Gorgeous. If there is a knock-off, it would probably be an expensive knock-off. I love your orange arm chair btw.

Thanks, sabjimata. Sold the chairs and bought a comfy couch. The his/her chairs for evening movie watching with the hubby wasn't working out. ;) The comfy couch we had prior to remodel got eaten by rats while being stored in the garage with our temporary kitchen. Again, I digress. Ha ha.

Everyone else please ignore my "side thread" with Cali and continue to help her with her pendants.

Cali if I could divert some of your attention away briefly from your pendants to your floor plan, I'd really appreciate it. We are changing our floor plan to something very close to what you currently have (our frig would replace your MW) and I have some questions.

1. How wide is your window?
2. How does it work having the sink across from the stovetop?
3. What is the aisle width countertop-to-countertop? How does that feel for you?
4. Would you change anything with the layout?

In case I have any further question it might be better if you answered in my thread, so your thread isn't any more messed then I've already made it.

Thanks in advance. BTW - your kitchen looks wonderful!!!

Here is a link that might be useful: My Similiar Layout

Hi Aloha,

Thank you. I'm happy to try and answer your questions.

1. I'm pretty sure I ordered a 5' window, but in reality it measures 63''. Not sure why.

2. The sink/cooktop configuration works really well for us. Two people can work nicely together. They are offset and not directly behind one another.

3. In the main aisle, counter-to-counter measures 3'6.75''. Cabinet-to-cabinet measures 3'10''. It feels perfect. You can't get by the refrigerator if it is open, but I wouldn't trade my single-door for a side-by-side or French door. I previously had a French-door refrigerator and I loathed it. Our options were limited with fridge placement. It really isn't an issue for us.

4. The only thing I would change would be installing the Advantium at a lower height. I should have considered putting it in a shallow counter-top cabinet with a narrow full-height pantry next to it. Currently my pantry resides below the Advantium. That would have given me more of a hidden corner though. Hard to say if it would have worked better in reality or not. The Advantium is too high though. Otherwise, I really like the layout. If I had more square footage, I would have added a second oven and bigger pantry, but I didn't want to give up my windows. Natural light won out.

Good luck with your kitchen endeavor!

I looked for you over at RH, because it seems similar to some of their love-among-the-ruins bleached emptiness look, where some Belgian aristocrat has fallen upon hard times and is reduced to making furniture out of the wine barrels from his bankrupt vineyard. Anyway. I did find something more expensive, which was not terribly helplful.

If I run across something, I'll certainly tell you, but I have to ask: what do those pendants relate to in your kitchen or living space? I know you like them, but how do they really work in there? I don't see anything Napa-y or Vervoordt-y in your pic.

Have you seen them in person? I'm also looking for kitchen lighting and was in love with some from Uttermost, but when I saw them at a lighting store I found they would not work. That being said you might try Uttermost, they are a good lighting price point. They have a lot of styles that could look traditional or more contemporary depending what other looks they are paired with.

The lighting designer I spoke with actually has me leaning now towards fabric shade pendants. They are very affordable and provide a lot of options for "looks". They also soften a generally hard surface landscape like the kitchen.

Wendy...that is so Archie bunker!

Marcolo...you totally hit the rusted nail on the head!

I was able to find many that are more expensive, unfortunately. Are you thinking of a softer counterpoint to the hard surfaces of your pretty kitchen? I searched "bleached wood pendants," and this showed up:

It's not a knock-off, obviously, but it is bleached and organic looking, from Uttermost at Lamps Plus.

From Urban Outfitters:

Jean1967 has a good tip to consider Uttermost. I had never heard of them and I really like the look and the prices. This site is having an Uttermost sale and here is a link to the mini pendants by Uttermost.

Here is a link that might be useful: Uttermost lighting mini pendants

Try to put words to the decor concepts you are chasing. Adjectives and verbs. This pendant spot is important to the definition of the two spaces. Do you want the kitchen to advance or retreat in relationship to the rest of the open plan? Do you want the two rooms to compliment, ignore, or match? What metal(s) if any? What color(s) if any? What textures? What size? Bare bulb or diffuser plate to mask the bulb? chain or rod from ceiling?

What is there about the fixture you've posted that attracts you--color, shape, etc?

Does your spouse have an opinions you have not yet shared that might bear also?

What ballpark price?

These are interesting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Also Currey and Co.

Marcolo, you never cease to amuse me. :) They do read very Restoration Hardware, don't they? I was just in the Santa Barbara store last weekend and was not impressed with the direction their merchandise has gone in. So, why then, am I drawn to these pendants? You're right, there is nothing that currently relates to the style of these in my home. I am drawn to the texture of them and the light color. I like that they will conceal a bulb. I like that the color may blend rather than stand out against my cream cabinetry since the kitchen is pretty monochromatic. I like the depth in color of the metal and that it adds another dimension to my existing hardware.

