I would suggest recessed lights in the kitchen and living area (along with end table lamps). It looks like the dining area and living area should be flipped assuming that would put the dining area closer to the kitchen. A chandelier over the dining table would be nice.

Thank you guys - I just spent the last two days painting. Every room was milk chocolate - I went with SW agreeable grey. Not changing any floors - except going to giving the tile grout a refresh. Can you install recessed lights from below? I always thought they had to go in from the floor above?

This is a bit of the style I like - comfy, earthy but modern. I have a navy couch coming, and a pallet wall being installed as a feature wall behind the tv stand. just purchased the jute rug. Silver antlers to hand up.

there are some really cool flushmounts and you could add undercabinet lighting those would be easy DIY fixes, and maybe a pendant to match the flushmounts

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/entry-way-lights-dsvw-vd~3981807?n=2

look at these flushmounts

Consider modern ceiling fans with lights for over your dining table and/or living room if your fixture boxes are the sturdy metal ones that can accommodate the weight of a heavier fixture.

For over the counter tops -- island or peninsula, you might consider modern track lighting.

http://www.kitchenrecessedlighting.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/bronze-track-lighting-kitchen-600x600.jpg

... but first see if you can shorten the wire/chain in your okay lighting to raise it out of the way and focus your budget on replacing the boobies. It's usually doable but may require an electrician if y'all aren't handy DIY types that know how to turn off the circuit breaker before working on anything electrical..

LED lights are the lights of the future -- more light for less energy and produce less heat.

Consider stained glass overhead lighting as well.

http://thumbs3.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/m9I8SrNkrO35JyFuh79w5TA.jpg

http://d2ydh70d4b5xgv.cloudfront.net/images/3/1/vintage-tiffany-style-stained-cut-glass-hanging-ceiling-light-fixture-lamp-f04b9d5ca82ba589a0716d551e7cf4d7.jpg

http://www.fairhavenantiquesandstainedglass.com/wp-content/uploads/iris.jpg

http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/images/g/RvkAAOSwT6pVmEh3/s-l225.jpg

http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/images/g/7u0AAOSwu4BVmEUH/s-l225.jpg

Any square flush mounts will look less boob, especially of the bottom you see is designed to be a flat surface.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/14/7d/a0/147da076fe3b153c313ba2689d156987.jpg

There are more modern and interesting lights available.
http://ceiling.paperhatco.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Polished-Chrome-Square-Flush-Mount-Ceiling-Light.jpg

I am not a fan of ceiling fans, lol. Especially over a dining table. The fans with light kits are mostly clunky IMHO.
There are all kinds of great light fixtures, wait until your furniture is in place so you have a better idea of scale and finishes.

Your style looks eclectic, some flush mount lights. Also nice big arch floor lamp

Well of course it's milk chocolate!

recent Houzz article, maybe some help, including the comments. I think pendants over the dining table and sink would be good. Enclosed fitting over the sink .

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/why-its-high-time-to-reconsider-flush-mount-lights-stsetivw-vs~66328622

I like the fixtures suggested by blenheimnewzealand. I noticed the star shaped mirror in your inspiration picture, and thought stars on the ceiling could be interesting. Have fun with your new space!

Get in an electrician to do remodel recessed LED lights. A bunch of them. 1-2K worth for the first wave of absolutely necessary 100% needed ambient lighting. Same with the second wave later on for accent lighting. Reserve the pendant lighting and flush mount lighting for special accents.

You might also consider the effect that better lighting will have on the home's other issues and have a whole home plan in place to address those as funding is available.

One of the first low cost things that you could do is to just remove that clashing backsplash the previous owner put in. Then just smooth out the drywall and paint until you can afford to do a more intensive redo of counters, etc. That is a zero cost improvement.

Audrey, I just went to browse your idea books and had to smile. I have a print-out of the exact picture you have for your bedroom idea book. That is the inspiration for my son's bedroom makeover.

Anyway, I agree with Sophie Wheeler about looking into recessed lighting with dimmer switches. When we added them to our kitchen, the room felt so much bigger/taller without having light fixtures hanging over our heads - and much brighter.

