This thread is leading to unexpected places. We've noticed the relationship between our childhood experiences and our life style or homelife now. And, Flgargoyle is so right to note that you have to balance the elements of a very organized exacting profession with a home style that gives you some breathing room. In my case, working as a librarian for years and years, and being called upon for very proper and perfect language use, I would revert at home to using AIN'T etc. In my home, especially after I began work as a boat captain, I needed to have something alive around me. I began to indulge my passion for container plants. Never have liked fake plants. Over the years, I killed a lot of plants by leaving them outside during the months I was away at work on the oil field boats. These days, I have some favorite container plants that I drag with me, just like the parrots and the dogs, when I travel from Alabama to Massachusetts. I love to use live plants inside the house as part of my decorating. Better something alive around me than another piece of furniture. Right now, I am up north and the plants I could not bring with me for the stay, they are in good hands with a "babysitter." Ever since the show HOARDERS came on TV, I've been questioning myself about clutter. At what point does it become too much. My efforts to keep the house safe to walk around in, find stored items easily, and enjoy the things we have.....that is important to me. I'm not a neat freak. Things don't have to be high dollar, because I enjoy things which are rather primitive or old and abused. I like to have space around things so they will stand out. I also like to have enough storage that I can cycle accessories in and out of the rooms, and they will each have a time to star.

Your post caught my eye because we will face a similar decision with our kitchen remodel. I think it depends on how large your kitchen is and how far the sink is from the island. Also, how bright is your kitchen - as far as other windows go. When I have searched "Kitchen pendant lighting" on houzz and other sites, the pendants tend to just be over the island. And if there is a pendant over the sink, it's usually a very large kitchen. I only found two photos on Houzz - on a quick search just now, to share. In both examples, I tried to find photos with the island relatively close to the sink. (as most of us don't have expansive kitchens as shown in many photos) It's not offensive to me - but I think you need to take your space into consideration. Are your countertops white as well? What about your hardware? I like the lights you chose. Do you need pendants over the sink area? can you just have recessed there? With mine, I worry about too many hanging things…. Here are some examples:

Well, now for something really different... "Different or matchy-matchy ?" may be the wrong question. A much better question would be what's in character with the architecture of my house design? The character of a 1700s Colonial house, for example, is quite different from that of, say, a Modernist design based on the Bauhaus approach. Thus one really needs to understand and use elements which reflect and reinforce the architectural character of the house. Unless of course, one has a McMansion. There's no architecture there, so different or matchy-matchy makes good sense! :-)

ah, I forgot to add the photos! to above