No need to rush the bar stool decision.

Lawrence R love your kitchen. Amazing what paint can do

@Kay p, paint can totally change a space, it looks lovely.

👏👏👏👏👏

This my favorite thread on Houzz right now. I so admire what what you have done and your approach to this project!

@gurukaram, oh my, what a lovely compliment. I do so appreciate your kind words. I have worked hard to make thoughtful changes. Thank you!

@Dawn Martinez - So many posts are about big changes to “inherited” kitchens. I think you’ve caught the attention -and admiration - of many of us for your thoughtful no-ripping-out changes.

Your kitchen is clearly well made and deserves respect. We are happy to be part of this particular dilemma.

@RedRyder, you don't know how much I appreciate that feedback and support. We are going through a challenging time right now with a new grandbaby (our first) who was a premie. She's facing some tough news about her health and some life long challenges she will face - we will face together. But...it puts so many things into perspective. Out oldest is in the military, a Green Beret and is stationed in Germany. My husband is there now with the kids, and baby Ingrid. I fly to Germany next week.

The kitchen has been a nice journey for me, and I love making design choices and getting such wonderfully supportive feedback here on Houzz has made it a postive experience and made it feel so rewarding. It's a passion for me to turn a house into a home, that is thoughtfully curated and decorated. I have been told by some I have a 'good eye' and good taste; which oft times equates to expensive. Sigh. Yet I do strive for balance and don't mind taking the time to shop for the right touches, and I always enjoy finding a sale or a bargain.

For now, I'm taking a step back, to put more energy into family. I shall come back to the kitchen, I'm hoping soon, with fresh eyes upon my return from Germany.

Thank you again for all of your wonderful comments!

We will all be thinking of your little grandbaby and family. Sending healing love to you all. 😍

@RedRyder thank you so much.

Dawn I am sorry to hear of the news of your dear grandbaby. Our prayers and love to your family🙏🏻

Kay p, thank you for your message, all prayers are deeply appreciated.

@RoomDesigner AI thanks. The kitchen was designed and installed years ago, by the prior owner. I'm attempting to update a bit, and I do have a ceiling fan in the kitchen that could be swapped out for a nice light or chandelier. The challenge is I have a very big wrought iron chandelier that is right next to the kitchen in the dining area, and they are open to one another. I don't want them to compete. Food for thought. Thanks.

Looks great so far!

Thank your oldest for their service as well as all who stand by and support.

Best of luck to you

So sorry to hear about your grandbaby. Will add her to my prayers. Maybe your trip to Germany will find you the perfect thing to put in the "cubbies"! Good luck & safe travels.

Debbi, thank you for your feedback and, your wonderful comment about our son's service. We do appreciate it!

Beth, thank you for your thoughtful comment. Yes, you never know if I'll find something there that could be a great fit for the kitchen, thanks again!

late to the party here Dawn, but I love the new backsplash.

I also vote for painting that trim

I would lose the fan. you mentioned another wrought iron light but I haven't been able to see it in any of the pics

maybe if you did a single, larger pendant? lots of diff styles. here's an option w/the woven loom counter chairs

Beth H, thanks for your the feedback. I think the backsplash made a big difference, even if the tile guy kind of didn't follow my grid I laid out of the color distribution. Good news is, it's hard to tell, probably only I notice.

These are wonderful suggestions about the lighting, and bar stools. Was the first one Williams Sonoma? I did look at that earlier.

I've been talking to the painter and I'm on his to do list to look at the window trim and also match the stain to fix a small spot on the left cabinet that had glue damage from the big corbel that was there before.

I can post a photo of the dining room that is open to the kitchen. Maybe that will help.

I'd been so focused on the kitchen, I kind of ignored the room(s) adjacent; kind of silly of me ;-)

I like the idea of a pendant. Let me see if I can get a good photo for you of the big (and I mean big wrought iron chandelier) the prior owner hung. That's on my list for sure, at least I took the little chandelier lamp shades off and put Edison bulbs there instead.

Top photo shows the blades of the fan. The fan is not centered on the island btw.

oh ok. that's very pretty. Love that arch w/the stone. I think the kitchen fits perfectly with you style.

