Lighting style: I am lost

14 years ago

I love mercury glass fixtures, and modern fixtures, and schoolhouse fixtures and barn lights. What I need is functional lighting that is in an appropriate style for my kitchen and my home. I am stumped.

My light gets trapped in the beams.

I cannot have recessed lights because there is no recess. The sheetrock in between the beams is screwed into the floor above. Wiring for anything that I do on the ceiling will be surface mount and I will either embrace, or disguise/hide/ignore.

This is my current space:

From Kitchen Planning

From Kitchen Planning
After the renovations, the perimeter L will be walnut slab front modernish with madre perla countertops. There will be an island that will be painted a light, dusky olive with butcherblock countertop, the floors will be light-natural ash.

From Kitchen Planning

Minimally, I will have wallmount lights over the sink, or to the sink's right and left. If necessary I can have a light over the window to the left of the stove. The range hood will have lights.

I need style guidance; modern, schoolhouse, industrial, etc....

I think I need rod mounted pendants in some kind of grid to get the light out of the beams. Like this

[Contemporary Pendant Lighting design[(https://www.houzz.com/products/contemporary-pendant-lights-prbr1-br~t_610~s_2103) by Amazon or maybe this

[Modern Ceiling Lighting design[(https://www.houzz.com/products/modern-ceiling-lights-prbr1-br~t_604~s_2105) by Schoolhouse Electric

Or, maybe I need a three light diffusing pendants over the island. Like this

[Traditional Pendant Lighting design[(https://www.houzz.com/products/traditional-pendant-lights-prbr1-br~t_610~s_2107) by Candelabra

I tried to lay out a grid and ended up with a rod mounted pendant right in front of my range hood. I felt this seemed 'busy'.

Please help.

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Comments (10)

numbersjunkie
14 years ago
Don't you still need an electrical box above those lights? Is there room if the sheet rock is attached to the floor above?
herbflavor
14 years ago
building of a few trays that drop down between beams at designated locations and distances enough to house some electricals...suspended wires attached and running between beams which house some clipped on small spotlights....[there is probably a solution to this-but get a contractor in to see and go over some options]. Industrial/loft look comes to mind aesthetically.
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localeater
Original Author
14 years ago
Many contractors and electricians have been in and the answer is the same. We can disguise wiring. We can drop the ceiling between the beams. I have accepted this. I will disguise wiring(or embrace/hide), I will not drop ceiling between beams.
Now given these constraints what style would you go with?
herbflavor
14 years ago
Cables/wires and small attached fixtures with all exposed...snake configuration across the room or a few circle shapes.Obviously running parallel with the beams can work...perhaps a long run crosswise along the beams?? What fixtures attach to cables/wires and what type of light is transmitted-how many and where to place and then narrow in on the mounting locations and best shapes or configuration for the wires/cables. Get a catalogue and figure out what fixtures you have a choice of.
lee676
14 years ago
One possibility - put electroluminescent panels on the white ceiling areas between the wood beams. They're almost paper thin and provide a nice even light. LED panels are available too which are still only a fraction of an inch thick.
User
14 years ago
Wilmette lighting has styles that you may like with mounting options that should work for you. Look at the pendants in Freejacks.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wilmette lighting
CEFreeman
14 years ago
Tell me more about this "light dusky olive" paint...
localeater
Original Author
14 years ago
Lots of progress today. Thank you all.
Thank you Athomeinva: I do like Wilmette and Tech Lighting and I think we will go that direction. I think the monorail system with some pendants and some spots will address the lighting needs in the best way. I will still have sconces to the left/right of the sink but the monorail will solve the ambient light issue as well as address some of the task lighting.
CEF: Dusky light olive is still TBD. I think you have been on some of my other posts but I will recap here in case I am mistaken. Floors=clear natural ash, Perimeter=natural walnut(slab front) w/madre pearla countertop, Island=walnut butcherblock with painted island. In trying to bring the madre pearla in to the island, I do not like the darker streaky areas, I love the green olive undertones. When you put the olive against the ash floor it pops and is brightened. So shades I am thinking of so far are (all BM) providence olive HC-98, Sag harbor gray(HC-95), stingray(1529), senora gray(1530). Any input would be greatly appreciated.
marcolo
14 years ago
I almost see you with something like this.
localeater
Original Author
14 years ago
LOL Marcolo, I think that is my existing dining room light.
It wouldn't shed enough light to be functional for the kitchen though.