Hi Liz, Since I have been growing for over 25 years I have found that the 4' fixture is best for my plants and also the most economical. When I was working and could afford them I used Varilux bulbs which I found gave the plants a great growth rate, however, they are expensive and cost retail over 12 dollars each. Since retiring I switched to 40 watt cool whites which I purchase by the box at Home Depot or Lowes. They work well and give me no problems. I have on occassion in the past used Gro-Lux and Gro-Lux WS. Both bulbs give good growth to the plants and make the plants look really beautiful and healthy under the light. But when you remove the plant from the light into natural light there is great disappointment. They loose their color and look rather ordinary. The Gro-Lux WS bulbs were always cheaper than the Gro-Lux. Many people prefer to use one cool whit and one warm white to grow. Since I cannot find warm whites I now use cool whites exclusively. Hope this helps. Fred in NJ

If you don't buy the Chinese made house brand crap from either one of the big boxes, then you may be OK. You can still save some money on some national brands that are good quality. However, once you throw out the Chinese junk, the selection goes way down and you may not find the look you're going for. On something that's 12' up in a foyer that I have to wrestle to get out the scaffolding just to change a bulb on, I want the best quality possible as I don't want to have to involve myself in a difficult or expensive replacement. For a kids room whose tastes will change overnight, something of a lesser quality may be in order. But, for the ones that are going to be there for the life of the home (like recessed lighting) I don't want to have to budget twice because I cheaped out the first time.

The problem with the acorn light is that is is shown in the context of barn lights. The website decor is hard to ignore. Imagine it in the context of a 1940s-50s kitchen. Then with Beekeeper's kitchen. Then with a mod New York apartment kitchen. Then with a craftsman kitchen. Then with.... There are a lot of kitchens that would enjoy this light.

I love your countertop slabs, they are stunning. Based on all the criticism I looked at your layout and I see a lot of positives. You have a sink for cleanup near the dishwasher drawers and stove, and a second sink for prep work. That sink is not far from the fridge, so you can grab an armload of produce and get right to work ... and as you work the kids who just want a drink or snack from the fridge can get it without coming into the work L. This isn't a studio apartment, it is meant to work for a large family and so yeah, you may need to take 2-3 more steps to get around but that is somewhat unavoidable. For lights ... maybe something like this if you want something bold that isn't adding a lot of color: Huddardton Forge Erlenmeyer Flask Pendant Just a thought. Congrats on the new house. Don't worry about the people here who enjoy shooting arrows of doubt and dismay without offering to help identify ways to improve things. Some people naturally look for flaws and love to point them out (instead of asking why something was designed this way vs that way). It can't be a fun way to live life.