You wouldn't have to match the wrought iron style of the chandelier. not necessary.

this is a similar style kitchen. they did these 3 smaller pendants (which are hung way too high I might add). do you like this type of style? the rod would coordinate w/your light.

for the pendant, I think you could do a rustic style (not sure where that first one is from).

this is Shera, wayfair

here's a hammered copper style or a lantern

any place to do some copper accents?

some glass options

do you like these lighter rustic options? I'm assuming you could do two over the island?

You could actually get a similar light like your dining light if you want that look

triple pendants

Beth H, I really like the one from Wayfair and the hammered copper one. My kitchen sink is actually hammered copper. I have almost those same black iron lanterns (shown with the copper pendant) in my hallway upstairs and on the landing, interestingly enough.

I was thinking of copper pots to hang, so you read my mind! Would that be too much, a copper pendant and pots? Where would you hang the pots? And where is copper pendant from? Thank you so much!

In looking at the kitchen, the ceiling height and placement of fan (therefore wiring) I think I might need a semi flush mount, of a decent size. What do you think of this one? Specs say can be hung as semi flush mount.

https://www.shadesoflight.com/products/faded-rustic-drum-cage-chandelier-6-light?via=624c87e4736964001901ffc5%2C624c87ec7369640019021bb1

This will cast all kinds of weird shadows unless there's adequate recessed lighting to fill .

@palimpsest there are recessed cans all over the ceiling in the kitchen, but that is a really great point. I'll look for something a little simpler. Thank you.

I think the suggestion of copper for the lighting is a good one. Something “elegant rustic” sounds right.

Beth gave you so many good ideas to show you why dark wrought iron isn’t the only color that works.

Some ideas - individual copper pendants

Glass and copper :

One longer three light:

Love your cabinets and happy you decided to keep them. I agree changing the hardware would liven them up a bit and using a finish in the pewter family of finishes would look very nice. I had 2 sons and now 2 grandsons (one of which had seizures for about a year so I can relate to your anxiety), bar stools with fabric just wasn’t practical for us. We ended up with solid wood stools from Ethan Allen. If this doesn’t go with your style choices, think about something else without fabric…

Love the stone accents

Also like the idea of semi flush fixture to replace the fan

A, thanks for your comment and understanding about the grandbaby. I hope your family is now doing well.

I think a flush mount or semi flush mount is the way to go, given the one fixture and asymmetry of the current fan location.

Did you see the new bronze hardware? It's featured below, I love it. Thank you again for posting.

Some like this one in coppery metal...?

https://www.shadesoflight.com/products/wrought-iron-frame-ceiling-lantern-ceiling-light?sku=FM12018+++BZ&p_adgroup=Search+Retargeting+%7C+All+Products&p_adgroupid=2680072202819&p_adid=4260607907708&p_campaign=Search+Retargeting&p_campaignid=626746420900&p_keyword=&p_keywordid=2886218022912&p_prodgroupid=4672924497935&p_product=fm12018bz%3Futm_source%3Dpinterest&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search+Retargeting+%7C+All+Products&utm_content=Search+Retargeting+%7C+All+Products&p_adgroup=Search+Retargeting+%7C+All+Products&p_adgroupid=2680072202819&p_adid=4260607907708&p_campaign=Search+Retargeting&p_campaignid=626746420900&p_keyword=&p_keywordid=2886218022912&p_prodgroupid=4672924497935&p_product=fm12018bz&pp=0&epik=dj0yJnU9T3AtcjZiX0RpZ2NTbG00aUxwMzBoQWhDQllabnp5R08mcD0xJm49TDhxZUlxNFVZVkQwbmJpSHdIelcxQSZ0PUFBQUFBR1NDcGQ4

Interesting could be hung higher like semi flush mount, more Tuscan...

https://towerlighting.com/collections/pendants-chandeliers/products/copy-of-spring-lantern?variant=18728864388

Interesting flush mounts in metal...

