I have a small kitchen with one window and one door. We have one light in the middle of the ceiling which has worked perfectly fine for us. Keep in mind that you can always get a higher or lower watt light bulb to adjust the amount of light as well. Good Luck!

My kitchen is 11x11 and we have a pendant over the sink and another hanging fixture in the middle of the room with 4 down lights. When we ordered the lights I really thought it was over kill, but it is really just enough. I think that you are going to need more. When I was looking I remember seeing a school house type fixture with 3 or 4 down lights off of one main stem. Maybe something like that would work for you?

That is what we have and we'll probably put in some tiny recessed at some point when we pull up the nasty insulation in the attic and can access it as its a drop too dark. We have to Rejuvination school house lights - one in the middle of the kitchen and one with an 100 watt bulb over the sink and it is adequate but I'd like a drop more at night. I'm not a big fan of the under the cabinet lights so I rarely use them.

If it's a standard fitter, you can change the shade, so don't worry about that too much.

I, too, don't like a lot of light. Virtually all the bulbs in my house are 45 watts or less (I think I have a 60w on the stairs, becoz not stoopit.)

It is traditional to have a light over the sink, or a sconce or two, so the person slaving late into the night washing the dishes doesn't have to keep the whole family up by lighting up the kitchen. It can also be pretty, as you said.

I think one pendant in the kitchen is fine. That's what I'm doing, and I'm not having any other kind of built-in light (no cans, no undercabinets, no ropes or pucks or pineapples or she-goats or any other name). Just a simple glass-shaded pendant over the sink and a pendant in the middle of the ceiling.

Downward-case light is not terribly flattering. I like lamps. They're inexpensive, extremely flexible, attractive and they go exactly where I want them.

This may be part of a solution for you.

Great advice everyone. I agreed to the undercabinet lights because I don't care for recessed lights in an old space. I've never had them so I'll just have to see ... I am deciding between two old fixtures with old shades, partly to save money and partly because I prefer old stuff.

pcjs - How many watts do you have in the main fixture?

Should I go with the 14" diameter shade or is that too big?

This morning I'm leaning towards the fixture with the 9" globe as it has a nicer patina.(both are brass). Still not sure about getting one for over the sink. I've seen very pretty small fixtures with bell-shaped shades, but I don't know if they give off enough light to be worth it.

Maureen, in my 12'x11' kitchen, I have 4" fitters with smaller bell shades over my sink, and I really like them, they give off the perfect light for that space. I have a vintage 12" ceiling-mount schoolhouse in the ceiling center. (I definitely recommend closed glass globes rather than open shades.)

I confess I did put in undercabinet lights too, because my layout has me blocking the ceiling light when standing at my favorite counter workspace. I'm really happy with this combo.

I am trying to decide how much lighting too in the darker (older) part of my 10 x 20 kitchen. I don't like a lot of light, either! It must be old house syndrome!

Circuspeanut, where did you get your sink fixtures. They have a great old-fashioned look!

Maureen,

Have you looked at Schoolhouse Electric? I just bought two ceiling mounts from them, I think they had shade options ranging from 9 to 11 to 13 inches for the fixture I liked. For my 11 x 26 foot kitchen, I got two -- an 11 and a 13 inch shade, with about a 12" drop. But I have a lot of recessed cans as well, just in case. But I like the option of having the ceiling lights on for a different light effect. I also got from Schoolhouse Electric a sconce, specially wired with a pull chain, and they were so great, they sent me an email and gave me a call to make sure that the pull chain was in the right orientation. The fixtures arrived beautifully packed, and I love the polished nickel finish. Well, that's just a plug to say how great they were, and they had a multitude of shade sizes.

I will mention that the rejuvenation site has a feature where you can see what the fixture and shade you like looks like in the scale of the room. That might help you make your decision.

That's looks beautiful circuspeanut! I am not sure what to put above my sink, as it is only 3 feet wide and flanked by upper cabinets.

Hi Evilbunnie! I have studied both those websites. I've been looking for old, vintage fixtures but am wasting too much time looking for something perfect at the right price. I may have to give up and get something new since I am running out of time.

I love it, you guys! I have an old house and don't like recessed cans or a lot of light, either! This is the right thread for me.

I'd put a single (probably multi-bulb) fixture in the middle of the room except for the fact that I'm planning to put a table in there somewhere, and it definitely won't be centered. Would you worry about that?

I should also mention that sometimes these places have items that aren't mentioned in the catalog.

I just had a pendant made with a custom wiring option not mentioned anywhere -- not even hinted at -- in the catalog. If there's something specific you've been looking for, like a shade or your house has a quirk, it's always worth asking. I'm SO glad I did!

