Well, I love it! As long as the floorplan works and there is enough storage in base and/or pantry cabinets, who cares if there are no uppers. If you want light in your windows after dark, you could do marvelous things with lights mounted under the eaves outside. Or solar lights or many other options. I could move right into #'s 1 or 3. Beautiful.

Another positive comment. I would love it IF I had enough storage elsewhere. And, of course, if I were in a reasonably private area.

I also agree with tomato freak--my first consideration was the black hole effect of large windows after dark. Some carefully planned spotlights could be used to illuminate a few trees, perhaps.
And, of course, the effect of afternoon sun if any of your views are westerly.

Please, please do share your finished kitchen with us.

That would be my dream kitchen! Lots of windows to let in natural light and I don't care what the view is outside, as long as I have the windows. To be practical though, the floor plan should include enough cabinet space below to store things. Remember, even if it's a small kitchen, it would immediately give the appearance of airiness and space because of the outside views. Go capture your dream...and do show pics when it's done.

Love banks of windows in a kitchen! With those views that go along with them, I would think landscape lighting would be in place.

I'd definitely want privacy from the neighbors.

A lot of homes have uncovered window styles like palladians or don't draw all the drapes at night, patio doors, so with a little life apparent outside I think it would be fine. Big black holes would be a little spooky, and you don't want to invite voyeurs or intruders, but some don't mind living in a fish bowl.

I only have one 4x3 window but my plan is little to no uppers. I will do a chimney hood though and a counter to ceiling "splash" on the range wall.

I love your inspiration photos!
I love the idea of some garden lighting that will "come in" at night.

aloha2009, a week ago, I figured out that I have enough storage elsewhere plus some room to spare without the uppers on either side of my hood. Yay, that meant that not only can I ditch the uppers, I won't have to shrink my large window on that wall. I got the thumbs up from my KD who said that it would make my modestly sized kitchen look much bigger. Hubby was a bit leery at first but then got on board.

I am keeping wall behind my cook top, though, about 24" of wall on one side and 11" of wall on the other. I've lived with downdraft venting for 20 years and I cannot wait to get a real hood! That said (or more accurately, written), down drafts are much better than they used to be (the bar wasn't set very high to begin with).

If this is what makes your heart sing and you have enough storage elsewhere with some room to spare, go for it!

I can't remember; are you doing induction or gas? If the latter, get the tallest rising downdraft you can find. My 7" pop-up downdraft sucks out a low flame and pulls the flame towards the vent when the vent is on high. Makes for uneven cooking.

I am a wee bit leery, they look kinda of naked and deserted. Having kitchen-y appliances or bowls of fruits out and about sure would go a long way toward making it feel like a home and not a wasteland.

I love the way those rooms look during the day ( notice none of those pictures are taken at night) but I'd find them pretty spooky at night - it's not the dark inside the room, it's the not knowing "what's out there". If that wouldn't bother you,I see n reason not to do this.

I would do this design in a heartbeat if I could! I think it looks fabulous, so open and airy.

My home is on a very private lot and as such, I don't have window coverings anywhere except the bedrooms. I have some decent size banks of large windows and it's never bothered me in the least at night. I find that when the room is lit, you just don't notice the darkness outside. (except for once in a while when a bear walks by and sets off the security light :) )

I've checked and rechecked about enough storage, and I'm anticipating plenty of room for everything in my cabinets, and that's not even touching my 5' pantry in the adjoining utility room.

I recently found one model home, with a large window down to the counter in the kitchen. I thought it would be nice but being in it IRL was a real clincher. It did change my mind as to where I think I would likely prep though and that is toward the window and not the island, even if it meant my back was to guest. That was a huge surprise to me!

I am concerned though for the nighttime effect. The kitchen is over the daylight basement, so I would be up high. The only peeping Tom's would have to get a ladder. The neighbors house is 60' away (luckily we have a large side yard - for this metro area anyway). I've already been landscaping for the new view that will someday transpire (I've been planning for a loooong time now). I like the idea of additional lighting around the landscaping. I have solar lights along the steps but more would be even better.

