Are you kidding me? I want modern high gloss doors too, but ALL of these cabinets are CRAP!!! They are all particleboard and MDF! No offense, but that is EXACTLY what Ikea is! At least Ikea prices it's cabinets at a rate that matches the lifetime they will last: 5-7 years. I LOVE St. Charles, but I imagine they cost well over $50,000. Anyone know for sure? I really want vintage metal cabs, but they just do not fit my kitchen. That's why I'm trying to go Mid-Mod in WOOD - NOT PARTICLEBOARD! The Ultracraft cost $17,000 a few years ago? Ikea costs $7,000 today for the same thing. Granted, their sizes suck (none of the turquoise glass doors I want fit my kitchen). For $17,000 you can buy wood cabinets from PA and order custom high-gloss doors from another company and still probably have the carcasses custom painted. After seeing these prices for particleboard, those plywood cabinets are actually looking like a bargain (though NOTHING compares to the solid wood cabs in my original kitchen). And all this "Green" marketing is B.S.! Particle board and MDF do not last - MDF disintegrates in water! Wood lasts. Having to dump and replace your kitchen every few years is as far from "green" as you can get! Nevermind all the toxic resins and glues used to make particleboard and MDF. FYI: If you truly want to go modern and are willing to pay $2,000 a cabinet (what these "lower end" ones average), then do yourself a favor and go with solid stainless steel - they'll last forever. It's mostly custom (outdoor kitchens), but many offer interior options with colorful non-stainless doors. St. Charles is powdercoated steel (you cannot paint / powdercoat stainless). Personally, because I know the costs of the raw materials and I can build, do everything myself, I know that ALL cabinets are a major rip-off - the cheap ones are CRAP and not worth the money / time to install something that won't last, and the high-end ones have exhorbitant markups (mostly sales/ design, less actual manufacturing) built-in that is well into the hundreds per hour. The only reason I don't want to build my own cabinets is because I don't have a dedicated woodshop and I've never worked with Blum glides (very technical) and I actually want my cabinets to function and last at least 50 years. Therefore I am looking into having my bases truly CUSTOM (to my exact specs) built and I'll probably build the uppers myself. For example, I need a custom 14-15" deep base 4-drawer cab for my dishes that is 24" wide and 39" high with 12" Blum Blumotion undermount full-extension soft-close glides, solid 3/4" maple dovetailed drawer sides, 1/2" plywood drawer bottoms. The 4 drawer boxes ((3)-8"hx21"wx12"d", (1)-3"hx21"wx12"d) should cost no more than $230-300 (that's high - I'm trying to find a boxmaker willing to do dovetails and the 1/2" bottoms). 3 solid maple (not plywood) 10" x 24" slab drawer fronts should cost about $60, and one 5" x 24" maple slab front should cost about $15. Then I need the cabinet made - I want 3/4" plywood sides and solid face frames - the material alone should cost no more than $100-150 (prices keep going up every time I check). That would be $405-525 materials cost - that includes the labor to make the drawer boxes with attached glides and thedrawer fronts. To that I'd add $200 for the labor to build the simple cabinet carcass and install the pre-made drawers and pre-made drawer fronts. That would be $100 per hour. (A real cabinet maker can make a 15"x24"x39" cabinet in an hour easily, then installing / aligning the drawers should take another hour. If it takes longer than that for a professional, they are a joke (read woodweb - many of them do face-frames in 10 minutes). Total MAX for a top-of-the-line ALL WOOD cabinet like this should be no more than $625-750. Then paint and hardware - that I'll do myself - .75 Liters of Fine Paints of Europe Hollandlac Brilliant high gloss $30 and primer $35. Plus sandpaper / brushes (have those) = $75. 4 Mid-Mod knobs ~ $40. All-in-all, the cabinet should come in well less than $1,000. Heck, at that rate, based on savings compared to the cabinets listed here, I can buy a good paint sprayer. Even if this was a full-depth 24" cabinet it would only cost about $150 more in materials (longer glides, longer cab sides and deeper drawer boxes - all other dimensions would be the same). It actually costs a lot more per square foot to build a small cabinet like I need, but I have no choice.

