I love that sink !! I hope I can help a little. I have open shelves flanking my 30" wide old soapstone sink. It has an 8" high backsplash. I have a wall sconce above my sink. I placed the bottom of the open shelves 15" above the counter. I am glad as I wanted to be able to set things on the counter and not have the shelves "feel claustophobic". I think the 2nd light fixture will be great , one on each side. The first one is way way to big...at least I think so. I wouldn't do just one in the center but if you use that big one you could do that. I don't know what other colors are going to be in your kitchen but I love that green fixture. Here is a pic of the sink area and the shelves. Caroline

Trailrunner great counters and sink! Thanks for the help.

I love the green sconce also . . . but I don't want to box myself into a particular color scheme. I'm planning on soapstone counters so the black porcelain would blend. The plan thus far is creamy cabinets with white bead board, white trim and sherwin williams milk pail paint on the rest of the walls. I just love the mix of these colors in lanugget's kitchen's below! Lanugget I hope you don't mind . . . but I'm using your color scheme as my inspiration. We live on opposite coasts so I think it will be okay if our kitchens are similar : )
{{!gwi}}

Hummm My backsplash is 12" . . . so should I start the wall sconces 4" above the backsplash and then start the shelf approximately 4" above the wall sconces?

Judydel, can I just tell you how hard I tried to make that very sink work in my new kitchen?!?!? I am so jealous!!

My lighting designer told me that two lights over the sink is the way to go because it eliminates a lot of shadows, so I think your idea of putting one over each of the drainboards is the way to go.

The proportions on the second fixture are very pretty. What kind of light output will you get from it? Do you need the bigger ones?

I too love the green color. That's that 30's green which is so hard to describe. It wouldn't look all that good with Trailrunner's walls, but it'll go with an awful lot! Including what I can see in your inspiration picture. Why not go for that cheery bit of color as an accent? The black housing looks too visually heavy for the location to me.

As to the shelf heights, since they're for display, instead of counting up from the sink, I'd count down from the tops of the hutches. Do you have some of the jars and pots on hand to measure?

I'd like the tops of the displayed items to remain below the tops of the hutches, and if the hutches have crowns, to keep them mostly below the start of the crowns. No biggie if the neck of a vase pokes up, and maybe have about 4" clear of the top of the middle sized piece. Then have the lower shelf a similar distance down as from the top shelf to the crown, or maybe a few inches lower, depending on how much space there is to work with.

There are lots of other ways to work this. Above is just how I see it in my head over my (imaginary) sink.

Plllog,

Well actually the sink of your dreams is going into my combination mudroom/pantry. When I stand in the kitchen at the stove (located in a peninsula) I'll be able to see the sink through a 42" doorway. I know it will make me smile. My husband is an avid gardener so this is will be the drop off point for his baskets of veggies. I'm sorry you couldn't make it work in your design : ( I've been drooling over it for about a year and I'm finally ready to order it. I have to tell the electrician soon where to wire for the sconces, hence my current questions about lights and locations.

Below is a photo of the sink that I'm ordering for the main kitchen (Brass and Traditional Sinks from UK.) I'll use the left bay for my drying rack (I like to handwash my pots/pans, china, tuperware, utencils that I reuse often, etc. The inside dimensions of the left bay is 13" and the right bay is 23". They are 9" deep.

As I said there will be glass front hutches flanking the pantry sink and across from that area will be this antique hutch.

I REALLY LOVE LANUGGET'S KITCHEN. SO IF I'M GOING OFF TRACK AND NOT HEADING TOWARDS THAT FEELING WITH THE CHOICES I'M POSTING I'D LOVE FEEDBACK

judydel, is the sink a new one or a reproduction? It looks almost exactly like the one in my kitchen that we found in a barn. We added 2 lights above the sink. One above each drainboard. They really light up the area well. Our main light in the kitchen is a fairly large schoolhouse light in the center of the room above our table.

Currently I only have free standing cupboards in my kitchen but have been seriously thinking about adding a run of base cupboards along one wall, both for storage and counter space. Was thinking of using zinc for the top. My thought was to add either opening shelving or a glass doored unit above that area. So...I will be following this thread closely. :-)

Just went out to see if I had any pictures of the sink/kitchen and found some that I have posted in the past. We bought 3 matching light fixtures on ebay. Two we installed above the sink like you are considering and the 3rd one we put above the stove.