I am concerned though for the dark hole effect. I'd like to visit the model when it's dark out but until winter approaches that won't happen. We have a lot of other windows in the great room area (next to the kitchen) and the black windows at night don't bother me since we see the twinkling of the neighbors lights both from their house and from the reflection in the lake.

The windows will be to the West, so these windows will have to have some time of covering!

I still haven't totally ruled out having the vent and 2 windows. It does give me a place to hide behind the so called stage.

Has anyone been in a kitchen anywhere close to this?

Not to be scary here. I love big windows. We have put lots into our home. But this might help you visualize. Notice that the windows provide pattern and color accent.
DAY

[Contemporary Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Austin Architects & Building Designers Webber + Studio, Architects

NIGHT-- I did not change the lighting or color of the room at all. I just blacked in the windows. Notice the total lack of color.

This is the family room in my home. I put these french doors and a matching side door AND skylights into what was formerly a cave with only the two side windows you see flanking the new french doors which were once a closet:

My point: you must consider those black holes and how YOU will react to them. Also consider the effect of the wall and cabinet colors at night as well as during the day.

Edited to add this: The middle pic from the OP would be an easier place for me at night than those with primarily white or very cool colors. The warm woods instead of the cool white paint would make the room much more welcoming in the surrounding darkness.

And to add the last sentence before each photo.

This post was edited by Bellsmom on Tue, Aug 26, 14 at 7:07

Thanks Bellsmom for creating a night time effect! Beautiful room (the little bit I could see) and I love, love, love your backyard. Our oldest tree in the yard is about 20 years old (the rest are 5 y.o), so I'll be waiting a long time to get a woodsy look like yours.

Perhaps it's being up so high off the ground, that it doesn't feel as spooky to me. I know I've mentioned to my DH the creepiness of the walkout basement where someone could just walk up to the window and peer in feeling. I know when I'm in the front bedroom and someone goes walking by the house, I feel I'm on display - and that's during the day. Even though the kitchen is technically on the 1st floor it feels like you're on the second floor with the walk out basement.

It's funny, but important the feeling a design gives off. There is no right or wrong since there is an array of feelings from person to person.

I love it!

If the dark windows at night end up bothering you, what about those honeycomb (??) blinds that are only an inch thick or so when all the way up---I know people will say they will get greasy but maybe not so much if you don't pull them down until the cooking is done? I do like the cozy feeling that covered windows give at night, at least some of the time. I have 13+ feet of sliding glass doors to my balcony and made pinch pleated linen drapes just for this. I rarely close them but I like the effect when I do. (Not that you would want pinch pleated drapes in a kitchen, but simple blinds would give you the option of that cozy look when you want it.)

could you add blinds or a covering of some sort, for nighttime?

I didn't make my point well. Maybe I didn't even see where I wanted to go with the picture post above.

The two white kitchens depend so much for the beauty of their effect on the natural patterns and light of the windows that when the windows are black the whole feel of the kitchens changes.
Compare the effect of the Day and Night pics of the white kitchen above with the effect on the wood kitchen from the OP. I intentionally made the windows bigger and more "overpowering" so they were more comparable to the white kitchen:
DAY

[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107)
NIGHT

I think, depending on the length of day and night and the use of the kitchen, a planner must consider the effect of expansive windows both during the day and the night. NOT the eerie effect. The color effect.

As you can see from the photo, aloha, my house is windows front and back. Talk about living in a fishbowl, lol! I love it, especially on the back of the house because it faces a lake and feels like you're in a tree house. The kitchen and MB on the front is another story. We're in the process of flipping the kitchen to the opposite end so that I have a full wall for appliances and a huge freestanding pantry that I love. By moving down the wall, I will also be out of direct sunlight, which happens to hit just about the time I'm cooking dinner. Butter melts, herbs wilt, and the bright sun is annoying. In the new prep spot it's a different story. The sun is hidden by a big old cedar. At night, it takes some getting used to. I think once the space is done I will put up a roman shade, not so much for privacy (as we are hidden by many trees and shrubs) but for a softening effect.
Anyway, we've lived here 4 years and I can't imagine living in a house without all these windows. To me, there's nothing better than being surrounded by nature 24/7. Good luck. Go with what you love.

