Based off your 12' ceilings, we would suggest with hanging lights.

You'll get more useful help if you post pictures of your own kitchen, and a detailed floor plan, with all measurements clearly marked in imperial units (feet and inches).

Random people voting on two entirely different kitchens, neither of which is yours, is not going to net you informed advice.

Not every kitchen has to have pendants over the island.

I have 12 ft ceilings and did not do any pendants or "bullet" lights, just the same recessed lights used in the rest of the space. Get good quality recessed lights with high lumens, high CRI and your preferred Kelvin.

I had a design in mind and pendants hanging in the middle of the space would clutter my design. I have a large triple window, around 10ft W x 5 ft H, on the sink wall and I tiled all the way around the window and to the ceiling. I wanted people to look through the kitchen and to the window wall, and not have their eyes stopped, or view blocked, by hanging pendants. I did add two pendants over the end windows of the triple window and it highlights that the window wall is the important element.

Yes to pendants. They'll bring your light source "down" to an appropriate height, and they look good over an island.

There is no point to an inspo picture having not one thing to do with the actual kitchen.

Hanging pendants obscure no view of anything, unless you are Wilt Chamberlain - a clearance from floor to bottom of pendant should not be less than 72".....are you over six feet tall?

Spacing and size matters in pendant lighting, , open and closed matters, and your plans for "update" matter greatly. There is no one size fits all answer to lighting, or anything else in a kitchen.

An awful lot before pendants , would be first consideration for me....down here.: )

The giant pendants that were a trend about 5 years ago definitely obscured plenty of the kitchens behind them!!

As with many things in life the answer to this problem is ... yes, no, maybe or it depends!

Rather than a series of pendants you might consider a linear fixture.

Inspo picture was only used to reference the “bullet” lights I have seen over many kitchen islands as of late! Of course this remodel has several “layers” but as a second (winter) home we aren’t going to crazy with budget etc. 😅
Thank you for all input 👏

This first kitchen is mine- obviously needing updating.

in that kitchen I would have pendants - they are nice lighting to have at night in addition to undercab lighting

first lets talk about the 'updating' you plan on doing. pendant lights won't update anything.

what else do you plan on doing?

backsplsh?

wall color?

bar stools?

cabinets? paint and hardware would be an update

With 12' ceilings, I wouldn’t eliminate the pendant entirely. Even with a smaller island, that much vertical space can make the kitchen feel a little unfinished without something bringing the ceiling and island together.

Rather than several pendants, I’d consider one light, sculptural linear fixture. It would give you the cleaner updated look you’re after without overwhelming the small island.

I recently explored 8 different designer pendant approaches and how dramatically they can change a room without changing the rest of the design. You might find some useful inspiration here:

https://youtu.be/nKEcEzpYHhk

I think a kitchen’s style, layout/size and of course personal preference are all factors. Your kitchen feels cavernous and pendants could break that up a bit; perhaps even extend beyond the island.

If not a fan, instead consider pendants over the peninsula which could break up the expanse.