As far as work space goes, yes it can be a challenge. That is why I am considering adding a run of base cupboards along the outside wall, from the corner by the sink along the wall where the window is. I had thought the open shelves or glass doored unit above in the corner between the window and corner. I do use the drain board on the right side of the sink for a lot of my prep. I also use the table quite often.

The corner cupboard that is currently there was in the house originally and we had started to strip and repaint. The PO scraped a section of paint down to bare wood, or we would have finished it differently as the layer of mustard paint was really neat, all crackly. We got the inside done, but as you can see, I didn't get too far on the outside. There is at least 5 coats of paint, red, blue, green, mustard, and white that I know of for sure! We did put the doors back on the bottom. But it really does not give much room for storage and no counter top space.

As far as the refrigerator goes, some things just have to be. We decided on black/ss appliances as they seemed to fit better than anything else. It being impossible to disguise the appliances without built in cupboards. (Since the picture was taken we have replaced the microwave with a black/ss one.) Sorry to ramble on...

I definitely think you are on the right track with your plans. I can't wait to see how your mudroom/pantry turns out. Please keep us posted. My changes are only in the planning stages and will have to wait for a while, as we are building a garage this spring.

Judydel,

I think you're doing just fine with your finishes. It's not going to be any kind of reproduction of what I see in the picture you posted of Lanugget's kitchen, but rather an interpretation of it that is you. Which, in my opinion, is as it should be.

Re the color of the fixtures, yeah, my opinion is that the black, which it matches the soapstone, etc., is weighty over the airy-legged white sink. And color makes people look better. :) I'm not saying to paint the walls green. Just be open to a few shots of color to liven up all the neutrals. But if a lot of your pantry, gardening and outerwear items are bold, bright and colorful, they'll do the trick there, and it becomes mostly about the heaviness of the black. I don't suppose they come in chrome? That would be neutral, period, and not so weighty...

But I'm rooting for the green mostly because you said you loved the green. If you had said you were showing us that for the shape even though you hate the color, I'd understand and agree that the black goes.

But, oh, how luxurious to have a mudroom that accommodates that sink! We don't have mud, therefore no mudroom. Just a slider right into the kitchen, and a laundry room barely bigger than the machines...

We definitely have sink simpatico. I love your kitchen sink too. Really love it. I finally decided that no matter how much I prefer porcelain sinks, I really need cast iron and chose a couple of Kohler enamels. I just hope I'm going to be happy with them. :) I actually think I'm happier now that I've seen your sinks and know that they'll be out there being loved. :)

Love the antique too. Do you know its history?

Judydel,

Below is my farm sink in my old kitchen before we built our new kitchen addition. My shelf was probably 8" or 9" deep and it was high enough that I didn't feel like I was going to hit my head on it (it was maybe 5 1/2 feet from the floor. If you use shallower shelves, I think they could be lower. I love trailrunner's low shelves, but they flank the sink...I'm not sure I'd want them that low if they ran across the whole width.

I love both the sconces you picked out. The top one looks more like a bathroom fixture to me though. I can't wait to see your progress!

This is a GREAT thread!!!! I am drooling over these kitchens. Mary_lu you have my new inspiration kitchen. Thank you all for posting such great pics and ideas!

Shelves are useful at any level.

You could put one right at the top of the backsplash, if you wanted.

One thing my cabinet maker did that was good was to cut away the lowest shelf so that it wouldn't be "in my face". Like go from 8-9 inches to 4 inches, back to front. (This would also be so on a very low shelf to make sure it would clear a high arched faucet.)

It also offers some variety in the shelves so they don't look slabby.

I LOVE my shelves! Madly. My only regret is I didn't do more. I should have done the whole wall.

I like the shape of the wider sconce, but I think two foot-wide sconces are going to be HUGE. Maybe there's a diminutive option out there. Try salvage.

Arlosmom: This is a case where I think the "before" is just perfect! Though I recall your after is pretty sensational too.

Well ... like, the problem is that the fixture isn't high enough to throw useful light into the sink. In the images above, the fixture is about 30" to 36" above the surface level. You can't get enough height without removing a shelf.

What about hidden pucks inset into a thick shelf or edge the shelves with an ornate molding that hides an ultra-thin fluorescent? You can put the fixtures toward the edge that faces the room and get clear, even light across the entire surface.

I have just a tiny bit of trouble envisioning deco mixed with schoolhouse. It's not helping that the specific fixtures are readily identifiable as bathroom fixtures around here. The late 1920's-40's building boom using this style of fixture means every other home has this in at least one bathroom. I have seen kitchens with those fixtures directly over the sink or the range, but not often.

