We had a similar decision to make except that the casements were to open into a screened porch and we were concerned that while on the porch, people might run into them. We have double hung windows with grills on the top half all throughtout our home but I didn't want my sink centered on a middle piece of wood between two casements. Was just something I didn't personally like for our kitchen. We then saw a similar window to what is in my most recent post which has sliders where the side casements usually are and a large picture window in the middle. WE LOVE IT because it gives us unobstructed view, still has the venting options, screens are on the outside and we felt that having the option of the grills on the side windows, helped it to look more traditional like the rest of the windows in our home....our window is one of the best choices we made - we just love it! I copied my link to my pictures below....you'll see it in the 4th pic down over the sink. Here is a link that might be useful: imlebby's kitchen

We have Casement and Double-Hung. I am no expert. The following is our experience and research info. Good windows from reputable manufacturers, big or small, will seal well and not have unreasonable infiltration. A company may sell different lines from entry-level to higher-end and each line may have different infiltration rating. You can check the ratings published by the manufacturer to get one that best fits your requirements. In general, casement is supposed to seal better than dbl-hung and slider is supposed to be the hardest to seal tight. Again, good companies knows how to seal them tight, sliders or otherwise. Draft in general has three sources. One is poorly sealed windows, another is poorly installed windows with gaps and seams open to the outside and the other is poorly constructed windows. A properly installed window can seal tight against infiltration but if it transmits heat or cold readily from the exterior to the interior due to poor design or material, then a draft will form as interior air passing the window is rapidly heated or cool. Either case, air movement will happen by the windows. Note that "cheaper" windows often are poorly designed and constructed and will be drafty. We lived with a house full of these when we bought our place and ended up replacing all of them. So in many cases, we do pay for what we get. Modern windows use all sorts of thermal breaks to limit or prevent such contact-transfer of thermal energy. Low-E coating is very effective at keeping heat out in the summer and warmth in during winter months. Double-pane construction with gas-filled space is another method to limit energy transfer. Ours are of such construction and have lived up to expectation. We are currently smack dab in the middle of CA's Summit Fire that started last THursday. Our house has been covered by thick smoke all this time and no hint of smoke in our house yet. Both the dbl-hung and casement are doing their jobs. Good luck with your research!

Hi, the window cannot move because of the exterior design, unfortunately. the left wall has the range centered with cabinets on either side. i will try to get an image of that wall soon. i've seen a modified fanlight window (sort of) in an off-center image and it doesn't look bad, but i understand what you're getting at. sort of like this:http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.wood-mode.com/DESIGN-PORTFOLIO/AMERICAN_CLASSICS/photos_rooms_pictures/NXL-American_9C_Southampton.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.wood-mode.com/DESIGN-PORTFOLIO/AMERICAN_CLASSICS/xl-american_N9C.htm&usg=__4y1VrRX1oIxzUTynYE0ZoDdZiKU=&h=500&w=667&sz=119&hl=en&start=2&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=prUQd90cr57FQM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=138&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dwood%2Bmode%2Bsouthampton%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbm%3Disch&ei=Ku1fTr7IBcr40gHuz6XnAg

It depends on the brand of window. For a picture window, you'll have 15" to 17.5" of glass. For a doublehung, you'll have 13 to 15" of glass. For a casement or awning you'll have 12 to 14" of glass.