Here are more kitchens in that style Two have a glass roof in addition to all the windows. For me, only one doesn't look like a kitchen and that's the white modern one on the link.

The point is really different. It's about light. Max is with the conservatory roof and windows.

South and west facing room may be an issue because those get afternoon sun. Depending on location that can vary tremendously. But the front of our house faces west and I needed wood venetian blinds to block afternoon sun in the summer. It's blinding otherwise. Solar shades might do but they would need to be very good ones with max protection.

Here is a link that might be useful: Conservatory Kitchens

Bellsmom, yes it does look very different from nighttime compared to daytime. One reason why I wanted something interesting along the outside wall.

Being that these are West facing windows, I am trying to weigh the pros and cons of having so many windows. I have 2 west facing walls now (one in the laundry the other in the dinette) with the kitchen sandwiched between these two areas. I try to look out the windows during the afternoons to give me an idea of how much bother the West sun will be. I'm fairly certain, I will be pulling down the window coverings to ease the sun coming in. Since we're looking at 5' tall windows, I have to kneel down to get the best simulated visual effect.

Barbarav, I couldn't quite make out the floor plan of your home. How you described it, sounds exactly what I'd love! We too live on a lake and the vast majority of the windows face North toward the lake. I initially didn't want to take away from the lake view with the new kitchen windows and then I tossed that idea out.

Rococogurl. a kitchen/room with glass would look awesome but I'm not sure what you could do if you didn't want the sun streaming in at times.

Being an avid gardener, a kitchen/great room giving me a feeling of a greenhouse/atrium over a typical kitchen is probably what's drawing me toward this look. Luckily it can function well too.

I don't have many uppers in our kitchen either although it may feel more like a kitchen than the examples you show because of the cooktop in the middle of the windows. We lived with the black hole effect at night for about 18months and while it didn't bother me, it did creep my kids out a bit. Each of the large windows is about 8 feet.

We installed Hunter Douglas blinds in a color that blends well with the stone and paint so they are not noticeable during the day. I do like having the option to close them at night.

I will try to take a picture of the blinds tonight so you can see them . This picture of the kitchen was taken before the blinds were installed.

@aloha - what people with that set up do is tinted film on the windows and shades that pull across the roof area. They are on pulleys and easy to operate over the various sections.

I like this kitchen....
{{gwi:1422909}}From Lavender Lass farmhouse pictures

but Laura Calder has a vintage feel in her space and there are open shelves and lots of storage. Just walls of windows seem too modern for my taste, but they are very popular! I just wonder if it will look dated in a few years....

Muskokascp, Where have you been hiding the gorgeous kitchen! Did I miss your reveal? If so, can you include a link when you post the nighttime pics? I have some Hunter Douglas Silhouette's in the adjoining dinette. I would seriously consider moving them to our new kitchen windows and getting something a little more dressy for the dinette. We'll see.

Rococogurl. Now don't laugh but in a pinch, I could put a pair of sunglass if need be if the sun got too much. Not sure what kind of shades you were referring to, I would anticipate them being very difficult to adjust because of the long walk around to the area. Sunglasses seem fun, crazy, but workable.

Hello to Lavender Lass! I wish they were popular because it wouldn't have taken me 3 years of searching to find one to visit. I find on rare occasions one small window above the sink. Forget the one I'm looking for. I'm not sure why you consider it more modern. The first 2 pics I posted were traditional. The small appliance wall and base cabinets would determine the style of the overall kitchen. I was going to go modern, but now I'm softening the look. Who knows by the time I actually get this kitchen started.