Our electricity bill was cut in half when we replaced all of our pot lights & low voltage outdoor lights with LEDs! Also gives a much brighter cleaner light. Make sure all indoor cans are on dimmers, LEDs are very bright.
I agree to wait on decorative pendants till you get your main lighting issues handled. But, I would have an electrician remove that pendant over the peninsula. A very unusual choice.

Warm white.

SandyC - which LED pot light did you use? GE Reveal, GE soft light or something else? I bought an LED GE Reveal and I was expecting it to be much brighter; our other LED lights are really bright.

Puremichigan60-which brand do you recommend?

Chrome , will pick up the one over the island , get rid of the "Boobs" its over done boring and cheap ,they must have gotten a good deal on those

!

Use the Halo brand trim retrofits for conventional recessed housing. Not LED bulbs in a standard Edison base trim. Or, if the housing is not ICAT, and leaks into the attic, replace the housing too.

We used the halo brand for a retro fit. I think we have warm white. They are beautiful. Not sure what you will need for your home, your election should be able to guide you.

Here are some interesting lighting ideas from our portfolio:

Literally just searched "boob lights" out of curiosity and this is what came up. Literally called "uttermost."

Link didn't post for some reason. This is what you want, right??

https://blog.etsy.com/en/keep-it-weird-let-there-be-light/

Yes, you have to change your lights! I would do recessed in odd places, but choose pendants where they can hang over a table. I love linen drum lights, woven pendants, and metal/gold pendants which seem to match the look in your inspiration photo.

There are some great suggestions here. I agree, the flush mount dome lights have got to go. An experienced electrician that specializes in residential remodeling and lighting can help you transform the lighting from "big box boring builder-grade" to a design that compliments your lifestyle and decor.

Yes, recessed lights can be installed from below. A good electrician with the correct tools and training can install recessed lights throughout the kitchen, dining room, and living room with minimal ceiling repair needed. Even if the space above the ceiling is not accessible a professional that specializes in residential lighting can design and install an amazing recessed lighting system for you. In many cases it can actually be done with no ceiling repair necessary at all.

Each installation is different, so your electrician will need to spend some time looking at the way your home is constructed to be able to tell you exactly what your options are. If you really want to improve the lighting in your home find a good electrician and arrange a lighting consultation. You will likely have to pay for an hour or two just to get pricing and design ideas, but the results will be well worth it with the dramatically improved lighting. The fee for the consultation is typically credited towards the price of project when you hire the electrician.

LED lamps are definitely the way to go with recessed lighting. They will more than pay for themselves in energy savings and replacement costs in the long run. This is another area where an electrician that is experienced in lighting renovations can really help you. Choosing the right products to provide the type and quality of light needed will make or break the project. LED lamps with the proper color temperature and high CRI make a dramatic difference in the appearance of furnishings and artwork. Creating a lighting design based on how you will ultimately be decorating and using the spaces is crucial to getting the most out of recessed lighting.

For the light above the sink it could be replaced with a pendant or a recessed light. If you find a pendant that you love, then go for it. If you like the view out the window and don't want to obstruct it, then recessed is the logical choice. The same applies to the peninsula counter space. Ditch the clunky fixture and install a recessed light or two (depending on what size you choose).

The fixture at the entry could be replaced with a more decorative semi-flush or as mentioned above a low-profile linen drum would work well. You can also just replace it with recessed lighting too. In most cases a recessed light can be installed where there is already an existing flush mount fixture. If framing obstructs the installation of a recessed can light there are some products like LOTUS LED LIGHTS that are designed for that application. This is another area where it pays to have a good electrician that you can trust to design the best lighting system and choose the correct products for your needs and budget.

The view outside of the window looks beautiful. Just use recess lights over the sink for a clean look. A pendant light in front of the window will be just a silhouette and obstructs the view

,

Live with the lighting until you know where you need it and how you'll use the lighting.

found these at home depot - they are flush, but have a more of a pot light feel. think I am going to try this for the hallway lighting, perhaps even the living/dining rooms. I think I will try moving the pendent that was over the peninsula to the window area. I really wish I could take everyone's suggestion of something over the dining table but the light fixtures hangs to the top left corner of the table... WAY off centre. wouldn't work. So flush lights it is.