https://www.shadesoflight.com/products/rough-edge-metal-ceiling-light?sku=FM17051+++GM&p_adgroup=December+Dynamic+Retargeting&p_adgroupid=2680070127366&p_adid=4260607822244&p_campaign=Catalog+Sales+%7C+Dynamic+Retargeting&p_campaignid=626742811504&p_keyword=&p_keywordid=0&p_prodgroupid=4672924497935&p_product=fm17051gm%3Futm_source%3Dpinterest&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Dynamic+Retargeting+%7C+All+Products&utm_content=Dynamic+Retargeting+%7C+All+Products&p_adgroup=December+Dynamic+Retargeting&p_adgroupid=2680070127366&p_adid=4260607822244&p_campaign=Catalog+Sales+%7C+Dynamic+Retargeting&p_campaignid=626742811504&p_keyword=&p_keywordid=0&p_prodgroupid=4672924497935&p_product=fm17051gm&pp=0&epik=dj0yJnU9MmUzTEN3Sk45a3I2Rm5GczBTTG0yRmR5V19UYUlwTXYmcD0xJm49TnJ4NHJOWERTZmo5STNWOWhYbnNOdyZ0PUFBQUFBR1NHakJR

https://www.lampsplus.com/products/kettle-17-inch-wide-weathered-brass-3-light-ceiling-light__99r96.html

Beth H posted one like this in a pendant.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Golden-Lighting/5013566347?epik=dj0yJnU9QjAySGVQeXFVQ0hYVzBWa3M0dnBvdmNpYWF2TkxYSzImcD0wJm49MFhHbUtpSHk3dUExcFQzRkdqRjNvQSZ0PUFBQUFBR1NGU2ZZ

Any positive feedback on any of these flush mounts, or semi flush mounts? Thank you.

Be aware that any fixture in the kitchen will get greasy. Ironically, my niece and I were looking at semi-flush mounts for her kitchen. All the open bottoms make me think there will be dirty bulbs and interior surfaces over time. Depending on your housekeeping habits, if open bottom ones are okay with you, then the last three complement your Tuscan kitchen the best.

Do you need more light than what these will provide? Or is this a mostly aesthetic change? Wherever you see Edison bulbs, you can use updated LEDs for sure.

I like the first one - very little to clean and seems like it will go well with the dining fixture.

@RedRyder, thanks for the feedback. interestingly my kitchen doesn't get too greasy, my husband grills alot. This is not entirely for light, since we have cans, under cabinet lighting, some wall sconces over the beverage area in the kichen. But every now and then, in the evening I wish there was light over the island, so it could be nice. However, this is primarily about getting rid of the big fan, and you're right, the aesthetic. We thought about painting the ceiling fan blades first, but then there's the big motor etc that might just stick out like a sore thumb.

I actually loved having a ceiling fan in my kitchen. What about doing a "bladeless" fan?

They provide light and airflow.

dawn, those could work. if you think they give enough light. they are pictured w/the Edison bulbs (about 2700K) which is way too dim for a kitchen. you want at least a 3500-4000K bulb.

I think you could do a semi flush mount w/a bit of hang, no?

that first one you pictured is only 10X11, that's pretty small. blow up a balloon to get an idea of the size if you like. Plus, that light is a max watt of 40W! I mean, huh? you can't even read by that light!

bladeless fan? It's your kitchen! I can't imagine blowing around bits of grease while cooking. (even if you don't deep fry, you still get splatter. )

set up a dyson in the corner if you get hot, but I'd still do a light over the island.

do you like this style?

larger pendant. 15x15

I like the material, I just don't think a flush mount is the best look for this spot.

Is the fan receptacle centered over the island? If not centered, any single pendant may look very awkward.

@marylut you are spot on the fan receptacle is NOT centered over the island, that is why I was thinking a semi flush mount or flush mount. I agree a single pendant will look off.

@Beth H. : I like these two at the moment...

See response to marylut...the fan currently is not centered over the island. Awkward for sure. Will one of these work? I do think a single pendant will look off. Thank you for the great finds and suggestions.

It will be a difficult search to find a row of pendants you like, but this style can be wired into existing receptacle and centered over the island.

Dawn, I like either.

don't worry about centering it. you could always move the hole if you need to and patch the other

Do you want one light or a series of them if you can put the new lighting wherever you want? I think that’s the first question since Beth pointed out that you can move the wires.

Beth H, thanks, I think the first one looks best, but am unsure I want to go with black. I do like that style better than the one I found. Thank you again for the mock ups! That sure helps!

@RedRyder, I think I want to keep it simply, I don't need a row of pendants and single semi flush mount (the right one) will look a lot better than the fan. That's the path I'm going to head down.

I head to Germany today to be with the new grandbaby. I'll search as I can. Thanks for all your help!

Safe travels.