How about changing out the hardware? As far as pendants - what kind of style do you gravitate towards? Here are a couple ideas that I think are a mix of modern/traditional

Thank you -- I love, love, love the first one!

You must be thrilled to be this far along. Am I correct that you have very little wall space for back splash tile just at the end of your peninsula? Do you want to keep it neutral or would you enjoy some color and texture? Do you have a tile budget in $/SF?

Those West Elm globes are pretty, but bulbs without diffusers can look very stark and cause a lot of glare. Maybe a frosted bulb of some type could help?

I love your kitchen. Also love the WE lights, but I think clear bulbs create harsher light and are a pain to keep clean.

What about:

All from Dotandbo

I think the large pendants may compete with the hood too much. You also don't want anything that needs constant cleaning near your open cooktop. Are there can lights over the peninsula? If so, I think that's all you need. You could put them on a dimmer for dining. I think your nook is crying out for a larger chandelier. It needs something with height as well as width.

I don't see a place for backsplash besides the little coffee niche, but that's so full you won't even see the backsplash. I think the biggest improvement you could make is change the paint. The light tan color is reading yellow and isn't doing much for the white cabinets, floor, or the fireplace. The fireplace is really the only thing making your home feel traditional, so you might whitewash the brick and change the mantel. The Home Decor forum could help you achieve a light airy look to work with your pool, windows, and modern kitchen.

You might want to google white kitchens, Quartz counters, and look for images you like, before you start. It will help you to get a handle on color and scale. If in fact, you have that one slim area to tile, do you want that to be a statement wall, or do you want it to fade into the background? Inspiration images will help you figure that out.

Wow, thanks for all your advice! I did try to find an inspiration pic, but I never really found one. I will look again, though. I think I want the small backsplash area to be neutral, but it is so small that we can spend more money on it (texture/quality). I totally agree with the comment about the kitchen nook needing different lighting - I love it but it just doesn't feel like it belongs. Also, same with fireplace colors. Appreciate the help! THANKS!

Well, there's neutral, and then there's neutral. I like the shell backsplash tile because it reflects light beautifully, and you really can't get more neutral. But the flower motifs....can make a great statement. Either way, you'll want to go all the way to the ceiling.

Stupid question: Where is your backsplash going to be? To the right of the cooktop? I wouldn't tile there.

I'd warm it up with accessories and maybe a fun light. You could also look at light fixtures and/or accessories with texture, e.g. wood or some natural fiber.

for me, in this kitchen I would leave the wall to the right of cooktop open and consider possibilities: locate studs and carve out a niche with shelves [can tile the niche] for the small items on mini counter under microwave....or hang a couple of shelves on the wall [not deep] --to place those items. That way you clear the area by the fridge and can place the blender there and still have some space to pour something out of fridge.