General thoughts: I agree with the poster who commented that lights ought to blend into your overall design -- they should enhance your overall look rather than jumping out at you. I vote for "standout fixtures" in the places where they'll really show (probably the dining room table and the kitchen island) and moderate fixtures where other things will distract from them anyway (like bedrooms and hallways). I personally would match metals. Right now the trend is eclectic, but that won't always be true. I think matching is especially important in a small room -- like a bathroom -- but less important in a great room. If you want to go with something trendy -- like the birdcages or industrial-looking light fixtures that seem to be popping up everywhere -- they are something that can easily be changed out in the future. But if I were buying something trendy, I'd look for an inexpensive knock-off, knowing that it's going to look dated sooner rather than later. I wouldn't worry too much about lights in hallways, etc. -- those are small details that seem important at the moment, but really aren't going to be noticed in daily use. I absolutely want low, background lighting in a number of places: I want a rope light above the crown molding in my dining area ceiling. I want rope lighting under the edge of the bathroom vanity so we don't have to turn on lights in the middle of the night. And I like dimmer switches for the major light fixtures. This is a small thing, but it's a goal of mine: I'm trying to avoid specialty light bulbs. In my house right now -- in addition to plain light bulbs, of course -- I have big, fat bulbs over my breakfast table and bar, candle-looking light bulbs over my dining room table, small round bulbs in the overheads in my office, and "Hollywood" bulbs over my sink. The upshot is that I have to keep a variety of sizes of bulbs on hand! Admittedly, with the new, long-lasting bulbs, this isn't the headache that it was a few years ago, but I figure that if I choose better for our next house, I can have only ONE TYPE of bulb that'll work everywhere. Yes, I've already bought the dining room chandelier, and it has "upturned" globes that hold . . . standard bulbs! Another of my goals: Though every room needs an overhead light, I want to minimize the number. For example, I am putting a wall sconce at the top and bottom of the staircase instead of an overhead pendant that I can't reach -- even with a ladder. As people go higher and higher with ceilings, it's important to think about how you're going to change those light bulbs! Admittedly, I'm not quite 5' tall, so this is maybe more important to me than it is to other people.

Lowes sells a light that is similar in size and shape but in a bronze finish. We bought 2 different lights from lowes for our kitchen and returned the ones we didn't use with no problem. It might help you make a decision before the online ordering. http://www.lowes.com/pd_171191-24969-800PND1NXZ_0_?productId=3017363&Ntt=tiella&pl=1ätURL=%2Fpl__0_s%3FNtt%3Dtiella&facetInfo=

What do you think about this for $180 as a replacement for the RH double clemson? If it helps your searching the style of light is frequently called an island light or billiard light (multiple lights tied to a central pole off one box). Here's another simpler option: And for the PB light, I could hazard some guesses, but have no experience with it. Good luck.

We just removed a similar light box in our kitchen! The drywall under it was in good shape except for a few holes, like where the wires came from the attic. We have a rancher, so it wasn't too hard for an electrician to put in half a dozen insulated, LED can lights. I know we got a bargain, but our (licensed) electrician charged us about $700, including removing and disposing of the light box, buying and installing the can lights and dimmer switch, and he also installed an outside spot light and replaced an under cabinet lighting. I love the change in our kitchen! I just finished patching and painting the ceiling. We didn't go with any pendants over the island. I love the bright, wide open look, and the lights are energy efficient, cool, and dimmable.