IMO if you wanted a less gloomy kitchen you should not have chosen black cabinets or appliances . Make sure all the lighting you will have is LED in 4000K to help with the gloom and honestly your DR light needs to work with your style which we do not have any idea about.

Agree regarding black appliances for all the reasons mentioned. Stainless would be a much better choice.

You ask a lot of good questions! For the backsplash we were thinking a white tile perhaps textured or glass in either a subway pattern or herringbone pattern. We have 8 LED potlights in 2 rows of 4 on each side of the island and will have 3 pendant lights over the island — if they are spaced properly they could be quite large. Under counter lighting will also be installed. We’ve already purchased the appliances unfortunately — a built in oven which will be on the left side of the photo and the fridge will be on the wall to the right. So despite having buyers remorse on them, they will be quite spread out (the kitchen is quite large) and hoping they won’t be too distracting. Opposite the kitchen is our family room which has a ginormous window (approx 12’ x 8’) and will get afternoon sun. The grey cabinetry is actually quite light despite the photo and the island is dark but will have a white quartz countertop which I am hoping will brighten it up (the island is 9’x4’)

For lights silver or no colour really. Choose pendants that are mostly glass and give off lots of great light. Your kitchen will be lovely. Our kitchen is grey and white too. :)

I’m imagining something like this?

I agree with AS....glass or otherwise “see through” lighting

Katie B. This is a great photo to use so thank you for this and the thought on the lighting.

clear glass pendants, give the worst light, the frosted glass would be the option to that point, or you can go black metal, this will really drive the light down. But I would avoid clear glass if you need working light. The Edison bulbs also cast yellow, so not sure you really want that.

what is the ceiling height, and what are the island dimensions? your example photo shows a tray ceiling do you have that in your space as well? What is the overall vibe of the house?

Good info on the Edison bulbs which looks so neat but I think the yellow light would but me. Ceiling is 9’ high, Island is about 9.5’ x 4’. There is no tray ceiling in our build — just flat ceiling in the kitchen. And the vibe I would say is mostly transitional — I don’t mind something nag unique and funky though (someone mentioned bicycle glass but their pendants seem too small for this space)

I would choose brass / gild light fixtures and honey bronze or champagne bronze hardware to warm it all up. Will look great with gray, I promise.

ok I have 9ft ceilings and 8-foot bar I have 2 13 inch pendants, I don't think I would have gone with 3 this size but two works, here is what I have just for you to see an example of what size it is!

https://www.overstock.com/Lighting-Ceiling-Fans/Elk-Lighting-Chadwick-Single-light-Satin-Nickel-White-Glass-Pendant/9499379/product.html

something like this might work for you, glass and black and stainless:

https://www.lampsplus.com/products/brighton-13-inchw-polished-nickel-and-matte-black-pendant-light__9w723.html

or

https://www.destinationlighting.com/item/hinkley-winnie-polished-white-distressed-black-pendant-light-conical-shade/P2192644

That black silver and glass pendant is stunning!!!

its a good mix for you and will still give you great light.

Yes- fab!

I think it’s nice but dark. Do you want to add more black or dark? I would really steer toward a translucent all glass pendant

You don't want the kitchen to be "too gloomy". You want it to be "less gloomy". Why are you okay with any level of "gloomy" in your heaviest-use room?

I agree that black appliances are a mistake -- they are "big players" in the kitchen, and all that black will suck light from the room.

Honestly, it's hard to buy any kitchen appliances today that AREN'T stainless steel. Just go into Lowes and look around -- out of maybe 30-35 refrigerators, you might see 1-2 that're black or white. Stainless steel is a mega-trend right now, and if you want something else you'll almost certainly have to order it/wait for it to be delivered. In addition to concerns about darkness, that's a decent reason for considering stainless steel.

Make sure all the lighting you will have is LED in 4000K to help with the gloom and honestly your DR light needs to work with your style which we do not have any idea about.

Agree. If you're going with the black appliances, definitely balance them with more light. Under counter lights, maybe under-counter night lights, a few more ceiling lights than you think you need. Choose fixture that'll accept high-wattage light bulbs and put them all on dimmers to give yourself control.

Stainless is classic, has always been around, and will always be around.

Eh, not so much for home kitchens. Stainless popped up while I was in college, which was the 80s -- probably late 80s. I remember going to show a house with my grandmother, who was a Realtor, and seeing stainless appliances for the first time. My reaction: how cold. Those were the days when Bisque and Almond ruled. Now stainless looks "standard".

You didn't mention the backsplash, but the one in the OP of multicolored thin tile is quite dated. It is the opposite of the airy that you want.

I agree that style will one day look like avocado and harvest gold.

Having said that, a backsplash isn't all that hard to change out, so if you love-love-love that backsplash, it's not the worst thing to install. Sure, it's harder to change out than throw pillows, but it's something you can DIY for a couple hundred dollars if you tire of that tile in a couple years.

Opposite the kitchen is our family room which has a ginormous window (approx 12’ x 8’) and will get afternoon sun.

Eh, a window in the next room -- even a ginormous window -- isn't going to make your kitchen bright and sunny. I'd really try to change out some of that black.