Judydel - LOVE that sink. I tried to fit one like that into my space, but it was too big.

I agree that the bottom of the light fixture should be at least 30" above the sink to get any value from them. I'm not sure how that messes with your plan.

Also, I am very flattered that you have been inspired by my kitchen, what a great compliment.

As for your fixtures, I don't think the black would look too heavy, I'm just wondering if it's the weightiness of the fixture itself? I'm attaching a link to Schoolhouse electric fixtures. Specifically the Sage, Martin & Sullivan all come in either black or white porcelain and you can also choose from a number of shades and finishes to customize.

thanks Lanugget

Here is a link that might be useful: schoolhouse electric

MaryLu I love your sink! You must have been so happy to find it in the barn when you bought the house. And that white hutch and victorian trim is sooooo pretty. You're kitchen already has a great look . . . I can't wait to see what you do next.

Pllog thank you for all of your kind words. Regarding the antique hutch . . . my husband bought it when he was 18 year old 38 years ago. He moved furniture at the time. He said that this hutch was in the "maid's quarters". He also bought the matching table and chairs, which I use now in my office. The wood is walnut and I'm guessing that they are well over 100 years old.

Bmorepanic I didn't even realize I was thinking of mixing deco with schoolhouse. I've never seen any of the deco fixtures in anyones house and didn't realize they were bathroomy and wouldn't go. Thanks for the heads up.

I must tell you all that we built this addition September of 2007. We are now just getting around to finishing it. Last month my DH left his job at AT&T. They are laying off thousands so he took their early buy out offer. After 21 years he decided to call it quits. He'll have to find another job (he's only 56) but first he wants to take this as an opportunity to finish off all of the projects in the house. And believe me we have many. I'm not happy that DH is currently unemployed, but I am VERY excited to be working on the project again.

I've been playing with my DD's cool camera and have taken a bunch of photos. I'm posting them on another thread called "Judydel's work in progress". I'll just keep updating as I go along. You may or may not be interested . . . but just so you know that is what I'm doing : )

I knew figuring out the lighting and shelves above the sink would be hard, that's why I've asked for advice. Grrrrrrrr, if I have to go with 30" above the sink then I don't think sconces will work out. If I do sconces I'm afraid that the shelves will be too high and I want to be able to use the stuff on the shelves and not just have it be display. This is my inspiration shelving photo.

{{!gwi}}

My DH thinks that it would be easier to just put in a couple of small spot lights over the drainboards. This is the schoolhouse light centered with the sink. Maybe he's right.

Lanugget I like those fixtures that you suggested . . . just wondering if I should nix the whole sconce idea and do functional spots. Although, I also like the "olivet" on the link that you sent. I wonder if olivet would work just above the backsplash centered over the sink. It can take up to two 100 watt bulbs.

Also consider when you look at some of these fixtures that you can change their orientation depending on how they're installed.

By installing the fixture "upside down" or "sideways", or twisting the shade in a groove (you can't always do this, it's often fixed in a spot) you can often get it to cast light the way you want.

It is also worth asking the company if they can make any special adaptations to fit your requirements, if the fixture is really close to your ideal except for just one little thing.

There was a thread awhile back that veered off into how much light one needed in a kitchen. Only you know how much you like or need. Anything over 40 watts has me fumbling for the Ray Bans. If I actually decide I DO need to perform surgery in my kitchen, I can plug a in a lamp.

Growlery LOL . . . "If I actually decide I DO need to perform surgery in my kitchen, I can plug a in a lamp." That's just so funny. I guess I am a surgeon wannabe cuz I really like a brightly lit kitchen when I'm working. But I don't like glare, or light in my eyes. The worst though is shadows (like when an overhead light is behind you), which is the case with this farm sink. The overhead light is behind me so I need more. Thanks for the laugh.

Happy to oblige. It is frustrating trying to make all the bits work together.

I actually almost suggested the olivet, but thought your heart was set on porcelain! Something on the wall will cast a nice light on a backsplash, the brackets, and anything you have hanging. (My opinions on undercabinet lighting are well documented here.)

I think you are correct in that light should come from all directions.

You know, they make bulbs that are blacked out on one side, so you can direct the light away from your eyes and not blind yourself, but not have an ugly fixture.

Buyouts are a leap. There have been a lot of buyouts and layoffs at my company this year. It is a good thing you both have this to throw yourselves into together, and he has projects of his own!