2 would look best.

A light over the shelves is going to cast dramatic shadows below them.

Can the lights be placed where they don't shine out the windows?

One over each window as shown in the second option. Then I'd add LED tape lighting under the open shelves.

wdccruise They project 9” from the wall and the angle of the light is adjustable, so that’s not a concern

Doesn't matter. Two. At the window. Then stop.

I'd re select too. Those are quite "Bath" suggestive. : ) Sorry. Not what you asked, I realize.

Maybe add more info to your post, as to what look and feel you're after.

JAN MOYER I was just responding to someone snarking that my lights were going to be shining out the window, not trying to justify three versus two. As I said, I'm leaning toward two anyway.

Thanks for your feedback re: the style. I can see how they'd look like a bathroom fixture. These are the sconce version of a popular industrial style pendant that is used in a lot of classic kitchens, which is one reason why I thought to use it in a kitchen; below are some examples of this fixture in a kitchen, if it's helpful to visualize.

This is an antique house and I want the lighting to have the classic utilitarian look that you would often see in a retro kitchen, rather than anything too feminine/pretty, MCM, or modern farmhouse-y. That's why I didn't think the articulating arm style of sconce would be a good fit, though that is very common for this application.

Sort of a Gil Schafer vibe, but on a much smaller scale (and budget) - examples of the style below.

The other decorative lighting in the kitchen will consist of two flush-mounts over the island in a classic either marine or dome style, like this:

Agree that two over the window is best. Looks like the one over the shelf may end up blocking anything placed on the top shelf. Two looks better than three in this case, as well. I didn’t read the comments about the lights shining outside as snarky, just commenting on their placement. I have sconces over a window and it is an issue, but I’m sure you would be able to adjust them to point over your work area instead.

An alternative would be to do the pendant version of this fixture (or something similar) over the sink. Some quick and dirty renderings below. It would be shorter than what's pictured, but I'm ot tech saavy enough to shrink the chain. I do wonder if it would be busy from the main vantage point you see entering the kitchen (second photo) with the shelves. It also would not be centered on that wall or with the island lights, though I don't know if that matters.

I choose ONE only in the middle over the sink. The rest pot lights to light up the whole area evenly without shadows.

I prefer the two sconces over the windows; the pendant just bifurcates the window in a non-pleasing way. I love sconces over windows! Go for it!

I agree with two--one over each window. I have three windows over my sink and have three pendants.

Just make sure they're placed high enough so that they don't block the window.

can we talk about the recessed ligthing placement. that is half the battle here. as to sconces over the window. they look nice. I would only put one or two.

Thanks! That’s a work in progress and I’m aware of the issue of lighting aisles vs counters. Just trying to figure out the decorative lighting right now.

Now I'm wondering if two of these antique holophane light fixtures over the island would work well with these sconces and the kitchen in general. They are very similar to the Ann Morris fixtures I love in these photos, but don't carry the $3-5k price tag.

The lights you are calling decorative, are also task. I love those semi flush, but why not have hanging fixture? And put the semi flush over the sink

To your original question--we have two pendants, one centered on each window, over ours. We don't have work space to the left of the sink so a bit different, but honestly even if we did I don't think that would be prime prep space so wouldn't need additional lighting. I only rarely turn the sink lights on--generally we just use the overhead lighting--but love them when I do. (We didn't have room above our window frames to do sconces so didn't even contemplate it, but I think the pendants work beautifully as task lighting.)

We used three semi-flush large (14" shade) schoolhouse fixtures for our general lighting since we didn't want cans--those have been terrific over the years, and light the room overall and also our center island space. Our state has pretty tight guidelines around kitchen lighting so those are fluorescent (hopefully soon LED when we get around to rewiring them!) while the pendants are incandescent, and that's been a nice combo.

I personally like the two above the window. I would do sconces over pendants just because you more than likely are going to have pendants over your island right?

Design Girl No, there will be some kind of flush/semi flush over the island. This is a small space open to a dining area where there will be a hanging fixture, and the consensus was to just do one hanging fixture over the dining table rather than have a three fixures dangling from the ceiling in the same close vicinity. I posted a couple of options for the flush mounts in this thread.

Can we see the angle showing the dining room? Here the thing, having to small semi flush over the island might look like an after thought. I would just do recessed through out and use the sconces as the decorative.

RL Relocation LLC Thanks! This is a completely gutted space that was opened up so I have no photos that will give you any sense of what it will look like finished. But this is the gutted space (first photo from dining to kitchen, second photo the reverse).

Actually, after moving the recessed lighting to be more over the counters, we all agreed the sconces will probably be crowded/busy. But I definitely want something decorative in here; to me, recessed only is very cold and incomplete looking.

I dont see why you cant do pendants, when Im looking at it you could do one over the sink or two over the island.