Here's my 2 cents. Try a fan that is white. This way it will visually blend into the ceiling.

I love the wood look ceiling fans. I wanted one in the worst way (I'd drool everytime I'd see one in a magazine) and finally got one for my bedroom. As soon as it was up, I realized that it was a huge mistake. It was visually too prominent and I had to ask my DH (my VERY DH) to return it and get a white one. The white one looks perfect as it does not draw any attention to itself.

Your fan might have white blades on the other side so it might be easy to turn the blades over.

I like the lighting itself and second the suggestion to possibly change the ceiling fan to white blades. Perhaps you can just buy the blades or paint the ones you have to keep DH from having to do wiring again.

One thing I notice is that there is a LOT of white in your kitchen. How about changing out the light shades for something with color? Maybe a colored shade for the two over the bar counter?

Well as far as the too much white goes...we're not done yet. We still need to put in a backsplash. Hence the lack of paint in some spots, I was running out of paint and thought that I didn't need to finish painting between the counter and cabinets. We plan on a light slate or, if I get my way, a colored glass tile. Also I have no trim around my window. So that should take away from the whiteness. I only have "wood" fans, wouldn't white blades be hard to keep clean? The other side of my blades are a light wood color. Would that be better?

>wouldn't white blades be hard to keep clean?

White blades are no harder keep clean than any others. All fans build up dust on the leading edge of the blades. I agree with the others--with all those lights you do not want to make your fan another design element and a white fan will blend in more with the ceiling. It doesn't matter what your backsplash is.

I like the island pendants and you need them (I don't see any other light on that section of the kitchen). You like your ceiling fan (so do I, fwiw). Please don't take offense, but I think the lights above the windows are "off" -- they are a style that I normally think of as above-island, "look at me" pendants. I think perhaps something a bit less visually interesting (obtrusive) might be better in those two locations. Consider plain flushmounts; recessed can lighting; scrapping them altogether and using fabric valances to dress the windows; or using lights in the same style as the island lights to tie them in and have less lighting clutter. (That's my order of preference, but your lighting needs and DH's patience might be a different order). I don't think that changing the fan blades will make that much difference, and I like the wood that you already have, but that's JMO. HTH.

Too many things hanging from the ceiling is exactly the right assessement. If you must keep your fan, (YES to a white one) then eliminate some of the other danglies. Use a valance to hide some recessed cans above the sink. That would be my first choice to eliminate/redo.

I am in agreement with too many hanging fixtures. I think wanting to change light fixtures is a 'good' problem to have, because it's easy! Of course, doing something like live wire oak suggested is more complex with the building of a valance and recessing the cans, but I've changed lighting fixtures myself many times and it is not a complicated wiring task. To change to a flush fixture should take no more than a few minutes. I do like LWO's suggestion, though.

The easiest solutions are to replace the lights over the sink (I feel the same way Blue does about it so I won't re type that) and to make DH's life easier, just replace them with one like the over eating fixtures. The better option would be recessed lighting in one of those two zones (either eating or windows, but not danglies in both).

I am NOT a fan of ceiling fans in a kitchen, so its hard for me to answer that one...I'd remove it immediately, (sanitary issues etc) but since it's not my kitchen :o) Go white. It won't disapear, but it won't be as prominent as well.

I really, really hope that when I am all done, "what I don't like about my new kitchen" is a similarly easy fix. You have a wonderful kitchen there, and if this is the only thing giving you regrets--you've won!

But I do sort of agree with you/others. There are three different kinds of fixtures in one room--and that's a lot.

I think I might try swapping out ONE type of fixture for recessed lights instead. You'd still have all the light you're looking for. You could either swap the fixtures in front of the windows or the pendants over the island. I'd go with whichever would be easier to part with. :-)

I think part of the problem is not that there are too many, it's that they don't match. The style of the lights over the sink is rather contemporary with flaring shades, and the other pendants are more of a classic style with tulip shades. I think I'd almose rather see some sort of low profile flush mount lighting fixture over the bar counter.