FWIW, I have a bowl type pendant over my table and I like it a lot. I have a fixture with small lights over my island and I didn't want even 'more' small lights in my room such as a chandelier would give. And, like you I wanted a less formal look to my kitchen. Putting a dimmer on it will control the amount of light you have at any given time, and the pendant bowl will give a nice finish to your table & seating area. Having said that, if you would prefer the look of a semi-flush mount there is no rule out there that says you can't do it.

As to "style", there are modern versions of MCM furniture that have a minimalist vibe -- not ornate and, if you prefer somewhat heavier furnishings, consider Amish furnishings -- neither are particularly ornate. My best advise: Less is more. As you begin to furnish your place, only get what you need rather than crowding yourself. LIVING ROOM: First find a really comfortable chair ... perhaps a recliner that "fits" you or any chair that is comfortable with a foot rest -- something that you really like and likely will use daily. Then pause. Now you have something to match or with which you can coordinate other living room furnishings. In a small apartment, a pair of good comfortable chairs can make a lot more sense than large sofas. By choosing a pair of comfortable dining chairs, you have guest seating. If finding the chair(s) you want seems difficult, wait rather than rush the decision and go another direction: OPTION: For a modest amount you can get a couple of folding camper chairs for when you have guests and you could even buy a pair of those first to give you more time to shop and choose your chairs that will be a greater investment. Do choose basic comfortable chairs with arms for your portable chairs rather than a design with all the fold out shelves, etc. -- much easier to fold, carry and/or store. On the up side, you can also use the portable chairs for their intended purposes -- to take on a hiking/camping trip or to an outdoor concert or on a picnic or into your own back yard and they usually come with their own bag, making storing and carrying them easy. (or to wait in line to vote, if you're in a large city) https://www.google.com/search?q=folding+camper+chairs&client=firefox-b-1-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj1i77ymvfvAhW4EFkFHUeNAJwQ_AUoAnoECAEQBA&biw=1329&bih=620 If you buy such relatively inexpensive otherwise usable furnishings, you can take the time to shop and get a better idea ab out your options -- even shopping local thrift and vintage/antique stores for bargains for wood pieces (not upholstered ones) and even for kitchen items. A portable side table (or even a pair of them) could be useful even long after you buy actual end tables for the living room or side tables for the bedroom. They can even be used as plant stand as long as you protect the top from moisture from the pot such as with a plastic or glass "pie pan" tray. Investing in one or two of these can also "buy you time" to choose your living room side table(s) and bedside table(s) rather than risk rushing and ending up with regrets. https://foter.com/sturdy-tv-trays A smaller tv and a wheeled portable cabinet as a stand for your tv might be a wiser investment than a large piece of furniture especially since a really large tv would visually shrink your space. https://www.amazon.com/Printer-Cabinet-Portable-Casters-Machine/dp/B086WN41HC  There are other versions of this and if there is a used office supply store near you, check that out so you can actually see and touch what you buy. While you're there, check out any short filing cabinets that might serve as end tables or bed side tables . Some are wood, actually look really good and are lockable ... a good idea if you entertain and have curious guests. Choose file drawers with sides rather than just the metal file rails if you go that route. BEDROOM: In a small space, go vertical for your storage. A pair of well made chests of drawers will provide you with more storage than a shorter wider piece. If you have a metal frame and don't have a huge headboard, wall sconces could be more practical and space saving than larger bed side tables. A white or light colored shade will give you more light. https://www.lampsplus.com/products/set-of-2-antique-brass-empire-shade-swing-arm-wall-lamps__35y08.html  DINING Consider putting your dining table in the narrower part of the living/dining area by the bedroom rather than by the kitchen. Otherwise, consider a drop leaf table since it will take up less space but enable you to have room for a pair of guests to dine as well and with one drop leaf down can be pushed against a wall.

IMO the electrical for the sconces is way too high so have that lowered then choose sconces or better yet forget sconces and do a more interesting entry light IMO a large piece of art trumps wall sconces anytime .This one is called Autumn and is from Europhase and has matching sconces gives a ton of light