I'm now smug girl, getting exactly what I want! Now I want everybody to be just as smug!

You can also mix and match shades with any company. Buy the fixture you like, and then get the shade somewhere else (assuming it's a standard fitter).

People with old houses laugh at words like "centered", "matched" and "level". I just made a good-faith point at my ceiling, and that's where my pendant is going. Over the hundreds of years the house has been there and will be there, the table has changed positions dozens, even hundreds of times. I can't worry about it. Lamps. That's the ticket.

Low light also hides the cracks in the plaster. And the dust.

I've found that you can dig up tons of glass globes on eBay, etc, but the fitters are much harder to find and you might as well order those new with new UL-listed wiring. I think it's a good compromise. :)

Ceiling fixture from Schoolhouse, shade from eBay, placement as per Growlery, i.e. just by thumb:

I've found the most vintage globes for the 4" and 6" fitter sizes, for what it's worth.

Maureen, I think a single pendant would be just swell over your sink. Mine are 8" and the ceiling globe is 12", if that gives you a reference point.

Here is a link that might be useful: mixed riches on eBay

I think I have 100 watt in each, but I don't remember - Ours are Rejuvination and they have a larger fixture and I have a picture of it somewhere when we held it up it looked nice in the picture so it isn't helpful as we took a vote on here and everyone liked the size but me but it was just too large for a small room. I exchanged it for the smaller size (they were very very nice about it).

The center of the room is well lit, but the corners where the cabinets are are the problem. We'll probably put 4 tiny 3 inch (maybe 4 inch) recessed lights in when we can access the attic but luckily we can access it at some point. How our kitchen is set up, two would have been two many - one had been there but we moved it over. One is fine, but just a drop too dark. The open fixture over the sink gives off a lot of light. Our logic was lets put the two in and we'll put recessed in the living room later so we can always do the kitchen at the same time. We just put some Halo in the basement and my husband was very pleased DIY with working with them (but I bought the 4 inch fully enclosed and they were $$$). In less you are hiring a contractor, you don't have to do everything at once.

I'm feeling very smug myself, growlery. I've spent countless hours on ebay, recently too much time searching lights in the "antique" category and haven't checked "lighting" since the weekend.

So, I just clicked on circuspeanut's link and and saw a new listing and snagged it up! Thanks circuspeanut - it looks alot like yours). DH and the electrician can check the wiring. (I hope link works). $35!

Maybe a small, bell-shaped shade over the sink?

Thanks again - I am smug and inspired!

Here is a link that might be useful: My new light

Yay for you! I didn't know you were into the ebay thing, but I did buy a number of vintage fixtures and shades on ebay (including one GIANT schoolhouse shade -- it's 19" wide!! For 50 bucks!! But it's TOO HUGE -- so if anyone wants it, I'm willing to share with my GW friends).

The only concern I will share is that I don't know if the electrical inspectors will pass you with the vintage fixtures, even if they are rewired. I think I recall folks on this board (igloochic?) saying that they installed very bare-bones bare bulb fixtures for the inspection, then changed the fixtures out to the vintage ones, because the inspectors didn't want to pass anything without a UL label. I plan to do that in my bathroom, with my crazy gorgeous vintage fixture. It'll never pass, but it's been rewired.

But YOU GO GIRL! Make that Ebay work for you!

I'm glad you started this thread! I've been dying for answers to my kitchen lighting and found some good ideas here!

The problem with the ebay one is getting a matching one over the sink - ours, with the bell shape, are from Rejuvination - they are more than ebay, but the one you are looking at isn't rewired and you will have to have that done, if your husband cannot so between that and shipping, its an added expense (nor can you return it if you don't like it). We bought a living room light from ebay - never again - love the fixture which was rewired (wish they just left it), but we will redo it as it is missing parts - so be careful - it also took over a month to get here and smelled of smoke. It was all glass and I couldn't find anything like it new or I'd prefer new. The lights are more of a splurg, but if you only need two, it really isn't so bad. You can also buy the shade at HD/Lowes and go for a cheaper one - I did that as I had a gift card to School House electric and their shades were crazy expensive so I got one for $8 or so at HD - they told me HD didn't sell them that small but they did (they just didn't know vs. not telling me the truth as they are very nice) if you want clear vs painted.

Maureen, hey, good score! Actually it does look like it's been rewired, so you're probably OK with the Lawman. :)

Sprengle1, thank you for asking re. my fixtures - sorry I overlooked your question - the one at the main sink is the Moen Aberdeen in copper, and the one you probably mean is at my prep sink, the Kohler Essex in vibrant brazen bronze.

