Help me improve out kitchen lighting ... fixtures?

[tempus vernum]

We need new fixtures in two areas— over the middle of the kitchen and over the breakfast bar.

My kitchen has horrible lighting and it’s causing me to feel unease (I’m used to a kitchen w 3 walls of window and I now have one small window.)

Maybe some day far in the future I could get DH to put in a skylight but that’s not anytime soon.

Our kitchen has remodeled cabinets in oak w a modern style silver handles, stainless appliances and gray counter tops. The walls are two shades of peach. I’m considering making one wall charcoal gray as we have a huge white spot where we removed a built in microwave but haven’t decided.

So give me your ideas and even links decorating is NOT my forte

---------- Post added at 12:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:21 PM ----------

I decided to add pics to show colors and what we need to replace and the one small window .. I like light. A lot of it but dont want to be tacky



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[knitlove]

Are you planning on putting an eating table in the corner of the kitchen?

Do you need more focus on task/ useful lighting or general how it feels?

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[SewingGreenMama]

Would something like this be an option?

https://www.lampsplus.com/products/p...re__71g45.html

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[tempus vernum]

Originally Posted by knitlove

Are you planning on putting an eating table in the corner of the kitchen?

Do you need more focus on tack/ useful lighting or general how it feels?

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Yes we will eventually put an eating table (booth) in the corner but the light fixture there isn’t going to be quite centered.

How it feels. I have them off but there are cabinet lights that light the workspaces. It’s just dreary on dreary days which is basically now till March in Wisconsin.

I like the idea of the picture. But I think there’s not space between the ceiling and the breakfast bar for that. I love the idea of many canister lights in one fixture and shining down on us

---------- Post added at 01:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:13 PM ----------

After seeing that picture I found this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LW...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

but don’t know what I think yet

[SewingGreenMama]

I also saw a "s" shape one, I've seen bigger ones slightly smaller ones I've seen a lot of that kind of lighting. I'd really love to put something like that in my kitchen but we are in a rental and hopefully we're only going to be here another nine or so months.
I think it would likely work really well since you're probably not at the point where you can in can lights

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[twoplustwo]

I live lots of lighting too. We also have track lighting in our kitchen (put there by the previous owners) and it works well. There is also a light above the sink but we hardly use that.

[Soliloquy]

Do you remember our kitchen on Wisconsin Avenue? You probably weren't there's at night, much. That kitchen had the best lighting and I want to reproduce it here. There were can lights in the ceiling (with dinner switches) but what I used most were lots on top of and underneath the kitchen cabinets.
There ones under the cabinets lit the counters so they were great for prep work. I think indirect lighting is the absolute best for being calming. And get the warm bulbs, not daylight. Dimmer switches for everything.


There are so many options for pendant lamps that could replace the ones you currently have. I'd also go with warm bulbs for those, too. And dimmer switches.

---------- Post added at 12:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:23 PM ----------

When you get the booth, I'd shop for a chandelier. BBC Lighting just south of the Marquette interchange is fabulous for getting ideas.

[2sunshines]

Do you happen to have a Habitat for Humanity Restore locally? It is incredible the stuff you'll find there for a fraction of the price. I'd get ideas of what you like and keep watch at a store like that and you can get lighting for a steal!

As for specifics, I'd do something more of a bar (like the one you linked) and less of a chain over the penninsula. Over the middle of the kitchen I'd want something bright and less hangy I think....

The best thing dh ever did for our kitchen was putting LED lighting strips under the cupboards (over the countertops). I AODRE them. It just adds SO MUCH lighting in my kitchen in addition to the existing fixtures. Plus, the ones we have have a low/high function so I also use them as overnight "nightlights" to keep some lighting in the kitchen without big lights on.

[forty-two]

Originally Posted by Soliloquy

I think indirect lighting is the absolute best for being calming. And get the warm bulbs, not daylight. Dimmer switches for everything.

It's interesting how people like different things, and interpret things differently . Not having enough light is really unsettling for me and I took her comment about the terrible lighting making her uneasy (in a room with less windows than she's used to) as a comment on there not being *enough* light - so I went straight to thinking about how to punch up the lumens.

And I really dislike how warm light clashes with light from the windows - the very first thing I did when we moved into our new house was to replace every. single. bulb. with daylight LEDs. I puffy pink heart *love* my daylight LEDs - I can replace 40 watt incandescents with 60 watt-equivalent LEDs and get some *light* into the place . (My SAD is showing .)

I was so sad that I couldn't find 60 watt-eq daylight LED chandelier bulbs - only 40 watt-eq - the kids' overhead lights only take two chandelier bulbs apiece, and even with daylight bulbs it's just not enough light; living room could have used them, too.

