I read you are a stickler to your exact question, but it might be good to understand a little more about overall kitchen lighting. In any room all lighting is first functional, and your recessed lights are lighting up the floor rather than tasking on your counters and inside your cabinets. Not that you can never have a uniform grid, but If you want to keep it, and have an existing old-world quaint cottage feel, maybe going to a 2" or 3" trimless fixture might lessen the impact visually if you don't have a lumenaire chosen yet.

On other lighting threads there is a website that others have recommended to get a good background on lighting, especially kitchens. I can remember the college he went to, but can't remember the name of the blog, if someone else can help with that. It's a pretty spot-on explainer though from the few things I perused a while back.

As far as the island flush ceiling mounted choices, your ceiling height, whether there are some beams in the old barn, chunkiness of sconces and door/cabinet hardware, soffits, dining chandelier fixture (they will read together in 1 open space) - should all play in selection for scale and proportion. Sometimes (at least for me), even though I can get a feel for scale from floor plans and pictures, for lone items with no reference point, it helps to see or hold the item in person to really get a sense of how it will play in your space.

3onthetree Thanks for your input! I have not decided on the specific type of recessed light or the specific configuration of lights, so I am happy to hear opinions on that. I do have undercabinet lighting as well.

I would love to make all the decisions at once, but the electrician has asked for me to specify the surface mounted fixtures sooner rather than later, so I unfortunately need to make a decision a little sooner than would be ideal. I will probably order the fixtures soon from somewhere that allows returns without a restocking fee, so I can see them in the space - but even that is a bit hard to imagine when the space is demoed!

To answer some of your questions:

• The ceilings are ~8 feet
• There will not be beams in the space (unfortunately!); any beams would be on the second floor, and the structural posts are at the corners. I wish the original beams were here!
• Cabinet hardware will almost certainly be unlacquered brass and probably on the chunkier side, with some traditional cup pulls and simple knobs, and possibly some HL or H surface hinges or icebox hinges on the few doors in the kitchen
• The only door in this room has an original aged iron backplate for an original crystal doorknob, but it is not a focal point. Entry door is in an adjacent vestibule and will likely be a Dutch door with an unlacquered brass rim lock.
• Window hardware is unlacquered brass
• Tap will be polished nickel
• Dining room fixture will likely be an iron finish and either a hanging shade or a small chandelier (possible linear).
• Sconces are likely these - they are small (8.25x6.75x9.25) but I'd call them chunky

I looked up an old thread and found the link for you:

Danny Warfel: Language of Light

It has excellent visuals and I'm actually going to bookmark it so I can recommend it on these forums.

did you mention the size of the room?

I don't see any measurements on the plan.

Based on the dimensions you provided for your island, a small 4.5" x 9.5-10.5" decorative flush mount light may be appropriate for your space. However, it ultimately depends on the overall style and scale of the room. If you prefer the proportions of the smaller lights, it may be best to go with that size. Keep in mind that the lighting should be appropriately sized for the island but also provide enough visual interest to complement the other lighting elements in the space, such as the perimeter recessed lighting, undercabinet lighting, and sconces over the sink area. You may also want to consider the height of the ceiling and the placement of the lights to ensure optimal illumination and balance in the room.