Jean1969, thank you for the info about Uttermost. I'm going to take a better look at them.

Thank you Kitchendetective for finding those options for me. I like the first one, but I think the drum style shade reads a bit too modern for my space. Loving the last one from Currey & Co., but I think the exposed bulb would drive me nuts.

Florantha, thank you for asking the questions to help me better evaluate what I am trying to achieve. Let's see, although my current decor might not jive with what I'm about to describe, this is the direction I would like my decorating to go in. Casual, comfortable, elegant but not fussy, traditional and simple, warm, cozy, pretty, functional, family-friendly, inviting.

I have a small-ish home at 1538 s.f. We are planning to extend the TV room and add a master bedroom/bath in the future. Because it's not huge, I wanted the entire main living area (including kitchen) to be open so that all of the spaces are well used and relate to one another. So, I would like the spaces to compliment one another. I currently have oil-rubbed bronze hardware throughout the house on doors, windows and some other light fixtures. The pendants don't need to match, but I'd like to stay away from shiny finishes. I think I'd like a "color" that blends with the monochromatic kitchen scheme rather than stand out, but I could change my mind if I see something that wows me. The size is flexible as long as it works where the current electrical boxes are placed (they are 32'' on center and we have 8' ceilings). I think something glass or open that exposes a bare bulb wouldn't work for me, but it doesn't necessarily need a diffuser plate on the bottom. I'm open to either chain or rod. I'd like to keep the price under $1000 for all three, but less is even better!

Pictures are worth a thousand words, so here are some ideas I have bouncing around in my head for the direction I want to go not only with the pendants, but for the areas open to the kitchen as well.

This is my current light fixture above my little breakfast table. I think it is cute, but the exposed bulbs hurt my eyes.

Here is a dining chandelier that I really like, but again the exposed bulbs would likely not work for me. But, it's pretty.

I kind of like these burlap shades from a line of Pottery Barn track lighting, but I don't think the shades sell separately.

Here is a sofa and coffee table I am interested in. Ignore the sofa fabric. I would have it upholstered in something with warm colors. I love the size and comfort of it, but it *may* be a little too casual for my living room. Not sure. It might work better in my TV room once it gets a bump out.

Here is a dining table I am interested in:

Here is an inspiration pic from Sarah Richardson. I love the openness of the table to the adjacent living area and I LOVE the upholstered chairs at the ends. I would like to incorporate that feature with my next dining set. Again, ignore the color scheme. I like warmer colors.

Overall, I think I am looking for casual and comfortable, but not too country. Organic and imperfect, but not too rustic. Simple elegance. I love the colors of Shanghaimom's kitchen and adjacent rooms. I feel good inside when I look at her photos. I think my decor needs to be a bit more casual for the way we live though. We do a lot of indoor/outdoor entertaining. My 2 sets of French doors are always open. I have after school play dates at my house approximately 3 days a week. We barbecue with friends frequently. Guests usually mill around throughout the house, so all of it should feel comfortable and inviting.

Ok, back to the pendants. What do you think of this one?

Thanks for your help GW friends. Keep the ideas coming!

I like that one much better.

I also think you could spend a few hours and make your current table fixture a shade with a similar fabric that might be kinda cool. You know, glue or lace some burlap panels to the sides? Goofy maybe.

Capital Lighting 3861IU-467 Foxborough Large Pendant Light, Iron And Umber
I like this company's stuff when seen in person.
I think these have stage presence and has something in common with other items you've posted. This is a "large" pendant. Very affordable.

Perhaps someone who knows how to post photos could oblige me?

Aren't those 17" wide? I think your issue is the close spacing of your boxes. You need something longer and thinner, like this from Troy Lighting.

Although it doesn't have the texture you want, nor that RH air of affected ennui, poseur despair, the completely conventional mockery of convention, the faked sigh of fallen expectations, that mass market pretense of aristocra--oh, wait, sorry. Where was I?

One thing you should think about: Just buy yourself some burlap lamp shades and put them on a chandelier you like.

*poseur despair*

brilliant!

If the current fixtures work for you, try different light bulbs in them first to see if that cuts the glare. You mentioned you are in CA, so don't know if these are available for you. It's worth a try if you'd rather spend money on something else. Chandelier bulbs are available in many styles and coatings that cut glare.

The chandelier shades are a good idea and you could even try burlap in your open lantern if you are handy. French burlap is very hot right now so it would be easy to find.

LOL, marcolo. I tried to read your post to DH but had to quit for laughing too hard!

Fwiw, we are doing a whole house reno and i bought a fair amount from this French site for bedrooms and bathrooms, and ive been happy with them. Some would need to be rewired, you can inquire.

There are a couple of cool burlap things, and i think their prices are great, even after int'l shipping.

