We are removing soffits in our kitchen. The lighting for the counter area is currently in there. Once the soffits come out all we'd have is very high ceilings that are really part of the family room. So, we decided to build out ceiling from the kitchen so it extends to the countertop. We are hanging the pendends from that. May not be an option for you however. I'd like to hear what other have done with high ceilings.

I think a larger black tone lantern would look great. You have only a single light box.. I wouldn't do three. I would personally do one or two decent size lanterns left and right. The size and width of the island would need to be known if you are hanging multiples. Many different lanterns out there in black. I favor the Darlana by Visual Comforts. It's very well made and has more straight lines than the mock up above. The iron on the one above across the top each piece is slightly rounded. This is Darlana however obviously showing in the gold tone. It's available in dark, gold and silver tone. With a lantern the ceilings will need to be fairly high.

It is a large kitchen and completely open to the family room. The center island is 128" (we refer to it as the cooking island). There are also perimeter cabinets and a 48" gas range. The hardwood floors are being installed now and the cabinets will be installed in about a week, so I don't have a good picture yet to capture the size of the space. We have 10 foot ceilings and an entire wall of windows, so everything is very open. I have attached a picture from a few weeks ago. It is from the perspective of the kitchen looking into the family room. The "island" you see is just the support for what will be the raised portion of the island (the bar top). I hope this helps.

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.