sparklekitty, your kitchen is looking great so far! It will be amazing when it's finished.

I have three 12" pendants. When I first opened the box, I thought they were too big, but they seem to fit perfectly. I have two over the island and one over the table. I think one 12" over your sink will go perfectly with the two smaller island ones. Mine are hung a little higher so they don't seem so huge. Maybe you could do that over the sink, hang it a little higher than the island ones.

Let me know if you want other angles.

jsweenc - A really relaxing space. What is the paint color - what does it look like in person - light blue, gray? I am looking for a light blue for a bedroom with some gray in it.

Thanks for the photo of the lights and your experience. I know how that feels - thinking something is too large or too small and it being right. I don't want to make the mistake of something too small that looks silly either.

We have two 14" pendants over the island, and four canisters over the sink:

FWIW, I would switch your plans - put larger pendants over the island, and smaller ones (more than one) over the sink. I think a large pendant over the sink (next to the window) will look awkward, more so with smaller pendants over the island.

jsweenc, I love how you have no cabinets next to your window over the sink. I would like to the same thing- but wonder how much other storage you have. I am planning to have under island drawers for dishes, pots and pans, and other cabinets- but where do you keep your glasses? Can you post more pictures? I love you kitchen.

Great thread - I have two cardboard platters hanging above my island trying to visualize what size is best. Seeing these photos is terrific. Keep them coming!

Be sure to check for clearance distance from wall, esp. if you plan to have roman shades on the oversink window. I'm stuck--I can't have a wide pendant shade because of position of pendant wiring hole. Sigh.

sparklekitty- how long is your island ? I agree that you should have larger pendants over your island and smaller ones over sink.

Vate- Love your granite ! I have that sample- everybody gravitates towards it. It's beautiful !

Our island is 89" x 39" superwhite quartzite - it really is dramatic with lots of contrast in person. My DH really wants smaller pendants on the island - likes that they kind of just blend in and twinkle versus being a big feature, especially with the island counter. It is a little of that tug between keeping the house slightly oriented to the period (turn of the century) and the desire for something more contemporary. That why I was considering a larger one over the sink - because I love the prism holophone lights. Somewhat contemporary pendants over the island, larger old school light over the sink. The ceilings are nine feet and with the tall window I thought we could pull it off if it hung between the window & the transom. But...more photos of others with larger lights over island might help me consider the other way.

Sparklekitty, I love your window! Can you tell me the measurements? I am looking for something like the set up you did. Can you tell me who the mfg is?
Thanks! Kristin

Vate has a point, but I still think it could work the way you are planning. If I had used mini pendants I would have gone with 3 over the island, but mine is 102x30. Try mocking up 3 small ones over the island and a large one over the sink but not hanging as low as the island ones. Just a thought.

To answer your question, the paint is Quiet Moments (BM). On my monitor, the truest read is between the windows and the back door. It's a blue-green-gray, but it doesn't jump out at you as green at all. To my eye it's more gray and blue with a slight green undertone. I love it. It sounds like it may be perfect for your bedroom.

Joan2121, I just posted my finished kitchen (see link below). So I don't hijack, I'll answer your questions there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen

Kristin - I can check the window measurements and get back to you, but I know they are Anderson. Two double hung with transom windows on top - but the window and transom were assembled together in the factory.

Vate - Your counter must be so stunning in person. Will show size swap to DH tonight.

florantha - thanks for the tip to check the measurements. We did tonight and have ~11" from center of fixture to wall. I am relieved.

Jsweenc - I am going to try to mock up tomorrow.

Bump - Any more photos would be great. Have to buy the fixtures ASAP.

sparklekitty: would you please tell me who the manufacturer of the 2nd choice pendant is? (or the website?) i really like that one and it would work so well for us.

The sink appears to be under one of the windows rather than centered under both? Hard to tell. Are you going to hang the light over the sink, or centered in the windows?

I don't have a problem with not centering the sink, but it might draw attention to it if the light is not centered over the sink, so maybe smaller lights (or cans) above the sink and then two of those awesome holophane lights over the island (similar to Vate's).

Those are just my general impressions ... but if anything is impossible for me to visualize in 2D, it's how lights fit in a room. Much better to be in the space! But I would definitely find something similar sized and mock it up. A balloon, maybe? Hang it over the sink, then hang a couple over the island. I think I agree that the island needs more weight over it; I don't think it would distract at all.

Here are some random photos I had in my inspiration file:

Ebean - Hudson Valley http://www.hudsonvalleylighting.com/productDetail.aspx?CollectionID=HAVERHILL&ItemID=7308

They have one 8" in diameter, one 12" and the largest at 16", a sconce and maybe a double and even a triple. They price from ~200 - 500 and come in an "old bronze" polished and brushed nickel. Lumens and many others sell them online.

Segbrown - Your photos are extremely helpful. There is even one with a small prism light in the window, which makes me think the small is too small if I go the route of larger fixture in the window. And you highlighted what had completely overlooked, the sink is not centered between both windows. That was a view and countertop consideration that I did not make lightly. I could put two pendants, one over each window, smallish like prism in the third photo of the white kitchen with the amazing combo of light fixtures (makes me almost regret my recessed lights, but my kitchen is a fraction of the size of that kitchen.) I think I could still do one 8 - 12 " pendant in the center of the window and it would still look OK, even if the sink is on the side. Note - the blank spot on the wall will be open shelves once I figure out the design, but that is for another, future post.

Regarding the island, I also though if they were so small I would like 3, but we have a load baring beam that creates a soffit over the last 15 or so inches of the island on the left edge when facing (where the white cabinets start on the photo below.) I thought if one of the three were on the lowered ceiling (12 inches) it would stand out, not in a good way...but maybe it would not be so obvious if I used polished or satin nickel hardware on the small pendants (they blend vs stand out.)

View of window, sink and where the soffit begins (at start of white cabinets on left.)

I think the balloon idea is great - I just happen to have a few in my car (kids :) I am going off to hang balloons but here are a few other options of lights I am considering with all the input about size.

Supercute acorn shape, looks much nicer in person. 4.8" wide.

Prism light with metal cap (PN or old bronze) - might be more of a statement than I want to make

Simple mission style

I wonder with sparkly prism I should limit the number of sparkle and consider something simpler in one of the spots. Or something with a ORB or other antique finish (hardware on white cabinets is ORB, on birch is polished nickel.)

Again, the photos have been great as well as the...

One thing I forgot to mention - there is a big difference in appearance and function between opaque and transparent (or somewhat transparent) shades. We used an upside-down stainless steel colander to get a sense of how larger pendants would look, and we thought they would look too big. But the pendants we bought have the semi-transparent body, so they visually appear smaller. Not to mention, clear-bodied pendants throw a *lot* more light around the room.

Balloons are useful, but if you want to mimic clear pendants, I would use light-colored or see-through balloons.