Oh, my, god.

Gel - uss.

What a beautiful view! I like #1 the best.

I'm afraid that #1 will get lost against a wall of windows because it is so airy and insubstantial (though it is lovely). On those grounds, I prefer #4 or #2. I don't particularly care for #3, it looks like pick-up sticks (the kid's game).

I vote bocce light. I think it would look really beautiful in your linear space, starry or fireflyesque

I love the bocce lights and you could use them as pendants over the island, too!

I love the bocce lights, but don't think I'd want that much visual clutter between me and those windows, if they weren't hung close to the ceiling. I love #1 because it's beautiful but will not (try to) command too much attention. #4 worries me that I'm going to poke an eye out (regardless of how high it would be hung).

I like #1, but nothing you show really lives up to that world-class setting! Given that it is the first thing you see, and so prominent, I think it should be more special. Custom?

Pipdog, I like the bocce lights or the first or fourth light. I dont think I'm much help! I cannot wait to see it finished!!! If you dont do the bocce lights, can you wait to decide after everything is done? Maybe one light will just seem to fit. I am guessing the bocce lights will need to be prewired?

I'm doing an addition and trying to square away all that goes with it. There is nothing much else new on the house, but I will post pics when there is! The landscaping and pool are done (for now!). I'll have to find some pics to post.

Bocce!

rockybird, I'm hoping to make a decision on lighting soon -- dealing with decision fatigue (I forgot how stressful a remodel is!). The electricians are descending on our house next week and want to know the fixture specs. I will do a search for your updated photos...I hope you enjoyed the new pool this summer!

mtnrdredux, I had thought about a custom fixture and we actually had a local lighting company come out to design a custom fixture and they quoted us over $18K for a piece. I got a kick out of that. ;) I agree it should be "special" and am waiting for the right piece to move me. I think #1 is closest...this one is hand made so we can customize if possible.

thanks, texanjana and tibbrix! and nutsboutplants, robo and fun2behere

lily'smom, thanks for your insight. Yes, I want the fixture to be a
statement without detracting from the other aspects of the house.

cawaps, I'm with you, #3 is my least favorite. Pick up sticks was a fun game though!

olychick, you make a good point about the "visual clutter". I think the firefly-esque look of the bocce is cool, but it may actually be in the way visually. I may use them in our master bath over our tub, where they won't impede any views.

Right now I'm feeling pretty good about #1 although my eyes are glazed over after looking at so many lights the last few days. I'll sleep on it and see how it rides tomorrow. Do you all like the matching pendants? A family member told me they looked cheap, like "a light bulb hanging from a string". I think there is an elegant simplicity to the pendants, but am not sure how they would look in our space. Thoughts?

I have always loved the look of the bocce lights. I would go with that and I like #1 as my second choice.

That is one beautiful view! Wowza!! Would you mind sharing where your house is located? I am swooning! You must be so excited.

I adore the pendants. They look the opposite of cheap to me - like diamond stud earrings.

I think the bocce lights are elegantly understated and permit the view be the star, which is what I would want. The other fixtures, while beautiful, are trying too hard, and IMO nothing can/should compete with a great view (YMMV). Love the varying heights idea, I would put them on a dimmer switch for maximum ambiance potential and possible have two (or more?) on/off switches so you can have some on, some off, some dimmed, some on bright, etc.

After seeing your pictures of the actual space I would definitely do the bocce lights with matching bocce as pendants. They lend a custom look that compliments and does not overtake that special beyond belief view. Also this is the time to do it during construction - not easily retrofitted after the fact.

Its not that the other choices are not pretty but they are actually a little bit expected. The bocce lights would be a bit more unexpected but not compete with the real star of the space which is your view. They do seem a bit contemporary but that will only come into greater play dependent on the other furnishings.

# 1 seems just as, if not more so, contemporary, where you want to put it over a dining table. I don't care for the #1 pendants for your space, definitely contemporary and faddish.

Wow, I'm betwixt and between. Love the gorgeous view and wouldn't want to do anything to take away from that. OTOH, if you don't do something interesting inside, no one will ever notice it. The other concern I have is one of scale as 17' is a substantial ceiling space to fill and you want to make sure it's proportionate to the space. Also, in an open space like you have, lighting is not only jewelry but helps define the separate areas within the open space.

I'd think about something like this one which is a nod to the MCM drum shade, the frame adds height which the space can use, the fixture is central enough to help define the dining space, it's clean and simple enough not to try to compete with the view.

While the bocce lights are interesting, to work, there have to be many of them which can then start to clutter and detract from the space. Too many and it starts to look like holiday light strings.

No, I don't think the pendants look cheap. They have such nice finishing details.

I think the bocce balls are a little too busy. To me they look more commercial, maybe?

