Unfortunately, I have to say I do not think this is the space for hanging any lights. the space is not that large and the island is not "important" or large enough to hang a light over. If I was to hang a light here it would be over the kitchen table. Likely if I was to agree with your notion, I would drop a single pendant from the existing track so it would fall directly over the island. But otherwise, you are going to have this fixture that really is taking away from the volume of the space, which may make it feel even smaller, looming overhead.

The options as I see it (IMO)

pancake electrical boxes with wafer style LED surface mount lights (look like recessed)

or

Replace the track heads only with much smaller low voltage LED mr16 bulbs, with a mix of beam spreads to illuminate the space.

Also, I think the way the lights are angled now is probably causing light cut off as they need to be more focused downward.

I would repurpose the light over the dining table and hang a light over the table, you want the focus of the room to be at eye level not having people look up to see a group of pendants...

The pendants for over the bar seem a bit large for the 8ft ceiling and maybe right in your eye when lit, I would need to see that area to be sure of that. Possibly hang one of those over your nook table.

Here is what I Think you were aiming for as an example for you, make sure you can actually center the power where you need it.

Yes! Thank you! so after I posted this I kept looking at pictures of kitchens with vaulted ceilings and agree on just replacing the cans with LED track lighting. That will be much easier and cheaper as well. I hadn’t even thought about the table light, but I do agree a hanging pendant would look much better...my husband will be super stoked to replace the light we just replaced last year ;-). The island is 92” long and the pendants will be mounted 32” above the higher portion of the counter. I used all the general rules of thumb for size of light and heights/spacing. here is what is there currently

Thank you for taking the time for the great response!

what is the size of those pendants and what is the distance from that part of the ceiling to the raised bar area? also, I see a vent there..........can you get electrical where you want it?

My contractor is coming out next week to look at that specifically. I’d like the pendants center over the wall below the high part of the counter and spaced 30” apart from each other. I’ll have to rethink the design if the vent is in the way. I believe the counter to the ceiling is either 54 or 56”. Here is the pendant with dimensions

If we are stuck with using the hole from the existing fixture what would you suggest? I really hate that track light that is there now and it is installed sloppily. I’d really like something more interesting than that type of lighting

maybe you could repurpose the dining fixture there?

I would love to see you not lose a bunch of task lighting.

You may ask the contractor if he could put you a wafer or recessed light where the existing one is now if you do go the pendant route. If not I would probably again opt for three wafer lights spaced over the space in lu of anything hanging.

How about this?

• Remove all the lights from the vaulted ceiling.
• Run an LED tape light horizontally across the edge of the window opening to illuminate the ceiling. If too much light shown into the window opening's ceiling, place the LED tape light in an angled channel to focus the light towards the kitchen ceiling and away from the window.
• Optionally position two tape lights vertically in recessed or flush mount channels with diffusers along the left and right edges of the window opening. These would be visible from the floor below.
• Replace the light over the sink with a simple, flush-mount light such as the Halo SMD.
• Replace the light over the table with a pendant.

Thanks so much for your thoughts and the mock ups. I think I'll just wait until the pendants arrive since I've already ordered them and hold them up at the right height to see how they look. Contingent on the wiring being an option maybe two pendants and a recessed light above the sink. I really like that 2nd pendant photo you did for above the table so going to look for something like that. I'll have to post some photos when it's all done!