Thank you so much for the great input! As for the amount of lighting, my husband actually went a bit overboard on recessed lights. :-) SO, the pendant is more for show than for light. Even though it looks yellow-ish in the photo, it is actually white glass with a polished nickel finish. I love the suggestions and think the LBL pendant would be an especially good fit for above our sink. Any ideas for above the kitchen table? Finding a large-ish fixture (15-20 inches) to go with another large fixture (the capiz flower pendant) seems like a big challenge. I will see if I can figure out how to post photos. Thanks again! Sara

I love your countertop slabs, they are stunning. Based on all the criticism I looked at your layout and I see a lot of positives. You have a sink for cleanup near the dishwasher drawers and stove, and a second sink for prep work. That sink is not far from the fridge, so you can grab an armload of produce and get right to work ... and as you work the kids who just want a drink or snack from the fridge can get it without coming into the work L. This isn't a studio apartment, it is meant to work for a large family and so yeah, you may need to take 2-3 more steps to get around but that is somewhat unavoidable. For lights ... maybe something like this if you want something bold that isn't adding a lot of color: Huddardton Forge Erlenmeyer Flask Pendant Just a thought. Congrats on the new house. Don't worry about the people here who enjoy shooting arrows of doubt and dismay without offering to help identify ways to improve things. Some people naturally look for flaws and love to point them out (instead of asking why something was designed this way vs that way). It can't be a fun way to live life.

We won't have the tile border anymore. Everything is being ripped out and redone. If I have to choose between centering chandelier above dining area or lining it up with pendants, which would you pick? One complication is that our dining table has leaves, so the size (and thus the center) changes regularly depending on my mood, number of guests, etc.

Kelley - you’ll probably get lots of input here :) - my island is 5x10 (so a bit wider and a tad bit longer) but my pendants are “tiny” - but they’re our style (modern) and I’m sure some would say they’re too small. I say pick what you like!