We need pictures.

Instead of shrinking the beam you could always furr it out to both center it and accommodate wiring and light fixtures. Hard to advise without an image.

I'm having so much trouble getting a picture to attach. Is there some trick to this? I'm attaching my photo, hitting submit, and then in a few seconds it just disappears.... Any suggestions? Thanks again!

It is unbelievable that everyone is having so much trouble posting pictures and Houzz ignores this major problem. We have heard this complaint hundreds of times and either the staff is ignoring us or they are too ignorant to fix it.

W, the current “trick” is to attach your photo and wait for it to exhibit full color so it’s not “greyed out,” then hit submit. Yes remodeling, it stinks.

"It is unbelievable that everyone is having so much trouble posting pictures..."

I suspect that people are attempting to upload pictures from their multi-megapixel cameras without resizing (and thereby reducing the file size) first. A 100 Kb will fully upload in a few seconds.

I used to be able to upload full-resolution photos, but not any more. Reducing the size has worked for me.

If it helps... it's recommended that in a kitchen with 8' ceilings you have approximately 35 lumens per square foot coming from the ceiling for general lighting. In addition, don't forget under cabinet lighting. it's the best thing ever.

This is a Houzz issue that needs to be fixed and BTW it has little to do with where you are posting from. So you need to add the pic in a comment wait until it is no longer grayed and submit You might find it is easier to just do one pic in one comment I am finding it hard to do 2 or more pics in a comment.

For multiple images I attach one image, submit, then edit the post to add subsequent images.

I've tried both of those ways and it's not working. I'm going to try uploading the photos somewhere else and then share a link. Thank you!

Here's a link to the pictures (hopefully!)

Thanks again!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/zkRsNGR9HcGqD3FG8

I saw the link to your photos, but now their gone.

Would you please check again?

The post disappeared. Hmm. So weird.

How about this link?

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOpSX35D1k-d1IVx7mXh6JmexX0meT5NmCHqZFZwGCeiBz5VOk3etB-4v_OOMEoGw?key=VjkxYjdRaTJMUXhDWjJvY2pXVUR3bnlWSWxNc0dR

If you can see the pictures, note that we're planning to take about five inches off of the beam on the side where it touches the hood and also the wall that currently has brick facing on it. I hope you can see it! Thank you for any ideas!

The beam is what it is. I don't think making it narrower will really improve the situation (and I would look very closely at a contractor's structural engineering cred, or hire a structural engineer, before doing that).

In contemporary kitchens, recessed cans typically fill the role that your fluorescents do. Recessed lighting places on either side of the beam should be able to do a good job of lighting the island as well. The only problem I see with the beam is if you want decorative, rather than functional lighting. But that's not what you talk about in your post. If you just want illumination, I'd go with recessed cans (dimmable, to control the lighting level so it's never "headache-inducing").

An idea (use white instead of black lights) from http://www.randallwhitehead.com/gallery-2

Thanks, Thor. I had just come back to try to pull the posts in, only to fine you had done it already.

You're welcome. Best wishes on your refresh.

"I've tried [uploading] both of those ways and it's not working."

One of the kitchen pictures you tried to upload (and saved to Google Photos above) was 4032x3024 px and 2.7Mb. I reduced it to 640x480px (62 Kb), a 97% file-size reduction, and the picture (below) uploaded in 1 second.

I used the free PixResizer to reduce the size of the photo.

After making it as small as possible, how far will the bottom of the beam be from the ceiling?

Thanks for the help and suggestions with the photos. The beam will be just as low as it it now. It would just be about a third narrower.

I got it about the recessed lights over the island, but I was wondering if there is any way to make this more decorative too? Also, would that be enough to light the whole kitchen (except the eating area)? Any advice on how many lights or how strong they should be? The kitchen will have a reddish brown hardwood and white cabinets. Mostly existing appliances.

Also, we just put LED recessed lights in another room and they just don't dim enough. Any thoughts on lights that actually dim? Stick with incandescents or try something else?

Thank you!!

The reason I asked how far down the beam hangs down, is I'm concern about the shadows cast from can light. I thought that if you lowered the level where light is emitted, you would have a more even light.

Here is a solution for lighting around beams using small semi-flush fixtures. I would try out white. Black is too bold for me.

I think it's around 9 or 10 inches down. That makes sense. Thank you.

I commented this above, but I wanted to make sure you saw it... to determine the number of fixtures, start by calculating the number of lumens your space needs; square footage x 35 lumens. Then take that number and divide by the lumens of your selected fixture to determine how many you need. Hope that makes sense.

Just to be clear, I wasn't suggesting that recessed lighting over the island would be enough for the whole space, just that you could light the island that way as part of a comprehensive lighting plan.

I think the beam being off-center to the island makes decorative lighting over the island challenging. If you orient the lights symmetrically around the island, it's going to emphasize the off-centeredness of the beam, and if you orient the lighting symmetrically around the beam, it will be off-center to the island. You can't win.

You could remove the wood valance over the sink and put up something pretty there, though.

Not sure why you're lights don't dim enough, we have 4 Inch gimbal lighting through our new build, & they dim perfectly.

She might need a different dimmer and pot lights are only one layer of lighting in any room so I often turn my overhead lights off in my LR.

This seems like asimilar situation and the pendants are just hung on the one side of the beam since your beam is not centerd over the island that might be a perfect solution with all the rest pot lights

Also, we just put LED recessed lights in another room and they just don't dim enough."

@W Try switching out your current dimmer for the Lutron MACL-153MH Maestro C.L Dimmer Switch, following the Advanced Programming Instructions after installation. This dimmer can reduce the brightness of LED lamps to remarkably low levels and has other programmable features. Also available in three- and six-packs in white.

"Not sure why you're lights don't dim enough, we have 4 Inch gimbal lighting through our new build, & they dim perfectly."

@Cheryl Hannebauer LEDs vary in their minimum brightness and dimmers vary in their ability to set the minimum brightness.