If there is one thing I don't think would EVER, EVER go out of style and that is windows. Since windows open the outdoors into your home, nature would have to go out of style and that isn't going to happen.

I love the idea of a hidden kitchen! We are in the middle of our remodel and are trying to make it as seamless as possible with fully integrated appliances and no upper cabinets.

I hadn't thought of all the glass being black at night. This isn't a kitchen, but it does show the same room with a lot of windows during the day vs at night. What a difference! It's making me second guess myself.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lauralippay/6815662615/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lauralippay/6815664451/

Hi aloha,
I don't have a link to my kitchen reveal because I never got around to posting one (ducking....) Someday I will, but there are some pictures of it on gardenweb in various posts, just none recently.

I took some pictures last night - the color of the blinds is much darker in the pictures than in real life. We do not have coverings on the patio door or the small side window beside the patio door. This does not bother anyone.

I wouldn't trade these windows for anything and encourage anyone who has the space to replace upper cabinets with windows. As for windows dating a kitchen, I don't see it. There is nothing trendy about having light filled living spaces.

Manage the darkness of the windows with window coverings and your living space will be cozy and private at night.

Those pics really help a lot! Seeing how lovely your kitchen is at night with the window coverings down, really changes the look of the kitchen compared to seeing the black windows. We've got many windows in other parts of the house w/o any window coverings and it does have a less then appealing look. Especially with winter coming, I'm thinking I better get on the stick and order the drapes for many of the windows in other parts of the house.

Don't feel bad about not getting your reveal posted, I haven't even gotten around to starting the remodel!

Can you tell me where your favorite spot to prep is and why? Your family have any other favorite spots to prep? I had initially thought I would want to prep on the island, but after going to the model with lots of windows, I'm thinking it will be by the counter by the new windows.

aloha,
Our front room where the main tv viewing area is had no window coverings for 7 years and it was not a real issue for us but when we put the blinds in the kitchen all of a sudden we all wanted a blind for the tv room. It's great now and in the winter with early dark nights I suspect we will find it warms up the room.

We all pretty much prep on the island right beside the prep sink. I think this is for a few reasons 1) there are usually other people in the kitchen sitting at the island so we can chat away and 2) right beside the fridge but out of view is a tv that I will put on to watch the news while preparing dinner. We have it on in the morning to watch the morning news as well. And 3) the prep sink is right there.

But I do my baking on the long uninterrupted counter between the cooktop and wall ovens so here I am looking out the window. All my baking supplies are in the drawers in this area of the kitchen and the outlets are handy for my mixer as well.

Our kitchen is largish but the working area is very functional and it's pleasant even with 2 or 3 butts working away. My DH had a small plumbing issue to fix under the prep sink this weekend and the 3 or 4 days with only one sink was pesky. We commented on how spoiled we have become with the two sinks!

Where do you keep your drinking glasses?

I completely love kitchens without uppers and with scads of windows. Dream kitchens for me. I'm tall (sort of) and just hate having upper cabinets in my face when I'm cooking.

However, I am also totally creeped out by the black holes of death at night. I always close the blinds on big windows at night when I am home alone.

In your situation I would:

1) definitely go with warm and cozy and homey finishes to counteract what can be a cold and stark look of lots of glass

2) I would have blinds. Perhaps the kind that is inside the window glass so cooking splatters can't get on the blinds.

3) I would arrange it so there were a couple good work areas in the kitchen -- one facing the windows that I'd use more during the day, and one that faces pleasant nighttime stuff (the activity in the living room, artwork, or something else that is nice to look at no matter the time of day) for the evenings.

4) If separate zones weren't possible, I would scatter sections of wall around the room (in between windows, etc.) so I could hang artwork or pictures on them and look at that instead of the blinds when the windows were closed. I prefer blinds to black holes of death, but blinds really aren't that lovely or inspiring if that is all you have to look at. A room full of nothing but blinds would make me go watch TV instead of cooking.