Hi Anita,

You have a couple options - the first would be two cans, we have two cans and they work great - not overkill, but it is a large bay window.

{{!gwi}}

Your second option, if you want to use a pendant is to use a flat pancake box that straddles the joist and is the same thickness as your drywall.

Good Luck!

"Your second option, if you want to use a pendant is to use a flat pancake box that straddles the joist and is the same thickness as your drywall."

Exactly, they make boxes for this sole purpose. They are called "Pancake Boxes" and are 1/2" deep.

I could have centered one can light over the sink, but decided to put 2 smaller cans instead. It is not overkill at all. I'd go with the 2 smaller cans.
Barb

Either would work fine. You could use two small can lights. Or, since I think pendant lights look best in groups of three anyway, you could add more over the sink that matches the two you already have. I think that would look fantastic!

you could also stick a valence up over your sink and that would mask whatever light(s) you wanted to put behind it. you could get one that matches your cabinetry, or use some kind of fabric, depending on what style works with your kitchen.

we have two cans lights in our sink bay area and they are centered on the space not on the sink. having two makes the light wash together to make more uniform light vs. having a spotlight effect. i think having two is great. I personally would not do a pendant if you are already doing two over your island. I think it would be too much going on.

We decided on pendants over the sink wall cabinet run. We also have a few can lights.

What about surface mounted track lighting? You can mount these with a pancake box. May not be the look you want, however.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lightolier example

You have gotten lots of good advice with a few possible options...But you wanted photos, so here are our 2 pendants over the sink with schoolhouse pendants in the main kitchen and over the table:

We had the same problem and went with 2 cans. The main kitchen has 6 inch and we put 4 inch above the sink.

Why not a ceiling light fixture that fits flush against the ceiling? Some are very shallow and would not protrude down by more than an inch.

We had the same issue and put up one light, off center. We were too dumb to think of alterntives and didn't even realize the issue until the electrician hit the beam. No one has ever noticed it, and I spent too much time looking out my garden window to think about it!

We put 3 cans over our sink and then 2 pendants inside the bay. Our window area is about 7-1/2' wide (b/w cabinets) by 42" deep (from edge of counter to window).

We have 4" cans throughout our kitchen. We were going to have 4" cans over the sinks & 5" in the rest of the kitchen, but the 5" didn't fit b/w the ceiling & upper floor! The 4" provide plenty of light.

Pictures (since you asked)...

This shows all 3 cans + pendants...from the side

This one shows only 2 of the cans + pendants...but it's at less of an angle and I think gives a better perspective of their relation to each other & the pendants.

How much space is there between the window trim and the ceiling? A single or double sconce would look nice. I considered it for my kitchen but ended up with a very short double pendant instead.

I would go with either the two smaller cans or the one pendant to match your existing pendants. I don't think you can go wrong either way. Both would be beautiful.