Help with overhead lighting in galley-style kitchen!
Hi everyone! I’m a first-time poster who could use some overhead lighting suggestions for my kitchen remodeling project.
I’m converting a closed floor plan into an open one with a “galley” style kitchen with island. The cabinets will be Shaker style, being in white for the main ones and a rich beige for the island. The wall paint color will be Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter. The countertops will be [Cambria Berwyn[(https://www.houzz.com/products/houzz-photo-prvw-vr~17427155). Above the island will be three [Possini Raindrop Chrome Mini Pendant Light[(https://www.houzz.com/products/possini-raindrop-chrome-finish-mini-pendant-light-prvw-vr~1431135) pendants, each of which is just 6.25" wide (other views are here, here, and here). There will be cabinet overhang on the side facing the living room as well as the “back” side toward the balcony. The pole is for electric to comply with pesky codes, since we can't run wiring under the concrete floor.
I’m struggling with what to do in terms of overhead lighting given all of this. As you can see in the photos, in the closed floorpan, one fixture was a fluorescent (roughly 22”) and the other was a strange dining table fixture. I’ve thought about flush mounted fixtures as well as flexible track lighting. Some of my concerns and considerations are:
• The pendants will hang from the soffit, which already hangs down 12" (from 8' ceilings).. That has lots of implications: pendants hanging somewhat lot hanging lower, obstruction of light from the “main” fixtures, etc.
• The ceilings are concrete, so wiring needs to come from one or both of the existing apertures. We can't go drilling to put in new wiring--at least not there. (Conceivably, we could run electrical along the top of the cabinets though.)
• I’m a little concerned about things looking too “busy,” especially with the pendants already there. This isn’t a big space. For example, I think more discrete lights is better, but something like this might just be overload, especially if I'm striving for a more modern look.
• Some of the track lighting products can hang down as much as a foot. One example that I otherwise liked is this. I'm trying to think about what the sight lines will be--for example, for someone sitting on the couch, looking into the kitchen and past the pendants. I don't have a good idea of what will work.
I feel like lighting could make or break how this space turns out, so I'd love to know what you all think I should do—other than drink less diet ginger ale :). The unit gets an OK amount of indirect light (well, as much as an urban condo surrounded by other condo buildings can).
Comments (12)
- 9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
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Lighting for tiny galley kitchen?
Comments (8)I like your HD light. A few random comments: 1. Have you looked at Rejuvenation and Schoolhouse Electric websites (Schoolhouse also has a showroom in NYC) for ideas? Your light is similar enough in style that you might find something yummy there (I'm a sucker for schoolhouse light pendants myself). Rejuvenation's in particular is very helpful; most internet sites don't seem to understand that photographing a light with a white shade on a white background isn't actually a helpful way of displaying the product :) 2. I second the recommendation for undercab lighting. You can get light rails smaller than 2 inches, and smallish xenon puck or fluorescent light strip type lights that will fit. GW'rs can help finding the right size! I like the undercab lights on dimmers for when you want some light but not too much (dinner party, midnight snack, 6 am and I still haven't had my second cup of coffee, dark dreary day, etc). 3. A lot of people like two matching lights above a sink on the theory that you don't end up casting a shadow on to your dishes. 4. I don't think there's a better way to light a large kitchen than cans, and they are unobtrusive, so designers use them when they want people to focus on other things such as the cabinets and the granite. Also, CA has effectively mandated the use of fluorescents in cans (unless we want to go back to the 1980s light boxes). That doesn't mean you need them. 5. I think that in a tiny kitchen, 2-3 fun (highly decorative, not highly functional) mini-pendants would add just the right touch. HTH....See MoreGalley kitchen lighting options
Comments (1)I just re-did a galley kitchen. Mine is in sunny SoCal and has greenhouse-style windows over the sink and in the breakfast area so we have good ambient light during the day. My approach was a 14" central solar tube (which I LOVE!), a small fan with lights in the breakfast area, under cabinet lights along the long wall, a pendant low-wattage light over the sink (I don't like harsh light), two recessed cans & a light kit in the solar tube for the evenings, and the four xenon lights that are incorporated in the hood on the short cooking wall that end in a peninsula. This has worked well for me. I prefer warm and diffuse light. Because of that I find a combo of the breakfast area light + either the sink or range light (depending on where the activity is) provide good soft light. I rarely use the recessed lights and the 60 watts (all CFL) I get from the solar tube. They're wired in together and illuminate the room to bright midday which is plenty of light for any taste. I think the thing to think of when you plan lighting is a variety of options so you're not stuck with one-size-fits-all. Also, think of what the activity is in the dark hours when you'll want lights. In my kitchen the fridge-stove-sink triangle turns into the sink-stove-table triangle. PS For my under cabinet lights I used Kichler linear lights which consist of a wired strip into which you insert as many light units as you like wherever you like. I really love them. Here is a link that might be useful: Kichler linear...See MoreNeed help selecting lighting for kitchen- both overhead and above sink
Comments (2)Lets talk about why there is not recessed lighting in your kitchen before I nag about that. lol. This space just needs to be recessed no more no less. IF you cannot do that we need to talk about functional lighting in a work space. Do you have under cab lighting? I need more info on the electrical and what can be done....See MoreHelp, please! Lights for small galley kitchen w/no window over sink?
Comments (14)Well, with a 9.5 ft ceiling, you could have pendants that are high enough they don't hit anyone's head. But they will still look strange hanging over a walkway. Mismatch of form and function. Pendants highlight spots that are already focal points or destinations--islands, tables, sinks. You could put a pendant over your sink and it would look "right." Although I think two wall sconces would probably look better. Hard to say for sure without pictures or a floorplan....See MoreRelated Professionals
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Carrie B