The Edison bulbs also cast yellow, so not sure you really want that.

I'm not a fan of Edison bulbs. They cost much more than standard light bulbs, yet they don't last as long. Also, they're a fad -- once they're "out", they'll be hard to obtain. Seems like a small-but-constant pain in your homeowner neck.

I’m not suggesting Edison bulbs. I’m suggesting a pendant that has a translucent shade vs black. For example see pic below.

regular bulbs are not that appealing when lit in these style fixtures. The kichler Everly series has been around for like 6-7 years now, its a mainstay, it has the option for seeded glass if you go that route go with that style glass as it diffuses the light bulb a little bit more.

https://www.lampsplus.com/products/brighton-13-inch-wide-polished-nickel-ball-pendant-light__9w725.html

another stunner thats not so average!

That’s not their kitchen though? It’s a grey and black kitchen...by theirs

I’m a big fan of black. I’d be painting rooms in my house black if I could get my husband on board. Your kitchen isn’t gloomy, and black isn‘t gloomy either. I love the appliances you chose- chic and modern.

it’s all personal taste

good article

https://www.mydomaine.com/black-room-ideas-4693758

I agree about the Linear mosaic backsplash- it’s dated. You can’t go wrong with any of the lights recommended.

@ A S I am not trying to argue with you, the OP said, that was a good example because her cabinet color, backsplash are different than her first photo. I can crop them all into that photo too...the one you posted has white everything lol, its just an example. None of them are "her" kitchen btw.

"Stainless is classic, has always been around, and will always be around.Eh, not so much for home kitchens. Stainless popped up while I was in college, which was the 80s -- probably late 80s."

@Mrs Pete - we had stainless wall ovens in my home in the '60s, and it was nothing special or unusual. My friends' kitchens in that era also had stainless appliances. Though not fridges - they were always white. Not helping the OP (sorry!), but I just had to clear that up.

Some fun pics:

Julia Child's kitchen

Brady Bunch kitchen

And I’m not trying to argue with you either. I would actually suggest waiting till the home is more together and then choosing lights. There is no rule that it must be picked now. So if worried it’s dark in real life then adjust. If not then adjust. Etc

ok now I'm obsessed with Julia Childs butcher block, cabinet color, and the artwork on the doors lol.

RL Relocation LLC - the pics on this link are much better.

https://lithub.com/how-to-arrange-your-kitchen-according-to-julia-child/

I'm just a human who cooks in my kitchen. It's not perfect. Six cats underfoot. Probably not great by your standards. But the one thing it does give me is Joy. Not Joy because it's perfect in its design and The pendant lights and its walls. Joy because I found interesting items here and there and put it together so it is really me and not a representation of a bunch of pictures I found on the Internet. So I'm sure she will come up with something that is her. Something that she goes oh yes this is great super Duper Duper Duper. She strikes me as being that type of person based on her descriptions. She uses great terminology that is funky. And everyone else is trying to put her in that boring perfect box. And I don't think that's where she wants to be folks. Everyone please have a good and safe day.

I Love my black stainless appliances Not gloomy AT ALL. They do scratch easily andare silver stainless underneath so DO be careful

Welp, I guess I have done wrong here, so sorry best of luck.

RL Relocation LLC — not at all! I love the pendants you have suggested and the advice you have given. Thanks so much for investing your time in searching and editing the photos!

RL I agree you’ve given great tips and help to the OP.

Charlene, Very valid questions and oh so many opinions. As you stated, your kitchen will have light cabinet Grey doors and a slate island and white quartz counters, therefore i don't think your kitchen will feel too dark, even with the black appliances. I think you can even consider adding the polished chrome or nickel for a pop of some shine with your cabinet hardware, and you can play off of that for your lighting. Don't be afraid to mix your finishes either. Here is a kitchen we have in process with black cabinetry, stained cabinetry and the white countertops and this homeowner chose to go with brass and glass fixtures. While you can wait until your kitchen is completed as someone else posted, unless you know for certain approximate size and location for your lights, my recommendation is you know for the electrician where you want the lights during their rough in stage. This will prevent you from thinking you are putting 3 pendants over an island, and then finding 2 larger ones you like better and having to pay for drywall fix, electrician additional visit to move and then repaint ceiling.

You will be fine; your kitchen won't be too dark. We went with darker cabinets and lighter counters, SS appliances and lots of lighting and (I think) it looks great. You should do what you are comfortable with. I think your OP said you are having this house built, so it seems you want it to be fully and completely yours vs something you are just trying to keep neutral with broader appeal to sell later. So, you do you. The pics below don't have our pendants (or our vent hood) - both are still not completely finished - but you'll get the idea of how not dark it is despite the dark cabinets.

That said, I agree with the posters who warned against black stainless because it scratches easily. Me and mine cannot deal with that level of caution and yet don't want scratches and dings, so we went with stainless. (And we ended up putting a tiny ding on the refrigerator handle - gah!) Depending on where you purchased your appliances you may be able to switch things out? You mentioned buyer's remorse so I thought I would put that out there. It may be worth a phone call / email to check.