I agree with cc. too many that do not match. I do not care for the island fixture over the sink and think that the pendants over the island seem to be too high. The fan really doesn't bother me as much as the island light over the sink. I would rather just have a can light there. If you really like the island light over the sink, use it over the island. please don't take any offense as I am dealing with the same lighting issues( although in the lighting planning stages) it is so very hard to get it right.

soften the look of all the electrical with some very simple window treatments - no ruffles or frills! filling in the large white area above the window with a simple design (like a roman shade) will give a softer look, add some needed color and provide continuity to all of the pieces. the lights and appliances won't look so sterile.
(white is such a clean look...but gan look a bit sterile)
hang them HIGH - close to the ceiling-to give an illusion of a larger window and don't cover more than an inch or two of the window! it will look beautiful!

If I were given the job of "fixing" it, I'd go for a slightly more contemporary look of the front fixtures (in the picture) so that it would match the ones in the background, and also make them higher up.

I would also say, live with it a little bit.

Would it be possible to remove the light fixture from the ceiling fan. I don't think the fan is the problem, it's light fixture. If you need the light, maybe a fixture that was one globe instead of three. Not sure what they are called.

Sort of like this. . .

Though the picture is from several years ago, my kitchen is still very much a work in progress. We moved it from a different part of the house, and didn't want to install new cabinets until everything else was done, as it's part of a total house gut/rebuild project.

The good part is I've had a lot of time to decide what I like and don't like about my proposed layout. We just cut up the old cabinets and hung them "about" where the new stuff would go.

This picture was taken as part of a joke, so ignore the power tools - I posted it to show how the color makes the fans much less noticable.

BTW- the fridge got recessed into the back wall, so it does not stick out like that right now. We might get the cabinets done this winter . . . But now I'm thinking of getting a drop in cook top with a wall oven - back to the drawing board (and in the attic to run another cable).

Cathy

Agree also with your own assessment, JRA, that there are too many things hanging from your ceiling, but disagree that your ceiling fan is uncool. That one makes perfect sense. As for changing, your husband may himself have exactly the same feeling. If he's not up to any significant work, though, how about downsizing everything but the fan to very simple and small pendants hung on tubes, not chains, in colors that blend? The glasses could be in a traditional shape, slightly echoing the fan lights. P.S, nice kitchen!

I agree with bluekitchen, the double lights over sink and work area are the problem. Change them to single pendants to match the island ones and you're done. Switching them out is easy - give dh a week to recover then go for it. He'll _itch for an hour and then it'll be done. If you don't, you'll be unhappy with it forever.

What Rosie said. Make all the hanging fixtures match, and make them simple, no twirly lines. And I'd bring the ones over the island down a bit, I think part of the problem is they're too high, drawing your eye up to the ceiling where too much is going on at the same level. Also, this is something you can probably do yourself if hubby is tired of it--switching out lights is easy and doesn't require any muscle.

I like the contemporary look of the fixtures over the windows. What I'd do is use one of those fixtures over the peninsula, swap out the light kit on the fan (something like the ones in the pix that Macybaby posted).

Over the windows, I'd install an open cabinet (no doors) with a valance attached to the bottom side & tuck a strip fluorescent behind the valance.

Actually, it wouldn't have to be (purchased) cabinet. You could bridge a thick shelf across w/ a valance attached underside. Then, attach nailing cleats to the cabinets & ceiling and (face) frame the opening with material to match the other cabinets. Strip task light attached underneath & some accent lighting inside the new 'cabinet'...or, skip the lighting inside & put cookbooks up there.

You know, have you considered putting one of those double lights from the windows over the island and putting one pendant over each window? That would put the larger fixture in the larger space and the smaller fixtures in the smaller spaces, which might look more proportionate, and it would decrease the number of fixtures you have hanging up there by at least one. It might also bring your focus forward in the kitchen.

Just a thought. It might be a pain to try, but it wouldn't cost anything at all. Any chance anyone could accomplish that with computer wizardry?

Sue