In terms of getting more light, my advice is to avoid fixtures where the light shines through the shade instead of directly - the light's so much dimmer that way. Also, if you want LED bulbs (either warm or daylight), avoid totally enclosed fixtures, because you aren't supposed to use LED bulbs in them. We replaced some enclosed fixtures in our hall and entry way to solve both of those problems, and it's *so* much brighter now .

---------- Post added at 05:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:30 PM ----------

I kinda like this one for the middle of the kitchen: https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Organz...dp/B08F7463NT/

It has 6 bulbs, up to 60 watt each, which gives you the potential for a lot of light, but also allows you to use 40 watt or even 25 watt - you have a lot of options. Especially as it takes E26 bulbs (the fat 1" screw-threaded base ones - aka the "normal" ones - instead of chandelier bulbs), which gives you tons of bulb options. And it has a semi-transparent shade covering the side but not the bottom, which both allows light through but also protects you from gazing into a bare bulb. And the bulbs are directed downward, which tends to give more light to the room than those that are directed upward.

Although the more I look, the more those Sputnik chandeliers are calling to me : https://smile.amazon.com/Sputnik-Cha...dp/B0894T261C/ . Aside from the fact they are an, er, unique style, all those bare bulbs might hurt to look upon (probably why so many of the demo models use those retro bulbs).

[Katigre]

Do you have it in your budget to have your cabinets painted white? That would help with the lighting.

I agree about new fixtures but I'm not very good at picking those

[tempus vernum]

Originally Posted by Katigre

Do you have it in your budget to have your cabinets painted white? That would help with the lighting.

I agree about new fixtures but I'm not very good at picking those

Cabinets are 2 years new and solid oak custom cabinets ... I hadn’t thought of it but even if I wanted to DH wouldn’t even consider painting them.

I hate every single fixture in this house they are all as bad as the kitchen but I can’t live w the kitchen anymore. After the kitchen I’m not sure which will be next but I suspect the bathrooms will be next. I knew I hated them so we have money set aside for this

---------- Post added at 05:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:50 PM ----------

Originally Posted by 2sunshines

Do you happen to have a Habitat for Humanity Restore locally? It is incredible the stuff you'll find there for a fraction of the price. I'd get ideas of what you like and keep watch at a store like that and you can get lighting for a steal!

As for specifics, I'd do something more of a bar (like the one you linked) and less of a chain over the penninsula. Over the middle of the kitchen I'd want something bright and less hangy I think....

The best thing dh ever did for our kitchen was putting LED lighting strips under the cupboards (over the countertops). I AODRE them. It just adds SO MUCH lighting in my kitchen in addition to the existing fixtures. Plus, the ones we have have a low/high function so I also use them as overnight "nightlights" to keep some lighting in the kitchen without big lights on.

We have those strips. My issue is I have to turn on 4 switches (2 under cabinets) and breakfast bar and main light to not feel like I’m living in a dungeon. And I can’t even do paperwork at my breakfast bar on gloomy days. Or see when I mop my floor at night

DH did say he wants to put brighter lights in the cabinet lights. I’m fine w that but it’s not a necessity.

Our main light has a dimmer for when we want cozy but right now I need bright almost daylight improvements.

I found a track light I think I want ... Lisa I wish I’d paid better attention in Wisconsin ave cuz I don’t remember

[knitlove]

Are you looking at just replacing fixtures now and pocibilibly adding can lights in latter?

I am all about my daylight LED's and as many lumina as humanly pocoble in my space.

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[tempus vernum]

Originally Posted by knitlove

Are you looking at just replacing fixtures now and pocibilibly adding can lights in latter?

I am all about my daylight LED's and as many lumina as humanly pocoble in my space.

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No can lights. Don’t want DH cutting into this ceiling .. fixtures only.

I like daylight LEDs for day time, dimmed for night but if I had to choose it would be daylight LEDs. We have 2 dimmers and a few 3 way lamps ...

I’m trying not to go crazy buying light fixtures. I knew I Had to do this but didn’t care until it started raining and snowing

[2sunshines]

Originally Posted by SonshineMama

but didn’t care until it started raining and snowing

I always tease dh about this every winter. We get couped up inside. Add on that my favourite channel is HGTV and every single winter my brain goes crazy with all the home renovations I have on my "to do" list, or add to my "to do" list. I think all spring/summer/fall I forget about most of them because I'm just not trapped inside in the dark with everything as long.

[Aerynne]

I get lighting by seeing what is in the clearance section at Home Depot or looking on facebbok marketplace. A lot of people get rid of brand new lighting in their brand new house and sell builder grade lighting for almost nothing. I’m not a big help on styling but those are my sources.

OT- How do you like that counter with the stools? I think something like that is a great idea- just would love to know if it works well for you.