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confused about lighting over sink

14 years ago

Hi,

I have finally decided on light for over my island--I am getting 2 or 3 of the small size Pottery Barn Porter pendants. There are currently 3 pendants, and I have an issue of the ceiling height changing in the middle of my island which may make it hard for 2 to look centered and good.

My kitchen is a U with 76" long island running the length down the middle, sink is 45" away from end of island at the bottom middle of the U.

Currently there is a soffit over the sink with a flat light fixture hidden by some trim. In the remodel we are removing the soffit, which will raise the ceiling height to 9 feet. Should I:

a) just put in a recessed light (or 2) to match the other ceiling lights in the room (I believe they are what you call a can light, a circle recessed into the ceiling)?

b) put in another porter pendant, perhaps in the larger size? I don't want it to look like a parade of lights, but the window over the sink is almost 3 ft tall and almost 4 feet wide so maybe it needs something?

c) put in a pendant but something different to break up the parade?

Thanks for your advice!

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Comments (4)

nuckphoto
14 years ago
My wife and I like a lot of light in the kitchen so we went with decorative fluorescents http://www.homedepot.com/Lighting-Fans-Fluorescent-Lighting-Decorative-Fluorescents/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xhmZarys/R-100654287/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053 but over the sink we used a Tiffany style pendant with an antique bronze finish to match the others. Couldn't find a link to it.

Here is a link that might be useful: decorative fluorescents
formerlyflorantha
14 years ago
NunkPhoto: I seriously considered this yellow-edged fluorescent light. I like it and a similar one also on display at HD, an oval which only came in BIG size and not graduated sizes, sigh.

Enjoy this purchase!

HoneyChurch: I've got a similar situation, have decided to put one pendant in front of each of 3 separated windows on the outside wall (one over the sink) and another two pendants over the peninsula. Friends said "too much, too much" because of 5 vertical hanging cords, but lighting expert said it was good idea. The pendants are unobtrusive little glass bells, not large or of a bright color, and it is my hope that when lighted the bells will give the outside of the house a distinctive look from the curb. (They will be switched so that the center, the outside two, or all three can be on at once on the sink side and two will be switched together on the peninsula.) I'm also using two matching center-of-the-kitchen ceiling-hugging lozenge-shaped lights for general lighting.

In my old kitchen I had a 70s ball globe pendant suspended over the sink. I have always enjoyed it, although once it swung into the window and cracked and had to have globe replaced. I think it's fascinating to see the same fixture now for sale in Ikea, so many years later. The look from the street was always welcoming.
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nuckphoto
14 years ago
"NunkPhoto: I seriously considered this yellow-edged fluorescent light. I like it and a similar one also on display at HD, an oval which only came in BIG size and not graduated sizes, sigh."

Actually it comes in the big oval and a somewhat smaller round one. We used them both. The bronze frames matched our hardware and the yellowish sides went well with the natural maple cabinets.
honeychurch
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the responses! These porter pendants are not exactly unobtrusive, but they are adjustable (on a pulley), so perhaps varying the heights will make it look less like a parade across my kitchen? :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: pendant

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