A floor plan would be helpful. Honestly what you just need to do is include more lighting in your plan when you remodel. You could take that wall down and get some more natural light but what about at night? Or on a cloudy day? Get a good lighting plan

Ok, Thanks. That wall is a supporting wall and is vaulted on the other side. I'm not even sure we could take that wall down.

Would a contractor be able to address this issue or would it be best to get an architect?

You need a Kitchen Designer who works with a good electrician.

Time and money can fix anything...

Contractors don't design. You can't get quotes until you have defined exactly what is being quoted. A contractor can tell you that putting in a beam will cost X, but that doesn't address change of floor material, ceiling height, etc.

At first blush from three photos I would advise taking that wall down and creating a peninsula there, but you are taking it from a standard kitchen remodel to a much larger project

I have thought of the transom windows. There is a bedroom over the kitchen. I don't know if I have the ability to do a decent sketch but I am considering a kitchen designer to help with this project.

My suggestion is an engineer to make sure the wall is able to come down, pass throughs are really not attractive. We do need a floor plan but the addition of really good lighting is where I would start use LEDs in 4000K range they mimic daylight , keep colors true and then paint the walls a lighter color take the blinds off the corner windows . If this new kitchen is going to be reworked then a floor plan if all you are doing is changing cabinets I am wondering why. The more info the better as to the layout of the house.

Exactly what Hallett said. Contractors can generally do anything you ask, but at a cost. They don't mind extra roof jogs, etc and will just add it to the bill. I have read a LOT of sad, expensive dilemmas that could have been avoided with the additional expense of paid professionals on the front end. Some contractors are better than others, to be sure, but a well-designed plan from the get-go will take into account your desires for some additional light, but also consider stuff like how the roofline fits with existing and site plan.

And for the record, I love my corner pantry!

So, do you think a kitchen designer is the right person to start the process? What type of professional to do a thoughtful plan?

Yes to certified KD. They can save you so much by proposing ideas you may not have thought of....one thing that comes to mind right away is - is that island too large? The backsplash design is tragic so I'm sure you'll be happy to fix that. Floor plan would be great for us to spitball ideas. Do you have a b'fast room? Do you want one? Do you use that pretty room with the two chairs much? It seems like you have a lot of space - and maybe not sure how to use it all. Also, high hat lights, under counter lights, and if you stay with an island, pendant lights. We had that same corner sink configuration, which I loved, but we did have transom windows above, and that was great for extra light. Solar tubes a possibility anywhere here?

Are you remodeling because the kitchen is dark, or for some other reason? If only because of the lighting issue, there are many solutions to that, and some have been suggested already. I don't think borrowing light from the sunroom is going to be helpful. Pass thru openings aren't a good solution unless the room you're borrowing light from is super bright, and you'll lose storage; plus you have 2 doors that swing into that wall. They'll be awkward if hung to swing in the opposite directions. Painting the walls a lighter color with higher LRV will help, as will a new, brighter backsplash, and possibly a new lighter countertop.. No one has mentioned LEDs above the cabinets, but that can be helpful too. If you can't increase the window size, maybe you can add a skylight above the sink area. At the least, dropping a pendant closer to the work area should help. Painting the island to match the other cabinetry will increase brightness as well. Love the floors!

Without seeing a floor plan, or knowing if a wall can be removed, keep in mind that drawers in base cabinets can store more items than door cabinets with shelves, and makes those items more easily accessible. Even if you can't change the layout significgantly, using all drawer bases might free up some wall space.

The worst corner pantries are located between the sink and range, in what should be prime prep space. Yours isn't, so if you really like it, and need to keep it, don't feel as if you're breaking a 'Kitchen Forum Cardinal Rule' ;). I like some landing space beside the fridge, but you have the island across the aisle.

Posting a measured layout will give us a chance to make suggestions you can consider before taking the project to a KD.

I have not actually done this myself, just read a lot of advice on it... Do you have plans already for your 3 season porch? Has it been permitted? It may be worth a conversation with an architect to see if they could help you come up with a design that would utilize all the spaces you have as tfitz suggests as well as melding rooflines and site considerations. Then bring in a certified KD (someone you pay separately, not just the person at the "kitchens" counter at your local big box).

Post a floor plan of the kitchen and surrounding area. The kitchen layout as it is now with that awful corner pantry could be a lot better and I'm sure there are ways to lighten it up without necessarily taking down supporting walls. But first we need to see a floor plan.

Not sure whether something like this can be added after the fact... if you keep your existing kitchen but lighten it up with a new backsplash and better lighting.

following

Think about trimming the trees outside your windows. Sometimes the lower limbs can be removed to add sunlight. You might profit from consulting a lighting expert--not one that sells fixtures, but one that designs how much light you need and where.

You can put a skylight in the roof that is going to cover a window to let in better light.

Electric lights work after dark too.