For the pantry I would do the kind of light that turns on when you open the door. There is a sensor for that. Can't remember what it is called. I would want the prep sink moved over as I would want to have the stuff I prepped closer to the stove so 18" seems like a good idea. What is the isle space between the stove and the island? I think I might want to move the stove up some to avoid having to walk around the edge of the island to the stove with whatever you prepped. If you did that then you could keep the prep sink where it is at as you don't have to walk around it all to get to the stove. Just think about where you will stand to prep and how to get to the stove with it and also how to get from the stove to a sink. I think that will help you decide what would work best for you.

While Sophie is definitely blunt, I do think you need to take a step back and reconsider the layout of your kitchen overall. I honestly think you could have a better functioning kitchen. A few things I see. You have tons of space on either side of the cooktop, but not enough space on either side of the sink, yet on the side of the sink is where most prep work is done. You are seriously lacking drawers. If you do nothing else, switch all the cabinets you can from pull outs to drawers. You'll be forever grateful as it's easier on your back, and when the drawer is pulled out you can see exactly what you have. Also you can get more into a drawer than you can into a cabinet. Having the sink lined up with the cooktop is actually not good ergonomically in that you have to pivot from one to the other which can be dangerous. You're better off offsetting the sink. With such a large kitchen you'd actually be better off with a separate prep sink and a separate cleanup sink. I know you are concerned with symmetry but you'll find like I did in my old kitchen that the only time you notice if everything is symmetrical is when you're standing straight in front. Otherwise, you won't notice it. My last kitchen was symmetrical. My new one is so far from symmetrical but it will still look gorgeous and will function even better than my last one. I personally love appliance garages. Just make sure you have them where you'll be using them. I would highly recommend a drawer microwave. I had one in my condo and am putting one in my new build. Lastly, before you pull the trigger, I want to second the idea that you float your layout in the kitchen forum and have the gurus there see if they can actually come up with something better. Over a year ago, there was another woman who came onto the kitchen forum insisting she had to order cabinets the next day. The kitchen forum got her to stop, take a step back and rethink her kitchen. She did and her kitchen now not only functions beautifully but is a true showstopper in how it looks. And she admits it was the best thing to wait and get it right.

My reno put my range in between two windows. I decided it was ok after seeing lots of inspiration photos where it looks good. The key, I think, is having ~5" of space between the rough opening for the window and the edge of the hood. That 5" is enough room for most mouldings, or tile (if you're tiling to the ceiling), or just a sense of breathing room (the range and hood immediately next to the window would look cramped without that 5", IMO).

In my view (preference) the lights should be in the ceiling where they can illuminate the counter tops and be outside the user's direct field of view unless he looks up. Shadows from objects and users should be kept in mind. However, this seems to best apply to more conventional 8 - 10 foot ceilings. I suppose pointable light housings mounted to exposed beams might work in a cathedral configuration. In addition, small lights under cabinets will help. I'm surprised that your electricians would bid on a job without an electrical plan.