Family/Kitchen/Breakfast

There’s a covered patio that obscures light from four of the most important rooms in the house: the kitchen, the breakfast room, the family room, and the office/studio. The former owners kept this area even darker by having dark brown stained paneling and cabinets along with lots of heavy drapery that couldn’t be opened. The fourth bedroom, off the kitchen/breakfast area, was used as an office, which is also my plan. It was upholstered using lots of padding, and the windows were completely covered with cornices and drapery. During my first showing of the house, I surmised something about the owners that I still believe to be true: they do not suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. While they seem to have loved living in the dark, I crave lots of light. And, it needs to be natural light. Lots of bright daylight shining in on pure white paint. Can you see that I have a problem? I have friends and family weighing in on the pros and cons of skylights vs. Solatube (something I didn’t know existed until a few weeks ago), and I have lots of research ahead of me. Please pass along any helpful knowledge. I need lots of light, and quickly.