It's easy to have the electrical box centered over the table. A very small job. Have never seen those flat lights. Will wait to let the pros weigh in on those. For $69 each, I think you could have an electrician install real pot lights. I would wait and get a lighting design drawn up before you invest in temporary fixes.

The pendant is too large for over the sink, I think you will hit your head.

As far as the kitchen goes, have some one make you a wooden valance in whatever shape you like, paint it white and then have a long fluorescent tube light fixture put under it. That will give you lots of light in that area.
I like lots of light in the kitchen.

Sorry, wood valances IMHO are very dated. You can get a cute pendant or semi flush mount above sink.

The Feit 11 Inch LED Ceiling Fixture that you have chosen has a color temperature of 4000K which is a very cool white. If you want to go that route I would suggest trying one fixture first to see if that high of a color temperature works in your home. At 845 Lumens it will only be slightly brighter than a 60W bulb (800 Lumens).

A traditional incandescent light bulb has a much warmer color temperature of about 2700K. Most of my customers greatly prefer the LED lamps with a lower color temperature that produce a warmer light.

Halo makes a flush mount LED that can also be installed in 5 & 6 inch recessed cans. Home Depot sells them for about $35 and although at 675 Lumens they are not quite as bright as the 11 inch LED Ceiling Fixture they have a lower color temperature of 3000K.

Halo Model # SLD606830WHR

The light over the peninsula is actually kind of cool. If it's large enough, I'd move it to the dining room after you have the electrician move the box.

I have pot lights in my bedroom. ..actually boobs without the nippless.. But they somehow get filled with insects, and have to be opened up periodically to be cleaned, so my next renovation will have something that doesn't get filled. We have low ceilings so it will still have to be flush. I see boob lights all over the place, can't decide whether it's a Freudian fixation or just cheap and available.

Lots of great advice about the lights, above... but you really need to deal with the textured ceiling aw well. Right now, it kind of goes with the boobs, (sort of double yuck) but with nice new lights it will really stick out.

Freudian, definitely.

well im not sure why it has to be opened? you can get different trim kits that are open so nothing can collect in there.........

I don't know about a wood valance being dated. I just had a young couple buy my house and they loved the wood valance.
It's a way to hide a light.
I like the light over the counter, move it to the dining room and shorten it a little.

Be thankful that they didn't put them on the side of your walls like we found in this hotel a few years ago: http://designinside.com/bad-design-ideas-using-ceiling-lights-as-a-wall-sconce/

OMG, Design In, that is hilarious!

I couldn't help it, your post title was too funny. We too call those pesky builder basic lights by the same thing.

Maybe I don't mean valance...something wider, out the the front edge of your cabinets

@mrramsey

The textures ceilings, are really not that bad. I previously had popcorn ceilings - that was bad - this is much more modern.

because of the textured ceiling though, I do not want to move any light boxes because the ceiling would have to patched, and thats our of my wheel house.

Trying to keep things reasonable affordable as well - we have a $6000+ fence being installed in our backyard for our dog.

have always had a soft spot for this fixture - living room/dining. would it be weird to have two?

Down by the river, my husband doesn't like naked lights. ... boobs or not, he wants them modestly covered. So we have these flying saucer fittings at present, but as I said, they tend to fill with insects. Especially in the monsoon, when we get an astonishing variety of insects coming in. Really tiny ones! So I am looking for something that won't collect. These lights are on the bedroom ceiling, so if you are lying in bed you can definitely see the lamps. There is no space for wall lights either. I did consider coving that conceals an led strip, still thinking about that, but it's an expensive option that will only happen next time we decorate.

Low ceilings means anything we put up has to be flat, and there is no false ceiling to recess lights into. (I had one in my entry passage and it became termite palace. .. so no false ceilings.) I go every so often to see what's available, but right now our cheap flying saucers have been the best option.

Oh and we have a ceiling fan... hanging lights also don't work as they have to be below the fan to prevent flicker, then they swing wildly and also bump tall heads.