Personally, I like recessed lighting (maybe on dimmers?) in situations like these. I think pendants would be great over the island! I have never seen solar tubes before - they have lights built in? I'm not sure what that would be like.

Yeah, recessed lighting would be great, but we're worried about heat loss. I should do some more research I guess.

The Velux Suntube has an optional light kit, so they're basically like flush-mount light fixtures at night. And daylight during the day.

Does anyone have cable lighting? Those are maybe nicer looking than regular track lighting? What do you think?

Something equivalent to the UC light would be to hang a long rectangle, a white shelf hung from two chains, containing the light sources you like. Xenons, fluorescents, in combinations that suit your needs.

Hi stacey -

Be sure to look at IC-rated recessed cans. You don't have the heat issues with those as you do with the non-IC type. I would try to go that route if possible. It just makes sense with low ceilings. For the track, are you planning on mounting it on the ceiling of the sunporch or on the sunporch side of the beam? I think on the beam might look nice, then you could direct spots all around the room. lumens.com has some really nice low-impact track heads.

I think the majority of your kitchen area is going to be pretty dark without additional light. If you have standard solatubes, they won't give you any light at night. I would scatter some 3-4" cans around the island.

Maybe a ceiling fan over the seating area in the sunporch? It would help circulate heat from the stove. Modern Fan Co. has some really nice ones you might like. How about a mini-chandelier of some sort hanging above the side table in the hearth area?

I can't tell you what to do about pendants...I'm still searching for mine. ugh! But a couple over the island and sink area (as you have outlined) makes sense. I'm not stalking you. Really. :) Just taken an extreme interest in your remodel.

IC cans look great!! I think that's the way to go over the sink peninsula, ailses, and maybe even over the hearth seating area... what do you think? The space is so small and the ceilings so low I don't think I want something hanging down there...???

Thanks for the ideas and links. Lumens.com has some nice stuff. I think a white track with modern, low-impact heads would be great in the LR/DR area. I just need to figure out which are spots and which are more ambient... they have both types right?

I loved the modern fan idea, but when I went and looked at the ceiling in the LR Irealized that in order to hang the fan, centered, low enough that it's blades clear the sloped ceiling, it would be hanging down right in the line of vision of the person working in the kitchen. I really want the "view" from up there to be straight out the big windows, so I don't think that'll work :(

I'm very happy to have your input, all... and smilingjudy I'm very glad you';re interested- I love your kitchen and the fact that your nature room is so similar to my space! By the way, I checked and my guys did install aluminum flashing at the bottom!

I have an IKEA glass pendant in my laundry room (not sure if you are looking at the type of IKEA pendants that can be hardwired, but I discovered that the system to hard wire and run on a track only goes in one direction out from the electrical box - not sure if I'm being at all clear), and along with a daylight curly bulb, is very nice and bright.

Over my sink, I've installed three of these pendant lights - they are bright without taking up visual space (bec they are clear glass - mini chandeliers with a clear glass tube over them):

I can't remember if you have any wall by the fireplace, but if you do, you could do wall sconces. Otherwise, I do think the recessed cans are the way to go with the pendants over the island.

Remember that you'll have lighting in your hood and inside the fridge, so I'm not sure you need more cans/lighting around the kitchen than the 3 you plan over the sink area and the pendants, especially with UC lighting.

Aha, stacey, you're in lighting mode too. Thanks for your suggestions for my sink fixture.

I have low ceilings too ... 2 inches lower than yours! I so wanted some shiny polished nickel pendants like the ones below over my island. But I worried about them making my ceiling appear even lower and looking cluttered like you said. Plus, DH is tall and I didn't want fixtures hanging in his face when he's standing at the island. I also didn't want stubby rods. In the end, I compromised and chose those semi-flush Restoration Hardware fixtures. If you want something with a little more interest than recessed cans over your island, how about some semi-flush lighting? I also like how in the photo below they used those little semi-flush fixtures instead of recessed cans. I wish I had done that. Cans are very functional, I'm just not wild about how they look.

{{!gwi}}

I still vote for cans around the island. :) Over the sink area sounds good too, because it would keep that sightline totally open. I'm guessing they're not as efficient as semi-flush (since you only have light coming from the bottom rather than 360 illumination), but they're great at eliminating visual clutter for general lighting. I think whatever you do over the island would be more decorative/supplemental lighting. You can never have too much light!