If you love the first one, you are good to go! It really is very pretty.

If you are here polling us because you don't actually love anything, I would reconsider custom. But this time establish a budget. There are a lot of artists in lighting and based on my experience I think you could find choices in custom for 10k or less.

Whatever you do, I don't think you could go wrong with any of the choices you posted. You gave us a carefully curated group and they are all lovely!

I think an oval dining table is an important factor in your choice.

Thanks for the positive feedback on the pendants. I just found out I can see them in person at a showroom in town, so I'm going to go check them out this week.

The bocce lights are intriguing and currently they are a close #2 choice behind #1. I'm going to talk to the electrician/contractor about install. If we want to go that route we'd have to decide shortly. They are also fairly pricey, so if we wanted to go that route and use 6-7 of them (plus three for the pendants over the island), it could get up there in price. I think if we want to do just one chandy we can wire for it and I can continue hunting for "The One" while construction continues.

Thanks, MtnRdRedux, I am going to circle back with a few design studios on custom pieces. I found a studio on Etsy that is local that has some very nice custom stuff and reached out to them yesterday. I'd love a unique piece but we have quite a bit of lighting to buy (as well as appliances, fixtures, tile etc) so I'm constrained a bit budget wise. We are doing an infinity edge pool and the structural costs are killing our budget so we are scrimping on the details a bit to make it all work. Custom would be ideal, but it may not be realistic.

aktillery, thanks! The home is in the Los Angeles area. The landmass you can see in the photo is Malibu.

annie deighnaugh, thanks for that inspiration and I like that light fixture. Very simple and elegant. My only concern is whether it would work on a vaulted ceiling?

Arapaho, my vision is an oval Saarinen style table with Eames chairs like this:

This is the chandelier that our architect/space planner has suggested. I've seen it in person at the Bryant Park hotel. It's pretty, gives off a lot of light, but doesn't feel very MCM to me. They are concerned that the twinkling lights in the fixtures I have selected won't give off enough light. But we have cove lighting that runs around the main living area in a soffitt, as well as lamps. Also, I feel like there are more traditional renderings of this light (like the RH or Ralph Lauren version) that make it seem ill suited to a post and beam house.

Honestly, I give that a thumbs down. It has been knocked off at a lot of price points and I don't see how it relates to your home or your environment.

I definitely do not like the one your architect suggested for your home! Agree with waiting and having everything pre-wired if you dont go with the bocce.

Oval saarinen table? In marble I hope? That will look fantastic! You know - I'm not sure I like the bocce over that table, to be honest. I think the first one would look better.

I like your pendant choice a lot!

Nix the architect-selected fixture. It doesn't fit with your design direction at all to my eye.

Glad you all agree it doesn't relate. It wasn't my fave either. One less option to consider...and thanks to all who have weighed in and helped me get a clearer understanding of what will work in this space!

rockybird, I'm hoping for a modified marble top table. I'm considering doing something custom in a Neolith to match the Calacatta
counters so they will be more durable for our family. This is along the lines of what we are thinking....the pedestal(s) would probably be black though since the floors are a cream tile and the chairs natural wood to add some warmth.

Personally, I love that! Altho maybe I am swayed by that TDF view again. I didn't know the table was going horizontal so I wasn't thinking of two fixtures. But I love the artichokes. Breath taking.

Oh, I think you found them!! those are perfect!

They are gorgeous and would work so well. But the originals are almost $10K a pop. My budget won't allow that unfortunately. Looking for a well done replica...

Pip, I hope you are all loving living in your "new" town. How is your DH dealing with the commute?

Take a look at Hubbardton Forge, more unusual, customizable and good quality.

http://www.hubbardtonforge.com/products/138920

P.S. They sell them everywhere, so you can shop prices.

Bocce all the way! Love it. Your space is fantastic. I don't like the light bulb on a string as you called it, not nearly worthy of your space.

Similar to bocce

Totally different

Twilight chandelier

chispa, thanks! We are enjoying the new location. The commute isn't too bad (relative to LA, of course). Hope all is well with you. Did you finish your bath reno?

voila, thanks for the link -- I will take a look at their stuff!

thanks, ravencajun. I like that Twilight but I actually have selected a similar one for the guest room. I've spent an hour or so on 1st Dibs...wow. There are some mind blowing fixtures on that site. This one in particular is super cool -- probably a little much for our space, but nonetheless very unique:

...we have cove lighting that runs around the main living area in a soffitt...

Would you mind sharing how you are lighting that soffitt? I need good cove lighting in our dining room. We're on our 2nd attempt, and what's there now isn't bright enough. But I don't want to go fluorescent and get '"stripes" from where the fixtures meet and cast a shadow on the ceiling.

