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Design Dilemma Kitchens

Need kitchen lighting advice

last month

We just moved into this home and replaced the kitchen cabinets, adding an island. Currently the only lighting in the kitchen is this strange track light that is currently hovering between the island and the cabinets, one recessed light over the kitchen sink and a fan with a light over the dining room table (not sold on keeping this fan, but i do know a fan in the kitchen is nice). We are going to replace the track lighting and move it over the island, but I am having trouble deciding on a light and style. My main dilemma is that if we were to go with a traditional island drum down light, I'm worried we will not have enough light in the kitchen. Alternatively, I have been considering shaded chandeliers that would give off more glow/light. (See options in photos) Note: individual pendant lights are not an option, and ceilings are 8'. Looking for any and all advice!

Featured Answer

la_la Girl

last month

If you're going to have an electrician in anyway - I wonder about skipping the pendants and just having some simple recessed lighting installed

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Comments (14)

HU-751711910
Original Author
last month
Additional photos attached
0
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kitchen decor and lighting advice needed
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Comments (1)
The pics didn’t come in order sorry!
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Need your advice on kitchen lighting layout, please!
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Comments (12)
The kitchen is about 15x15. The dining room is about 15x18. The fridge is in the middle cabinet row at the bottom. Stove is on the right, in the middle. If you haven't ordered your cabinets yet, PLEASE STOP! Your kitchen layout is dysfunctional. Your island is a barrier to get to the fridge. When we cook, we take food out of the pantry/fridge and bring it to the sink. We then wash it at the sink and prep between sink and cooktop. The idea is you don't want to cross your cooking zone or your prep zone to get to another zone. You also don't want your dishwasher in your prep zone which yours is right now. And even in your second plan you have too many cans. You don't need one over the range if you have a range hood since the hood has lights in it. And you don't need 9 cans in a dining room. A dining room does not need to be lit up like a baseball field. If you insist you need cans in the dining room (you don't. In fact you were better with just the chandelier and the sconces), only put a total of four cans in the dining room. It's more than enough. Just for comparison, in my living room, I have 4 - 4"cans in a 10' ceiling with a center ceiling fan and it's plenty and my living room is 17'10" x 21'.
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need advice re open concept kitchen and dining rooms lighting
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Comments (2)
So many options! Love the white and grey. What kind of hardware on your cabinets are you thinking? That could determine the color finish of your lighting, but here's a few samples For a silver finish pendant: https://www.woodenchandeliersplus.com/Silver-Finish-Non-Wooden-Chandelier-Pendant-p/hearst-hes-001.htm or https://www.woodenchandeliersplus.com/Denmark-Collection-Polished-Nickel-Finish-Pendant-p/1717-1512d12pn.htm or https://www.woodenchandeliersplus.com/Polished-Nickel-Wooden-Chandelier-Pendant-Modern-p/b00orkmqvka.htm For Gold finish pendant https://www.woodenchandeliersplus.com/Antiqued-Golden-Finish-Non-Wooden-Chandelier-Penda-p/bach-hcb-002.htm or https://www.woodenchandeliersplus.com/Golden-Finish-Non-Wooden-Chandelier-Pendant-p/hilton-hit-001.htm Another silver chandelier for a dining room option: https://www.woodenchandeliersplus.com/Chandelier-In-Polished-Nickel-Traditional-Contemp-p/1624-10123-6.htm A mix of silver and gold pendant: https://www.woodenchandeliersplus.com/Non-Wooden-Chandelier-Modern-Pendant-Silver-Gold-p/blair-bai-001.htm https://www.woodenchandeliersplus.com/Driftwood-Nautical-Industrial-Wooden-Chandelier-p/b01h5kyzm6a.htm https://www.woodenchandeliersplus.com/Retro-Art-Deco-Rustic-Wooden-Chandelier-p/b077xc2s9b.htm I envy you, so many choices. Have fun and good luck with whatever you choose. Looks like you thinking more modern, transitional? Is that Quartz with a waterfall edge? Beautiful and practical. Love it!
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ADVICE NEEDED! Kitchen Island Pendant Lighting Dilemma
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Comments (11)
Good stuff from Beverly above. If you're a visual person (like me) you can also try the balloon trick. Blow up some balloons to be the same size as the lights (as close as possible.) Or you could mock something up with cardboard which would work well since your lights are rectangular (and very cool by the way.) Then hang your mockups on strings from the ceiling. You can play with positioning and length of string to see what you think. Stand by them to check your sight lines when working at the counter, and check them from further away to see how they look. I did this when I replaced a light in my kitchen with a light that has 3 separate globes that can be hung at different heights. I moved my table under the mocked up "light", sat the kids down for dinner, and fiddled around with the strings until I was happy with the heights of the balloons compared to the table. Then I kept the mockup hung nearby for the electrician to follow as a guide.
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HU-751711910
Original Author
last month
We are diying, so no electrician. But i guess adding more recessed lighting is an option...
0
mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
last month
Recessed lighting over the counters. Pendants or recessed lighting over the island. Anything else is going to be a cheaping out kludge.
Valinta
last month
Add undercabinet if not already there
la_la Girl
last month
One thought on the options you added above - with the solid dome shade they will only direct light downward. If you want to light the room, I would select something else
HU-751711910
Original Author
last month
Another idea would be to add a recessed light in place of the track lighting and then add a light over the island. That would add a bit more light without having to do recessed lighting throughout the whole kitchen.
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
last month
The recessed lights need to be over the counters not in the walkway, if you put it where the track is now you will create shadows.
HU-751711910
Original Author
last month
Shadows on what? There are no shadows now.
0
HU-121436380
last month
Shadows created by the person working at the counter
3onthetree
last month
A swap to a single recessed at the existing 3-pendant light would provide no light inside the upper and base cabinets. But your DIY electrical would be easier.

The existing 3-pendant is throwing some light into cabinets because of the clear shades and being closer to the cabinets. Once moved to over the island, that throw will lessen, even moreso if a solid shade is chosen. Adding recessed lights over the counters will provide the light you need inside cabinets.
HU-751711910
Original Author
last month
All good thoughts I haven't considered. If I do add recessed lighting over the countertops, should I also do recessed over island or do a chandelier/pendant over island? And what about the kitchen table. I wonder if a chandelier would be better there and recessed lighting over island. Again, this is diy, so options might be limited, but I'd still like to explore the ideas
RedRyder
last month
I took down all the pendant lights I inherited when I redid my kitchen. I am in the recessed lighting group. My kitchen is so much easier to work in. The lights over the cooking area and center are in a different switch than the overhang area. Total of 12 lights.
Here is the before. Yeah - it was THAT dark.
RedRyder
last month
Here is the after.
0

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