I also agree with the commenter who suggested waiting until everything else is in and picking your pendant fixtures later. That's what we did, and I'm glad. (We also waited to pick our cabinet hardware, and I'm glad we did.) We were much better able to picture them in the completed space and went with pendants that are completely different than we were originally leaning toward. By the by, we worked with a company called Bathroom Market Place (they sell here on Houzz) for our pendant fixtures and I highly recommend them. Small independently owned company providing excellent customer service.

Finally, I learned a ton about kitchen lighting from these Houzz articles:

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/how-to-properly-light-your-kitchen-counters-stsetivw-vs~117403233

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/the-5-layers-of-a-well-lit-kitchen-stsetivw-vs~102255777

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/kitchen-islands-pendant-lights-done-right-stsetivw-vs~158689

Looks beautiful!

If I can add my two cents worth here. I agree that the appliances should be stainless. With the grey cabinets it will be easier on the eye, anything darker will be too much of a contrast, which means that you will see the appliances before you see the kitchen! If the appliances have not been delivered, I would contact the seller and try to make arrangements to change to stainless. As for LED lights, they are great. However, maybe you have a different system in North America, but in Europe 4000K is VERY cold light. If you want warm light you need 2700K, the higher Kelvin, the colder the light is. But like I said maybe the system is different where you are.

For hardware for your cabinets, perhaps consider a finish that would be the closest to your stainless appliances. Again, when first looking at the kitchen your eyes are not jumping all over. Grey cabinets and white counter tops with stainless appliances is a great look. I agree about the pendants, no rush to buy them. Wait until your kitchen is done or almost done, but make sure the electrician does not have to come back by planning where they should go. Speaking from experience, make sure you have the electrician install enough electrical outlets around the counter tops, you want quite a few! Actually that goes for the whole house, better have what you think might be a bit too many, but you won’t regret it.

Ditto what the others said about going with stainless appliances. As far as lighting, when I did my kitchen remodel, I was so overwhelmed with the number of different island lights that I just went with a very simple black cable because the glass shade could be changed if I wanted something different (see picture) and I also didn't want my lights to stand out and be the first thing people noticed. In my case the windows in the kitchen overlooked an amazing yard and I wanted something simple that didn't detract from the view as you walked in. If you want the lights to be the focal point, then yes, you need to find something stunning and there are several good choices suggested here. If not consider recessed lights. In hindsight, I wish I had done that in my kitchen remodel. I also notice in the picture of the model house they don't use pendant lights over that island. Maybe because of the tray ceiling? Is that the focal point? So, consider scrapping the idea of pendants altogether and just using recessed lights. Perhaps put them on a separate switch from the other recessed lights in the room so you can have them on/off or dim them separately.

Black appliances are the equivalent of the ugly avocado green, and brown appliances of the 70's. Remember that orange chair in your parent's/grandparent's house? Don't make the same mistake. Those things were trendy as well at one point. As others have said, get stainless steel.

We have an open concept single level home, kitchen living room and dining area all visible and connected to each other. I bought beautiful RH pendant-sized chandeliers (3) for over my large island and they have now dictated every light fixture style in the other visible rooms and has proven to be a difficult task to co-ordinate something with that, over the living room couches and dining area. So, my advice to you would be: before choosing one fixture, choose all that work with each other (same finishes etc) in your space that can all be seen at the same time when walking into your room. Make sure they all look good together. Glass pendants over your island would open up finish options in the other rooms. Just my 2cents!

Just finished a kitchen remodel and lighting was my greatest struggle, too. Lighting changes the whole room including the number, size and placement of lights. Consider function and placement (eg work lights directly over a space like the sink) vs accent lights (under counter) vs signature design pieces like pendants. If you are only asking about pendant lights you can wait until rest of kitchen is in place and mock up hanging a few —that helped me a lot and I ended up exchanging two of my three first round picks. I went with a bolder look/style than I would have without seeing it and it both lights up the room and is a centerpiece. I had a new open floor plan, too, so went with black as it went with style of living area that was darker as well as contrasted with my lighter kitchen and it seemed to pull it all together. I avoided the trendy Nearly all glass pendants as they get dusty and are higher maintenance but also liked that the black make more of a design statement in day or night as seem to be more visible. Good luck! I know you didn’t ask about the appliances but I would be careful about competing eye catching “centerpiece” items, I usually want fewer items to be eye catching —I personally like light fixtures and counters to be a centerpiece... others want it to be the back splash or the counters or the wood grain on cabinets, —for you it may be the appliances! Good luck!

Stainless appliances yes, slate island - that will suck light. Personally LOVE shiny black island that bouces light and reflection. Whatever you use on the counters go ahead and use as a full backsplash. My 2 cents lol

Do either of these do anything for you?

Craftmade Lighting 42721-CH-LED Anello · More Info

Twister Mini Pendant Firecracker, White Gloss, With Canopy · More Info

I like the black stainless and gray cabinets. I think if you go with a light backsplash maybe with a glass tile that will reflect light then it will be bright enough. I don't think black is gloomy. Black is a classic