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Need Advice on Pendant over Kitchen Sink

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

We're in the middle of a whole house reno and are a bit stuck on pendant lighting over the kitchen sink. We are looking to put in one pendant over the sink, which has two windows above it (56" total width). Cabinets are standard size. We found the perfect light at Schoolhouse Electric but we're not sure on what size shade to get. Talked to someone at Schoolhouse Electric and they recommended a 10" shade but we're not sure if a 12" wouldn't look/'fit' better in the space, seeing as there are two windows. I've mocked up some paper shades (too hard to get a good feel for the shade with just a 2d drawing) but we're still undecided. Am going to try the balloon mock up next.

If anyone has any pictures (I've scoured the web but can never seem to find the actual shade size info in any of the pics I've found) of 10" and 12" pendants over kitchen sinks, could you please post them and ANY/ALL advice is appreciated too.

Also, our ceilings are 8', and we're thinking of hanging the light so the bottom of the shade is 23" from the ceiling, which puts it 37" off the counter. It seems like a good height to us ... thoughts?

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Comments (3)

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MDLN
8 years ago
Had the same type of question, I put a barn light over my sink and went with the larger size because I wanted it to be more of a statement piece than just "background" lighting. Am happy with my decision.
anneelk thanked MDLN
amg765
8 years ago
Ikea sells cheap pendants in various sizes. If you are comfortable swapping out fixtures yourself you could put one in as a placeholder, live with for a week or two until you decide if it's the right size and then order the Schoolhouse Electric one.
anneelk thanked amg765
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The sink is an old double bowl farmhouse sink. The faucets will be wall mounted on the 8" backsplash. The counter space on either side are the same height. The 1st and 3rd window are full sized and the middle window is shorter on the bottom to allow for the 8" backsplash. Initially, my designer wanted to leave that as wall but I really want as much light as possible and can't see standing at the sink and seeing only wall or cabinet so I pushed for the shorter window. On the outside I will build a flowerbox to mask the different length of window. It will look something like the link below (same sink, same faucet, maple counter), only less expensive ;) I can't comment on the structural questions. It isn't my forte. But, the three windows are replacing an old picture window that leaks like a sieve so there will actually be more support in the new frames than is currently there now. Angie, thanks for the comment on bulbs. I will get a selection of different kinds to try them out. To confirm, as long as I stay below the full wattage (40W) I will be safe. The output will vary by type of bulb. Do I have that right? Here is a link that might be useful: [My south wall inspiration[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/repurposing-a-salvaged-sink-traditional-kitchen-burlington-phvw-vp~382928)
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anneelk
Original Author
8 years ago
The kitchen space hasn't been created yet because we don't have the building permit yet because we need a zoning variance but can't get that till we go to the zoning board meeting in a few weeks and all of this has put us about 7 weeks behind and a few thousand more in cost. Gaaa. So while it would be nice to actually try out some things in the actual space, we're doing the next best thing ... our bathroom has a double window w/walls on either side and the space is very close in size to the sink area that will be in the kitchen. The paper shades weren't quite doing it so I hunted around in the basement and found a 10" (across the bottom) shade and a 13" (across the bottom shade) that we alternately tacked up on a ribbon into the ceiling in our bathroom. We've gotten input from several people, including the folks at Schoolhouse Electric, to go with the 10". While I don't think we'd have a problem with it I do think we'll always be like "ahhh, should have gone just a tad bigger". Since it is the only fixture in the kitchen (the rest is recessed and under-cabinet lighting) we're leaning towards the 12", making it more of a statement piece.

Thanks for the replies, greatly appreciate the input!

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