MMmm, cookies, are those springerle often anise flavored? I love those.

Rewiring old lights is pretty inexpensive. Your right, pcjs, one is always taking a chance with a used fixture. My neighbors have a bunch of cheap lights they put up when their house was being inspected - I could borrow some from them if anyone frowns on my vintage lights.

I was hoping someone would pipe up and correct me, and tell me that the vintage fixtures would pass, and I wouldn't need the new faker fixtures. I don't want to go thru all that work 2x.

What's funny is that my house has many of the 70-year old lights, and they still function. Should that make me crazy? Some are pretty, and some are pretty ugly, but that'll be something I address later.

Maureen, are you all done now with the kitchen lighting?

Evilbunnie - I am on the look-out for a smaller fixture, with an old-brass finish to hang above the sink, maybe something with a floral design, flush-mount or hanging 8-10 inches or so. Are you putting your sconce above the sink? Sounds wonderful.

We still have some cloth wires running through this place. I don't know if we are having any sort of inspection, I'm going to check with my GC. He specializes in historic restoration, so I don't think he's going to be afraid of an old light. He restored a house recently where the basement was full of black rat snakes. They had to pile them in buckets and release them.

That's what I'd do or you can buy really cheap lights if it is such an issue - some lights you just can't buy new, but the school house you can. I prefer new, if possible. Be careful with the old wiring as some can't handle all the new appliances, lights, and electricity.... we have a few crazy wiring things running through our house but my husband is slowly reworking them... his friend came out once to help and the look on his face was funny as they weren't expecting to find it so bad... that's what you get in a 60 year old house but they are both CA guys and not used to old houses - husband finally is. :) When your GC is looking around, you might want to replace the worst of it (and slowly redo the rest)

Thanks, circuspeanut! That's the line I'm thinking of getting, but one handle. Nice that it stood out to me!

As for me, I'm just as sweet as those cookies! Ha!

I have a mix of antique and new lighting in the house. The first inspector had a cow when he saw the antique lights...he loved them, wanted to know where to get them and then when told they were restored antiques (rewired by a UL Certified electrician) he told me they'd not pass unless I had each fixture UL Certified (a few thousand per fixture). I had no qualms about hanging crap, really ugly $3 light fixtures all over the house, whatever was on killer clearance sales :)

In the end, that inspector didn't do the final, and the guy who did didn't even glance at the lights since he started inthe library which has reproduction lighting. But you hang them at your own risk...they might ask and hold up your whole house, plus they'll expect to see new fixures to do a final. Easier to just swap out later in my mind :) Which is exactly what I did.

I purchased a lot of my fixtures from ebay and restored them myself. But I did have the wiring done by a UL certified inspector. They noticed things I wouldn't have if I'd have done them (ie the condition of the ceramic portions of the fixture looked fine to me, turns out they were a shock hazard and had to be changed). But really...maybe it added 20 bucks to each fixture, which is cheap for reassurance that it's safe.

Now on to the OP question...first I personally think it's not enough light at all, and would be concerned about resale. It's better to do this stuff now than to wait until the ceilings are back up. In any room you need multiple sources of lighting, and especially so in a kitchen. Task lighting is key as is ambient. I'd do more than one...and I have a 14" shade in my 6x9 bathroom...it looks great :) (DH says to hurry dinner is on...Gotta go!)

Evilbunnie:

I think it depends.

My electrician is MEAN. And he is his town's inspector. I thought he might throw my vintage fixtures (some with original wiring) at my head. (They had been taken to a good lamp shop ahead of time.)

So I let him look them over ahead of time, prepared to get them fixed to his specs, or take them back, hide them away and replace them after he'd gone.

But the meanie-who-does-excellent-work-so-I-put-up-with-his-snarling didn't make a peep.

So maybe, as with most things, you need to have to have an alphabet full of plans. Don't assume they'll reject anything old. But I wouldn't spring it on them either.

It's never the fight you expect ...

Everyone should have a good neighborhood lamp shop that stocks hard-to find parts, quirky shades and will rewire anything -- cheap. The best place to ask about one is a local antiques mall or good small low-end shop.

Hey! Thank you igloo and growlery! That is very helpful. I feel like I can do almost anything, but the electrical stuff scares me a bit. I was there for the rough-in inspection, and I recall the electrical inspector was not a happy-go-lucky guy -- in fact, he was more of an in-need-of-some-serious-metamucil kinda guy -- so I would probably take the conservative approach and install the cheapie fixtures for the inspection. And I think I have a line on a good lamp shop. Thanks again, and thanks to maureen for letting me hijack!