Welcome Krista! Do you have a fully-measured layout of the space for your Kitchen? A sketch of the entire floor the Kitchen is on is also very helpful. The Kitchens Forum has a set of FAQs that describe everything from how to ask for layout help and what information we need to discussing good design principles/best practices for a kitchen layout. I'll post the info below. [As an FYI, I'm in the process of cleaning up the FAQs (they were the victim of the migration to Houzz a couple of years ago) as well as updating other information to reflect the changes made by Houzz last Friday.] This is a sample layout of what I'm asking for. Note the information on the layout -- this information really helps! It includes the widths of each wall/window/door/doorway and the distances b/w each wall/window/door/doorway as well the locations of immovable objects, etc. If something like water cannot be moved, that should be marked as well. . The resources... Kitchen Design Best Practices/Guidelines threads - These threads explain best practices/good design guidelines for items such as work zones, aisles, island/peninsula seating, etc. These threads will help you understand questions/comments you will receive. Layout Help - FAQ for asking for layout help. It has a sample measured layout as well as a description of the other information we need Read Me thread - Other, helpful information for using and navigating the Kitchens Forum. Especially useful if you are new to the Kitchens Forum! . New to Kitchens? Read Me First! http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/4306041/new-to-kitchens-read-me-first . Layout Help: How do I ask for Layout Help and what information should I include? http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2767033/how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-and-what-information-should-i-include . Kitchen Design Best Practices/Guidelines threads: Kitchen work zones, what are they? http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3638270/faq-kitchen-work-zones-what-are-they Aisle widths, walkways, seating overhangs, work and landing space, and others http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3638304/faq-aisle-widths-walkways-seating-overhangs-work-landing-space-etc How do I plan for storage? Types of Storage? What to Store Where? http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3638376/faq-how-do-i-plan-for-storage Ice. Water. Stone. Fire (Looking for layout help? Memorize this first) http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2699918/looking-for-layout-help-memorize-this-first

I think some high transoms are a fine idea but I would put them together a bit more so they don't look so busy. Send us pictures of the hutch and bookshelf. Could they be grouped together with some art or a plant on either end? Breaking up that large wall could be done like this... (bedroom but this was also the design for our dining room). Make sure to allow enough space for your hutch. You could also choose to build out a space to make the hutch look intentional. I would take some time to draw furniture on that plan. It appears to be both quite small and also wasting space... The entry door in the middle of the family room seems out of place. Is this the main entrance or access to a deck?

You should be asking more questions than just windows. Such as why you'd put the pantry on an outside wall and on a corner. Corners are best for public rooms and bedrooms so those rooms can get windows on two walls. Also why you're placing the laundry room so far from the bedrooms considering bedrooms are where the majority of the laundry is generated. Also why do you have such a small enclosed kitchen? I'm not saying you need an open kitchen but this one is not even laid out well when you consider where the sink is in relation to the dining room. The sink and the fridge should be closer to the dining room and the cooktop should be the furthest away and out of anyone possibly walking by. If you plan to have a seating grouping around a tv in the living room, where will it go considering you have entrances on two sides of what is just a 5'-6' wall. And it means you'll be walking through the seating area to get to the master bedroom because NO ONE walks around. Everyone takes the shortest route. Why do you need an 18' long dining room? That's lots of wasted space for what? What is the wasted space next to the tub in the master? Where will the bed go in the master with all those doors? The mudroom will be tight for more than one person when you consider the bench/shelves are 18" deep. That only gives you 4.5' of walking space. Lastly the laundry room is 6' wide. Machines stick out a minimum of 30" and usually a few inches more. So that means you have a grand total of 4' to maneuver in the laundry room. If you have side loaders, that means if you open the doors you can't even maneuver around the machines in the room. Like I said, windows are the least of your problems right now. The best houses do not have fat roofs like your house. The best houses are designed in an L, I, U, T or H shape. The best houses have windows on at least two walls in all public rooms and all bedrooms. The best houses do not have utility rooms, pantries, etc taking up prime real estate on corners. The best houses are only 1-2 rooms deep and that does include porches, garages, etc. The best houses have a central "spine" so it's easy to figure out how to go from room to room.