I think it's personal preference. Out island is also around 6 foot 3 inches long but only about 3 feet 4 inches wide. We have two pendant lights 7 inches in diameter (just remeasured now to be sure :-) ) and they work fine. Four inches wide do sound narrow but if you have three they could work. I think astectically, any more than 3 would detract from the island. The article below includes pictures of the lighting above our new island, the first two of which shows the pendants about the island if it helps. Dan Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Remodeling - Part 8 - Lighting Selection

I don't have a picture, but our two pendants over a 5' maple island seem a little inadequate. It depends on the pendants, of course. Mine are Porter Pendants from PB, the smaller sized ones. They take a 60 watt bulb each. The kitchen is all white, so it reflects light well, and there are plenty of high wattage recessed halogens in the rest of the ceiling, though spaced over 4' away, so not directly lighting the island. My eyes aren't as good as they used to be, so that may be part of it. But the areas under the recessed halogens are much brighter, and I gravitate to working under those instead. There are a bunch of factors involved in good lighting, including angle of spread, number of fixtures, distance from surface to be lit, color of surface, brightness of bulbs, etc. If unsure, I'd go with more rather than less. I don't think I've ever heard anyone complain about too much light! Here is a link that might be useful: Porter Pendant

Thanks! Btw, alku05 I love your counters. Are they marble or granite? We're looking for a creamy granite that looks like marble (I can't take the etching!). Yes, Rhome, I agree we're kind of on the boarder between 2 does the job and needs 3. We won't have any other pendants in the kitchen, but we will have recessed lights around the perimter of the island. Since the island is so large, I just don't want those pendants to looked dwarfed by the island. At the same time, I don't want the pendants to look too clustered together. I figure that if we do 3 pendants, we can hang the 2 outer ones about 18 inches on center in from the edges of the island, and put the 3d in between those 2 so that edge to edge, they are about 38" apart. If we did 2 pendants, then we could hang the 2 outer ones about 24 inches on center from the edges of the island, and that would leave 76 inches between the edges of the 2 pendants. Is that too far a gap? Is the 38" too close together? The kitchen itself is pretty large (17x24). It's funny how many "little" decisions there are to agonize about. This is just one of many, but I'm sure you all know that!

Thank you Stacy......but I think perhaps I needed more than you is BC I have seating on two sides, to allow for the 15" corner leg room. mamma goose......again you have come me up with excellent reminders and suggestions. (0) from your diagrams and suggestions...... I like the 12" broom closet, orientation of island long 80" parallel to long wall, keeping the counter depth old sub zero, trash bin around prep area, using almost 70" of stud wall for cans and spices. (1). I have though of using that blank wall for can goods, but do not know if using the 2x4 stud wall is deep enough. Wouldn't the depth be even less if I finish the inner wall? The studs are sitting out from a cement brick wall behind that which is the back of a fireplace on the living room side. There use to be white bricks where the stud wall is now, the bricks were taken out BC when they were next to where the double oven use to be, the bricks were awful to say the least. We added the stud wall to replace of the bricks....it is still in stud form only. Can't think of how this could be accomplish. Would the opening be like a cabinet door or a pair of sliding doors. Keeping in mind the pantry door and a French door will all be on the same wall. (2) I will have to use the broom closet for a 10" X 12" vaccum plus a hand held convertible to a stick. So I think the 12" for the broom closet is very good. (3) re the hood yes it is only as wide as the stove top :( But it is powerful and there is plenty of air intake, big kitchen window 3'x6'.....plus open concept large family room with two big openable windows, one that is 9' wide. And the stove top is gas :( And I think I am restricted to have tall cabinets to one side of it only. (4) I do not have any existing cabinets. But what is a super susan? The old Susan I use to have, the whole corner cabinet spun around including the fronts, which was divided into a shorter upper and a taller lower, but I don't think they are making those fabulous things anymore. I had a dumb waiter which regretfully is gone. I had an appliance lift which I never felt comfortable using, that is gone also. I had board pullouts next to my old stove and fridge which were very useful but I was told that they are too expensive to have and no one has them now. Btw, what does w/ROTS mean? Also in your diagram, is that a dead space beside the super susan? (5) yes having the long side of island parallel to the long wall is good, will do that. I do not mind having the fridge on the left side of the sink....(in fact I like that)...but then if I step back and see the tall cabinets on one end of the L and the tall 7' fridge on the othe end of the L.....wouldn't that look odd, with no upper cabinets? Would it help if the broom closet is to the left side of the sink and the fridge stays on the long wall along with the ovens? (6) with the dimensions of this kitchen, would I need a prep sink on the island? I do not mind walking at all, just wondering what the usual practice is. (7) I will read all those links you have here. Thanks! To the comments that I should get a KD, all the cabinet makers here will do that but I find they are in such a hurry and usually will try to pressure you to commit to them on the spot. There is a building boom here right now. I want to work things out more or less first before I commit to a cabinet company. I learn the hard way when I did my basement kitchen. And I am getting so many excellent ideas from so many bright lights on this thread! This way I can take time to plan it all out and then fine tune it. Plus if I have a plan in place when I shop around, then it is comparing apples to apples. :)