Here is a link that might be useful: one of my favorite lighting sources

one thing to think about is how the burlap will affect the color of the light in the room.

Ah ha ha ha ha. Marcolo...the faked sigh of fallen expectations...hysterical.

Fori and steff_1, I love the idea of trying to add burlap (or some kind of fabric) to my existing breakfast light! You all are so creative. I never would have thought of that. Thank you.

Good thinking ironcook, I will play around with the material before I affix it to make sure the light it produces works ok.

Mtnrdredux, thank you so much for sharing that site. They have some really beautiful things. I am going to investigate further.

Thanks to everyone. It is great how a few ideas can trigger you to brainstorm in a direction you hadn't previously considered. I'm going to go ahead and think out loud here with ideas in hopes that I can get some additional feedback, ideas and suggestions! Please chime in! :)

Here are 3 that I found from Uttermost. Thanks again Jean_1967 and sub_b.

I like the texture on this one, but the overall shape and design are rather boring and I don't really like the plain cord that it hangs from.

The patina is nice on this one, but it is dark and would definitely stand out against my cabs. Hmmm...

Interesting. I like the detail, but again it is dark and I'm not sure I like the drum shape, in general.

I think this is my new fav from Currey & Co. It has a nice shape, lots of texture and interest, but is still refined and not too rustic. But, it is out of my price range. :(

Love the patina of this one from Wisteria, but the size is way too big.

Found these on a site for an antique store. They are sold. Doesn't matter, they are too big anyway. I like the mix of metal and burlap. They are a little too rustic for me, but I like them a lot. I wonder if my neighbor who welds could make something for me? Sounds complicated.

These are from Lamps Plus. The color would blend nicely with my cabinets and I like the texture. Overall though I think they would look too wimpy over my 10' island. A little too beachy looking, I think.

Taking from the idea of adding burlap to my existing fixture, maybe I could do the same thing to a cage style pendant like this. I might like it, but I worry it would look a little too "homemade" for me.

These are nice. Not really the direction I thought I wanted to go in, but they might be ok.

Alright, GW friends, whatcha think?

You may also want to try Etsy. I bought some lights there, and they also do custom work.

Hi, Wendy!!

I was just skimming through this thread and thought I would chime in because the pendants you like are all so similar to the ones I considered...then I saw my name! Thanks! (-8

Anyway, have you considered doing no pendants at all? I think your space looks SO good without them--really, truly. I almost wish I had not jumped on the "must have pendants over the island" bandwagon. Ours have exposed bulbs, which I HATE and never turn them on. Looking for something else. Or maybe I'll cover them with burlap.

You have a great spot for a lamp just next to that raised end of your counter. In the evening it would be such an inviting pool of light.

Just throwing that out there!

My favorite of those you posted is the little square metal one with burlap sides, but since it is on a chain, rather than fixed rod, it will twirl and drive you bananas. The squares will never be lined up. Maybe this wouldn't bug you but I'd find something round. Those "sold" antique ones are amaaaazing!

Anything that has a cage or alternating materials with transparency and opaqueness are going to cast lots of shadows. That would drive me crazy.

These things are generally used in contract settings for the "motivational" light, meaning you think the light in the room is cast by this little fixture with the complicated exterior. However the real light is infilled from somewhere else like lots of recessed lights in the ceiling. Alone they could lead to this effect:

Is pierced tin lighting to informal for you?

Shanghaimom, I'm so glad you saw my comments. :) I swear I almost bought the exact pendants that you have. I asked you about them some time ago when you first posted photos of your kitchen. I even contacted the manufacturer to see if they were solid brass (they are) so that I could patina them slightly darker. Had them sitting in my virtual shopping basket for awhile before I realized that I wouldn't be happy with the exposed bulb. I'm sorry you are not liking them in your space. They sure are pretty though.

What a nice idea about putting a lamp on the island. I never would have thought of that. I bet it would be so cozy. I'm going to play around with that idea. The downside to that plan is that I already have 3 cardboard circles on my ceiling covering up the electrical boxes. And, the island is definitely not well lit enough at night for sitting and doing a task at the counter. I'll have to see how a lamp illuminates the space.

So, so glad you mentioned about the square lights dangling around on the chain. I did not even think of that. Goodness, that would drive me crazy. And, I was leaning towards those lights too.

Good thinking palimpsest. Didn't think of that either. There is a bit of other lighting in the space including LED cans, a dining light and a breakfast nook light, so it is hard to say if I would get the prison shadows or not. I do anticipate having the other lights off and using the pendants for ambient lighting when we are not using the kitchen, so it could be a problem at times. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

Hi eandhl. I don't think pierced tin is too informal for me. Didn't find too much with a Google search, but I did come across these from the UK. They would have to be rewired, but I think they are quite nice.

I hadn't considered anything like this, but I sort of like them.

