Recessed lighting fixtures are relatively cheap compared to the most popular decorative fixtures and therefore I believe contractors and amateur designers have come to rely on them for general illumination in addition to task and accent lighting. I think this is a mistake but this is the first decision you need to make before getting wound up in the layout. I like to first locate the task lights at counters, etc. and use 4" line voltage PAR 20 halogens where possible because they are the least expensive. They should be spaced between 32" and 48" apart. Some of these fixtures might need to be a "wall washer", a "35 degree adjustable", or a "pin-hole" type, depending on your personal tolerance for light scallops on kitchen cabinets above work counters, tables not centered under a downlight, and the amount of a lamp visible when seated at a dining table. Some of the special types mentioned above are only available in low-voltage models, especially if the fixture must be rated for direct contact with insulation or air-sealed when below an unheated space. Complicated; you bet! After the task lights are located I like to light the walls where owners will most likely put artwork and photographs. This is more important to some owners than to others. But I believe rooms appear larger and more interesting when the walls are well lighted rather than the floors. This is even true in hallways. Some owners prefer decorative wall sconces as a way to light some walls and hanging lights over dining tables or islands. The size and power of the sconce should be carefully selected for the room and you need to be careful about blocking views with hanging lights. If you are tall you get tired of moving your head to see other people but if you raise the fixture the light source can become too visible. After locating the task and wall lighting, I try to fill in where there might be a dark area or where a decorative carpet or floor area needs emphasis. I try very hard to avoid a downlight over people's faces, especially in front of a mirror. Electricians will often tell an owner that only fluorescent lights are allowed in a closet but recessed incandescent lights are allowed if the fixture is 6" or more from the "storage" area defined by the NEC and there is a lens on the light. This basically means that the closet must be deeper than 24". (Surface incandescent lights are allowed in a closet if the fixture is 12" or more from the "storage" area. This basically means that the closet must be deeper than 28".) I have had some clients (especially those who entertained a lot) who loved recessed general lighting so much that in addition to task and wall accent lighting, I put line voltage PAR 20 downlights on a 4 ft grid throughout a living room or a family room. This requires a lot of heavy duty dimmer switches. I've never had two owners who had the same taste in lighting or anything else for that matter. You can only hope that one spouse takes the lead in this matter.

I think you sometimes have to go in circles and test other ideas to come back to what you love. I know I love a lot more things than my house will hold, and sometimes whimsy will have me leaning a new direction that I love but just doesn't fit and I realize that when I go back and look twice. But sometimes that new direction takes. My dining room chandelier is one of those. I went out looking for a simple, traditional fixture, liked the idea of glass arms that would sparkle, and wound up with antiqued metal arms and lots of dangling crystal. And I love it and the way it looks in the room. I still got traditional but different -- but in a different direction than I started. Sometimes what you think you wanted doesn't work, so you have to look, and if you come back to something you've always liked, then it ought to fit the other things you love. Even if you have to make some adjustments to the transitions. The iron fixtures -- well, I've always liked those too. ;) I'm sure I saw and liked the one you picked in my searches but I ruled out bare bulbs out of concern for being too harsh when looking between the family room and kitchen with the breakfast fixture in the middle. I do think you can make that fixture work and there are lots of ways to pull some black touches in. Part of it for me is seeing your fan as a fan that happens to have an unobtrusive light on it. In the lighter finish, it goes with your appliances where a darker fan would be harsh, even with touches of black. Think of it as a keep-you-cool appliance in your work area and the iron fixture as lighting helping to define a different mood and setting in your eating area, then work on the transitions and little elements that bring the two together. I'm not sure where you are planning on using the fabric you have pictured or if you already have it. A black background floral with plenty of white in it too for chair set cushions and/or window treatments (also wood Roman shades with a bit of black in the mix) could be a possibility that doesn't mean painting the table and chairs. You can put some black accents, pencil liner or border on a subway splash. I really like that paper towel holder, and you will have no problem finding a counter top version if you want to go that route. In the spring, you might even tuck some of the light blue and green flowers like you have pictured to adorn the fixture or try some mini-shades in the soft colors. You have a ton of options. Take your time finding the right ones. I saw your bathroom post -- your home has a lot of charm. I think you are headed in a good direction. Sometimes the things that make a house a home are not the obvious choices. Keep in mind you are talking to someone with three kitchen cabinet finishes, 2 counters, 2 different hardware finishes and 2 different faucet finishes -- and a lot more crystal than she ever imagined liking on one fixture. LOL

I bought mine at a brick and mortar store (but they shipped them to me as I was in visiting DM and live out of state and a bit hard to carry handles on the plane! - although, I did carry 25 of them at one point, when I thought I was switching to another handle - the TSA folks went ballistic but had a good chuckle when we opened the box!). Baldwin Brass in West Reading, PA - great discounts if you want Baldwin or Colonial. Nice folks also. Free shipping over $200.00, I think. I ordered other samples on-line and when they arrived, they just didn't have the quality and feel that I wanted. Mine are the right handles for my kitchen. I almost switched to Badgergal's handles - which would have been great if I didn't already have my faucet in another color. (I also bought the faucet through BB as they were so helpful) PS - I bought some samples at Look in the Attic - terrible experience. The website states 30 day return - but if you read the fine print - 18% re-stocking fee (and you have to open another page to see it) I even called the company before ordering and they never mentioned this. I wanted to come pick up the hardware as not very far away but they said the show room was closed for renovations. I called afterward and they said tough... So, I know where I won't go again.

The last think anyone wants to have finicky pulls in a kitchen. Those would be a mess if ones hands were wet and if one had fingernails at all. I have regular pulls and if my hands are wet, I can use my pinky to pull open a cabinet or drawer. In a kitchen and a bath, function simply must trump form.