How about a scaled floorplan. With lots of dimensions. I see it now. Ambient lighting is important in a kitchen. But task lighting for the work areas is more important. 450 lumens minimum at the counter with out any shadowing. Your kitchen will not be dark at any time of day. Task lighting is necessary at every time of day. Lowers with wide 3 drawer cabs for all. No doors.

Task lighting is important, but so is natural light. If I'm reading your north arrow correctly, your kitchen is on the northwest wall. The only window faces into a nook, so you don't even have a view thru that window, let alone light. I would strongly suggest putting windows on either side of the stove. Yes you will lose upper cabinets, but for me that's a small price to pay for daylight and views.

Thank you! The only window is concerning. And you are absolutely correct about it having obstructed view. Would you reconsider kitchen location in general? We have that flexibility at this time.

The only real option for relocation would be to switch kitchen and dining, but I don't think that would really work. If the bedroom wing were a little smaller and/or shifted up on the plan, the kitchen window wouldn't be so blocked, but I don't know if that's feasible at this point in the build. More windows in the kitchen where it is would probably be the best option.

Is the whole master bedroom wing an addition? I would definitely work on getting more windows, or swap the range and sink and add windows there.

That makes a lot of sense. I love the idea about adding windows in the back of the house.

Yes, the master is an addition. The original project had no garage, so we are adding a 2 car garage witch gives as room to do a master suite above it. Because of sloped landscape the location/position of the addition can't be changed...

The white door in the last picture is going to be an entrance to the master suite.

Another proposed idea was to place fridge on the left side where currently we have linen closet and turn the island / peninsula style.

Is part of the house missing in the pictures?

Yes, at this time the garage/ main bedroom is in planning stage.

Just added a picture of proposed project.

I know this is off topic, but I would encourage you to locate the bathroom in the southeast corner of the addition so it has more opportunity for windows; and locate the walk-in closet in the southwest corner where (I assume) there is no view from the inside. I would also suggest arrange the spaces so the person laying in bed can not see out into the rest of the house.

I would want a better view from the sink window than a blank wall eight feet away.

My home in Arizona’s White Mountains utilizes skylights and I love them. My great room has 4 skylights one of which is in the kitchen.

Thank you for master bedroom suggestions. I’ll have to review that part of the house as well.

Skylighs are not an option in this kitchen since we have a loft directly above it. Otherwise it would be a fun element. Thank you!

Flipping the sink and stove would allow you to have most of the wall above the sink with windows. Better light, far better views. The whole side wall above the relocated stove could then have upper cabinets.

What are your thoughts about the island? would you reposition it or leave it the way it is if the sink moves to the back wall.

If possible, I’d move the sink to island. Next, I’d eliminate the existing windows and put the stove in that location. I’d put a triple window on the back wall where the stove is currently drawn. Utilize drawer banks for dishes. I think you’ll have enough reflected light from the living area for most of the day but you might consider skylights or tube lights as well. I’d be a little concerned adding either of those because of snow during the winter, however.

Thank you so much for yo ideas!

I would say that your design is being limited a little too much by the existing conditions of the house. I understand that the home is log and that makes shifting things around more challenging, but as shead suggested I think the kitchen would be much improved by relocating the kitchen window to the rear wall. You can cover up the old window location by expanding the new addition on the outside, perhaps with the relocated master bedroom closet that Mark suggested, and with cabinets and backsplash on the inside.

I would add windows that flank your stove on the north wall. To make up for the lost cabinetry, I would add them to the east wall. Then, focus on a great lighting plan.