And, these are quite nice although I think they would be too stark against my cream cabinetry.

Well, I supposed I am just as confused as before. I did draw up a cute picture of what I am envisioning for the space. I checked etsy and didn't see anything that would work, but perhaps someone can make a custom light for me.

Any other thoughts on any of the lights I have posted? My eyes are crossed and I can't look anymore!

Thank you so much for your feedback! Love bouncing ideas off of you all!

Now, if anyone has any great ideas for a 40th birthday party that I would like to throw myself, chime in on that too! :)

No ideas on the party, but I if yours goes well, I may have you help me on mine in December :D.

I'm in major dilemmas over island lighting. I am not kidding that it is causing major fights with my fianc�. He is being very ugly and unappreciative of all the work I'm doing. He is convinced that anything I choose will not put out enough light. Please keep this thread going so I can continue to see ideas. I may open another post on using double chandeliers for island lighting, or wider multiple light pendants, lanterns, etc.

Anyway, I hope we all end up happy in the end...at my house...and all of yours.

Thank rmkitchen, I love the site too. When i first came across it, the prices seemed so reasonable that I was a little skeptical. But I have been quite happy with the quality, and shipping was not bad. And what I really like is that they have stuff I didn't see anywhere else. Much of it is from a company called Chehoma. I looked high and low for someone local who carries Chehoma but got nowhere. When I had to call Deco et cie with a question, I even got to use some of my high school French.

I did see the wire cage fixture, the whacky one with the birds, at ABC Carpet in NYC, for more than twice what I paid. I have that one in my 8yr old DD's room, and she is in love with it.

I bought and can vouch for:
Suspension NIckel - mudroom,
Suspenion poesie - one over each sink in my girls' bath
Suspension desir - guest room
Lustre voliere demi grande - DD2 bedroom
Lustre brindelle 4 lumieres - over my tub, or so i thought
Applique crenalieme - DS bedroom
Applique josephine - guest room
Applique projecteur nickel - DS bathroom

I inquired in advance about which ones would work in the US. I think I only rewired the last one. It was maybe $30 to rewire.

Here are some of the other sources I have used and been happy with:

Il Fanale. Italian products imported by Country Gear of Southampton, NY. SImple lines but a bit unusual. I bought my kitchen and breakfast room pendants there and also fixtures for a bathroom. Prices quite reasonable.

http://www.countrygearltd.com/Results.ihtml?c=94&increment=6&step=2&startnum=1&maxvalue=6&m=26

Skinflint UK - If you like the industrial look, they have really cool things. I bought some old ship bulkhead lights, french darkroom lights, real cargo lights, etc. Again, pretty good prices, and he will rewire them for the US. Do note though, that some of these items are very heavy and you may need to reinforce your ceiling to hang them. You may also find that the amount of light they give once rewired is insufficient. The prices are good value for what you are buying, IMHO, but not as inexpensive as Deco et Cie or Il fanale, above.

http://www.skinflintdesign.co.uk/store/ceiling_and_wall_lights/

The last one is the budget buster, but oooh they have nice stuff. I bought two of the Chisholm Hall for our entry hall. I also am having them copy a fixture for me.

http://www.urbanelectricco.com/#/Collection/By_Category/Ceiling/

PS CALI WENDY - Deco et cie has a sconce like those lights you liked that sold

Here is a link that might be useful: cali wendy - sconce for you

Hi Wendy,
Since you liked the other Capiz shell fixture, I thought I's show you this one from Currey. In person, the finish is slightly more of a silvery-gold than gold-gold. They look cool and handmade!

Layla Grace site has them for $296.

I'm considering them for myself and recently put three in a client's kitchen. Her kitchen is very informal (Three kids under 4) and they look great! (I could email you a pic if you like them.)

Some of these were different than I've seen, so I thought I'd post just in case anyone's interested...

Here is a link that might be useful: World's Afar

Mtnrdredux, thank you for sharing all of the resources. There are some gorgeous things! Love the sconce you linked as well. I don't see anything that will work for my island pendants (mostly due to size constraints), but I have my eye on some others for various rooms. And, my 5-year old daughter was insistent I get her one of the fixtures with the birds on it for her room! Not in the budget today, but it's bookmarked. :)

Shanghaimom, I love that pendant! It is stunning! I do believe it is at the top of my list. I would love to see a photo of it installed. Thank you so much for offering. My email address is wendyseaman@yahoo.com.

Thank you for the resource CheriPatrice. They carry some very pretty fixtures.

Well, we're off to Disneyland today for a 4-day trip for my daughter's spring break. I'll happily take a break from looking at fixtures for a few days. It will be nice to return with fresh eyes when we return.

Thank you to everyone for your feedback, ideas and resources. I look forward to seeing anything else you have for me upon my return! Have a great week. :)