For the hearth area, walls sconces are a good idea if it will work. I would avoid can lights over there. While they're great for general lighting, they don't work very well in an intimate/relaxed setting. You could do a couple just in front of the fireplace to highlight the fireplace wall, but avoid having any shining right down on the seating area. Maybe a table or floor lamp makes sense over there.

I am going to be a lighting designer in my next life b/c I have no idea what I'm talking about, but I do know that light MAKES (or breaks) a room. This from a woman who "interviewed" light bulbs for her new kitchen. LOL The ones that put off the wrong color went back to the store.

Thanks everyone for your ideas!

I went to three lighting stores today and picked their brains, too (my biggest question right now is how to get general ambient light in the LR/DR; first store said the small low-voltage track I was looking at would not provide good ambient light. Dunno if he's right b/c the third store said it sounded good :(?????)

Unfortunately, the entire fireplace wall is brick-faced, so I can't plan on sconces there. I MAY sheetrock it and do a normal tiled fireplace surround, or maybe even wood veneer the whole wall, at some later point... but that won't happen right away. Even then we wouldn't have depth for full electrical boxes, and I don't know if you can get the really shallow ones anymore, or if they're up to code.

I was totally planning on cans there... but smilingjudy you say no? This is very difficult for me because I have never lived anyplace with either track or recessed can lighting, so I just can't envision it!! I'd hoped that seeing them in person in lighting stores would help but there are just so many lights in those places it's hard to differentiate......

erikanh, do you have a blog or thread about your kitchen? I know I saw some beautiful pics at one point but now I can't find them....

stacey, I don't have a blog, but I'm including a link to my photobucket album which still has a lot of the inspiration photos that I collected. I'm not sure what style you're planning, but if you're doing a vintage style, definitely check out Crown Point's gallery ... I studied those photos for hours.

Not sure if it's helpful, but here's my inspiration family room. I'm going for a beach cottage look, and I'm doing a similar lighting scheme. I think the key to lighting a room well is to use different types of lighting and to put dimmers on all your hard-wired fixtures:

{{!gwi}}

I have glass cabinets/bookcases on each side of my brick fireplace, also no place for sconces. I disagree about the cans near your fireplace ... I like them. See how they used the eyeball type to highlight the painting and collectibles on the mantel? We didn't do that because our flat-screen TV will be above the fireplace, but we did put regular cans on each side on dimmers.

There will be a flush-mount tropical style ceiling fan with a low-profile light kit (also on a dimmer) in the center of the room. I'm planning to hang sconces (the plug-in kind) on the wall facing the fireplace ... would have like to have them hard-wired and on dimmers but forgot to tell the electrician. Our sectional sofa will back up to that wall, so the sconces will provide nice reading light to anyone seated on either end. I'll probably put a floor lamp or a table lamp and end table in the corner like they did near another big chair. I like the softer lighting provided by floor lamps and table lamps, don't you?

Did I mention I have dimmers on all the lighting in my kitchen and dining room? =)

I hope that helped a little,

Erika

Here is a link that might be useful: My Photobucket Album

Maybe I wasn't clear...I'm totally on board with cans near the fireplace wall. I just wouldn't put them directly over the seating area. They're good as shown in Erika's inspiration pic (except that one over the blue chair...that would bug me unless it has a separate dimmer).

I put two sets of cans in my living room way back before I had a clue. One set is near the perimeter, highlighting the fireplace and entry. The other set is scattered over the seating area. I NEVER use the ones over the seating area. I find it annoying to be sitting there with the light beating down on me. I only turn them on when cleaning.

And as Erika points out, it's all about the layers and the dimmers. :)

Stores have 1000's of light fixtures; about 99% of them look ugly to me. So I must have bad taste and should stick to practical considerations. I have 3 ideas for you.

1. Skip the solar tubes. They provide very little light even at noon. The heat loss is greater than even the worst recessed light.

2. You are absolutely right about heat loss problems with recessed lights. And it gets much worse. They play a major roll in roof rot, by providing passages for moist air to flow into the attic. Who needs that???

IC rated housing do absolutely nothing to help, despite the insulation contact. They just keep the house from burning down. You can buy IC rated, air sealed units for just a few dollars more. I recommend them without reservation. Bury them in a mound of loose cellulose insulation and live happily ever after.

3. Sink areas should be sanitary areas. Pendant fixtures are a constant source of filth and don't belong there. Recessed lights with lenses are perfect, if you get the right ones.

Regards, Fred