My first thought when I saw your post heading was "Are you kidding, of course all junk is good junk!" That is, as long as it's not considered complete trash, throw that darn thing out before it starts to multipy kind of trash. I too am surprised no one snagged those windows. Crafters paint on them, or as mentioned, junkers make a coldframe out of them. Here is a link to Robolady's T2T website for old windows. You might want to keep them after you see this: http://www.robomargo.com/windows.html I consider Margo the T2T Queen, she has made some of the best, nicest stuff from junk. Go back to her homepage for other great projects. Sal

I don't think you can get into the linen closet as drawn. Being a basement, can you add windows to the left walls in each room too? Lower levels need more window to wall space to feel less like a basement....even with tall ceilings. As a rec room area, will you want guests to be able to use the bath without going through the bedrooms? If so, you may want a "main bath" instead which will give you more flexibility on location...

Lighting is everything in a basement. And white walls in any shade almost never work. Definite color...and it doesn't have to be dark...is almost always better. Yellow rarely adds sunlight...it actually looks best in sunlight...but if it is reflective and clear, and the light is very bright, it can work. Luminous pale blues can give the sense of sky, particularly if you also paint the ceiling...which you should do in any case to keep it from sitting down on top of you. Very clear light is key...some of the new florescent corkscrew bulbs give a wonderfully bright light, and without the heat that halogen generates. I would add big mirrors to crack the wall open visually wherever you would have a window, if you had them. You can even hang drapery to the sides to increase that illusion if you like. Lamps that are reflected in them them will throw the light around.

Floor plan of the Room, with the window in question circled.