Melle, I thought I was the only one with this issue:-) First of all, I have fans in every room of the house except the kitchen, and I have to be careful about any light that is above them because it casts shadows and makes me nauseous after a while. Also, and this is why this isn't a small issue, strobe light effects have been proven to cause epileptic seizures and migraines in those prone to them (not all of the time, but they set off some electrical impulse...). I get migraines, so this is a huge deal to me. I think the cans can work, the recessed eyeballs are a great idea, too and in fact if I had my druthers, that is what I would use (because you can angle them and they seem more like gallery lights to me). But I do want to make sure you test some light up there with the fan on. It may not be an issue because your cans will be up much higher than the fan, but in some rooms when I've had this combo, the fan blades whirling past the cans cast shadows. Maybe your eyeball lights wouldn't be anywhere near the blades, in which case, this could work out well. In my experience, looking at can lights and where they will go, it's often hard to see them not looking weird. But when they're up and functioning, they tend to blend in. Good luck, I feel your pain (I have -- no, DH has -- CFLs in every room- esp painful in the bathrooms and the exterior front lights, which are gorgeous carriage lamps that are supposed to burn with the flickering gas look....you can SEE the CFLs in there...UGH. He has even stuck them in crystal antique lamps! He's so sweet; I love that he cares about the environment, but...geez).

I'm sorry for the confusion. The problem started when the KD didn't allow for the actual size of our table/chairs (he hasn't admitted that, - only my opinion). Where it is "designed" to fit, I think, encroaches into our family room. If we move it toward the kitchen a few inches, it encroaches into a doorway. This wasn't discovered by DH and me until too late to change - cabinets had been ordered. KD keeps insisting it is a good design and all will be well. I wasn't convinced. However, I know that if we were to buy a different table/chairs, we could buy one that would break down to a lot smaller size and then we could put it in a completely different location if we wanted to. Buying a new table and chairs would be cheaper than changing the design at this point, but still more money than we can spend on top of what we're already spending, at this point - we must live with what we have for at least awhile. So, there must be a light fixture somewhere. I'm sorry the design plans I have are on really large paper and I have no idea how to get them posted here. KD met us this a.m. as we were leaving for work and I brought up this dilemma to him, again. His solution is to rough for a ceiling fan. That way, we can decide to put up a fan or a fixture. We are going to put it in the center of the room, however, versus center of where we think the table might go. The focal point, when you walk in, will not be the ceiling fixture, but the hutch that's going to be built along the back wall. If I put in a ceiling-hugger, non-descript but tasteful fan, I think it will be fine. Sorry to carry on. My stomach is in knots -- you all probably know the feeling -- and I was just about in tears when he arrived this a.m. He has put me at ease and I think now that life will go on. Thanks.

Hi darbuka & B F, Sorry to hear that you two feel differently with the light fixture suggestions but the OP, Missi, did ask for ideas and decorative lighting suggestions. We are simply offering those ideas and suggestions. Given the space as it is, which is still a work in progress, it would be hard to say for sure whether recessed lighting--or any other type of lighting, be it decorative or functional, or both--is the way to go. Sometimes, people just need some inspirational ideas and having photos as well as the availability of different types of light fixtures that can be possibly made can help home owners decide which way to move forward--with what colors to paint the walls, with what furniture to buy, with what decor, artwork, & decorative pieces to accentuate the space with, etc. It's a fairly common practice to look and see what other colors and furniture are in the space, which is the more traditional route to go about this but what if the space hasn't been fully built or remodeled yet? Or hasn't been fully conceptualized or determined yet? What does the interior designer do in those cases? The answer to that depends on the interior designer, their professional experience, and how they approach a space. No two interior designers will make the same judgment call for the same set of colors, space, furniture arrangement, and budget. In other words, it's purely subjective on what will ultimately end up there and will usually involve a combination of the interior designer's input and suggestions and the home owner's wants and needs. Our sister brand, Luxe Light and Home, can make the above light fixtures but they also have the manufacturing capacity and expertise to customize all of their light fixtures to fit the space as desired by the home owner. For example, this is a customized 'rectangular' version of the Tessa that was made for a client's dining room: This is a customized oval-shaped Roxi Chandelier that was made for the great room for a different client: This is a customized vertical Lucia that was made for a farmhouse: Home owners looking for a specific look or has specific space requirement needs won't be able to achieve that using generic-looking light fixtures sold at hardware stores like Home Depot, Lowe's, Menard's, etc. Sometimes, it really is worth it to spend a little more for better quality lighting. That being said, if showing decorative lighting ultimately pushes the OP to actually hire a professional interior designer and make the decision that recessed lighting is the better route to go, then isn't that a way of helping the OP? We think so. Very Best, Tai Truong Elements of Design 3400 Medford Street Los Angeles, CA 90063 tai@lusivedecor.com www.elementsofdesign.com

I'm in agreement with most of the above. Remove all the "littles" - things you can carry in both hands like the square mirrors above the doorway to the sunroom, the pieces above the bed, the vase of dried stuff, the rug by the mirror, the two tiny bedside lamps. Consider replacing the nightstands with floating shelves and some wall mounted corded swing arm lamps. If it will fit, I'd hang that big art above the bed and start shopping for accessories in those rich colors. I'd prefer sheer curtains hung in the sunroom to filter the light. Then put linen or silk panels in the bedroom. Did you ever try the bed in front of the two windows? I think your bench is too small for that wall or for the scale of the bed; try it in the sunroom, hall or foyer.