I thought about an island. I might still. The problem is that the room measured from inside the kitchen cabinets to the north and west walls is only 14' x 17'. I can always add one that's free standing if I don't put any plumbing or electric in it. The software I was using for this had some glitches. You can see the top of the island floating in space in a couple of the pics(and the microwave/stove vent morphing into the oven and all the wood of various colors, ...furniture that moved). Glitches aside, it helped me picture some things.
A closet would be nice, but in this small of a house, I'm willing to trade a closet for more open space. I'm just going to use a hall tree.
My concern with north facing windows is that the summer morning sun will be hitting the back of the house. I want a back patio with some type of screening that will hopefully block that part of the day's sun. While more natural light is welcome, I'm trying to figure where I want to land in the window vs. insulation trade off.
I'm thinking the garage will have to wait. The money I'll save once I'm not renting will make easier to build the garage in year 2.
The last thing I need is a dark bedroom. I love sleep. I need something to boot me out of bed. And a bright bedroom is a cheery way to start the day.