Pipdog, have you checked shopping right here? [Houzz - Midcentury Chandeliers[(https://www.houzz.com/products/midcentury-modern-chandeliers-prbr1-br~t_607~s_2115)

Annie, we're still figuring out the cove lighting. We had a lighting designer come out and offer some solutions but they were high end and seemed a bit excessive. We just want something to provide an ambient glow on the ceiling, not to light up the universe. I think we'll do dimmable LED fixtures of some sort -- my contractor is asking his electrician for options and he's supposed to bring a few next week. He mentioned something about undercounter-type or tape lighting. I'll let you know what he suggests.

Arapaho, I've looking generally on this site, but that list is helpful -- thanks!

I was thinking about something like really scultptural, mobile-ish and minimalist for your space. Which led me to branching chandeliers - I do like these types especially for an oval table, but are they kind of over now?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Branching-Bubble-Chandelier-Mid-Century-Modern-Stainless-Steel-/301711729762?hash=item463f6ba462:g:fQ8AAOSwMmBVy8RV

https://www.etsy.com/listing/200173571/10-globe-hand-blown-glass-staccato?ga_order=price_desc&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=branch%20chandelier&ref=sr_gallery_1

Two of these would be neat but probably not enough light

https://www.etsy.com/listing/273081512/louise-solid-brass-sputnik-inspired?ref=shop_home_active_7

Overstock (!) has some knock off artichoke chandeliers, but I can't see one in brass....just silver or copper.

Artichoke

And quite a selection on ebay - some Poul Henningsen originals for closer to 7k...and some other interesting choices:

artichoke lamp

I'd love to see an mcm version of something like this that would look like the hanging moon(s) at night:

Pip, would this constitute a "well done replica" you were lokoking for of the $10K original? Note that it comes in different colors, including the one you posted of the original

[https://www.houzz.com/products/le-roy-19-chandelier-silver-prvw-vr~5515141[(https://www.houzz.com/products/le-roy-19-chandelier-silver-prvw-vr~5515141)

To answer your original question re: contenders-

#1 has a wonderful linear design that doesn't block your gorgeous view. The pendants compliment it beautifully.

great options, thanks nutsaboutplants, olychick and robo! I showed the artichoke light to The Man and he doesn't love it for some reason. He claims it reminded him of IKEA. Insert thumbs down emoji. So, we're moving on from that option because he's vetoed it. I think it's cool and would work, but we've both got to love it.

robo, I've always loved the branch chandelier -- some of Lindsay Adelman's stuff is to die for (but pricey -- thankfully everyone is knocking them off at more reasonable price points). One hesitation is that they are very trendy. We have a trip planned to Palm Springs and I'm adding to my list to check out the company that makes the chandelier you linked-- they customize some great branch lights and Sputniks. Also, I like the third option you posted but the bulbs seem a little large in that particular version. This was a similar option that I found (the same company that
manufacturers #1 I posted above). Thoughts on this one? Could two of these work?

thanks, Arapaho. I do love that option and you're right about it being simple and not blocking anything. My only reservation is not being able to see it in person, but I may just have to trust my gut and go with it.

If it were between that one and your #1 from before...I think I like your #1 from before, which is also very beautiful and sculptural and I like that it's more horizontal than vertical. But I really like them both!

This seller in L.A. has #1, maybe they can help or offer more info: Twentieth

Thanks Arapaho. I checked out Twentieth a few weeks ago. They have some amazing lighting but unfortunately didn't have this fixture, just one small light by this manufacturer.

Bumping as I just realized I never shared what we selected. We went with the urchin chandelier in brass. I don't think anybody voted for it but when I saw it in person, I knew it was the one. I can't seem to get any good photos of it at night, but it casts a beautiful glow on the vaulted ceiling.

Cool! It got a couple votes, from Cubby and me (why do I feel so pleased by that?)

thanks, cawaps. And you're right - I just re-read the thread and it did get a few votes! Deciding on a chandelier took so long and I appreciate all the feedback and thoughts I got here.

Annie Deighnaugh ...Would you mind sharing how you are lighting that soffitt?

Not sure if you are still looking for cove lighting, but we used Alloy Led tape lights that are housed in a light diffusing track. We looked at a lot of options, and this seemed to be the best and most affordable option. It wasn't inexpensive, but some of the cove lights our designer and architect recommended were quite expensive, and we needed a lot of lighting as the light soffitt runs all through the house. We also used them as under counter lights. There are some options that changed colors, but decided to go with just the warm white.

Pip, really spectacular!

Great choice! I have to say I really don't like the bare bulb look. It goes beyond simplistic into the unsightly realm for me. Of all the lights, I am most fascinated by the starburst one you chose. Why not go for a little bling, I'm sure it looks fantastic! Save the bare bulb for the basement utility room. :)