Hi Liz, Since I have been growing for over 25 years I have found that the 4' fixture is best for my plants and also the most economical. When I was working and could afford them I used Varilux bulbs which I found gave the plants a great growth rate, however, they are expensive and cost retail over 12 dollars each. Since retiring I switched to 40 watt cool whites which I purchase by the box at Home Depot or Lowes. They work well and give me no problems. I have on occassion in the past used Gro-Lux and Gro-Lux WS. Both bulbs give good growth to the plants and make the plants look really beautiful and healthy under the light. But when you remove the plant from the light into natural light there is great disappointment. They loose their color and look rather ordinary. The Gro-Lux WS bulbs were always cheaper than the Gro-Lux. Many people prefer to use one cool whit and one warm white to grow. Since I cannot find warm whites I now use cool whites exclusively. Hope this helps. Fred in NJ

I'd opt for shorter lights that wouldn't require a truck mounted boom lift to service.

The problem with the acorn light is that is is shown in the context of barn lights. The website decor is hard to ignore. Imagine it in the context of a 1940s-50s kitchen. Then with Beekeeper's kitchen. Then with a mod New York apartment kitchen. Then with a craftsman kitchen. Then with.... There are a lot of kitchens that would enjoy this light.

"We are taking down an extra large square fluorescent light and replacing it with one two-bulb type flush mounted light and maybe another if need be then also adding a pendant over the sink." It will depend on the size and layout of the kitchen. One flush mount will not work as good as the fluorescent for two reasons. (1) The fluorescent puts out 6.5 times as much light. A 4' fluorescent with 4 tubes (2600 Lumens × 4 = 10400 Lumens) A two bulb flush mount w/60 watt bulbs or equivalent (800 Lumens × 2 = 1600 Lumens) (2) The surface mount fixture's light source comes from exactly 2 points that are very close together. The fluorescent light source has infinite sources of light within that 2' × 4' area which spreads the light out better, causing less noticeable shadows. With the fluorescent, the light reflecting off of all the other surfaces in the kitchen is also bouncing off at a more infinite number of angles, (compared to just from the pinpoint light source of the standard fixture) further contributing to the feeling of even light in the kitchen. . Pendant lighting that is bright enough to really contribute to the overall lighting of a room will also be glaring, since it is down closer to eye level. Pendants are fine for specific task lighting or mood lighting. Under cabinet lighting can also be a bit glaring if it is relied upon for more than half the light needed for a task. Keeping the under cabinet lighting out close to the face of the cabinet helps. Using two surface mounted luminaries on the ceiling will help spread out the light sources and help the light bouncing off of the cabinets light the room more evenly. Whether I would use fixtures with two or three bulbs depends on how big the kitchen is, how much light you are used to, and how intricate your tasks are. 800 Lumens × 6 bulbs is still only 4800 lumens, or less than half of what you currently have. You could try taking out two of the tubes and living with it for a while to help decide how many fixtures you want on the ceiling. . The difference between two 3-bulb fixtures and recessed cans over the outside edge of the countertop should not be enough to worry about as long as you have the under cabinet lighting and the pendants. There is a trade off between the two types of lighting. The recessed lights can be put right where you need them, but the light does not spread out as evenly. The surface mount in the middle of the room can produce more unwanted shadows, but the light spreads out and bounces off everything better to counteract the problem.