Hmmm...I dunno that frosted glass versus clear makes a difference in the lighting...I would think that would depend on the wattage of the bulb (?) Also can't comment about the downlighting as yet don't have an island, but I do prefer frosted glass over clear. Of course, I've always lived in older homes,so to me frosted glass is for older homes and country homes and clear glass is more for contemporary homes and sleeker designs.

Clear bulbs with no shades create lots of glare to deal with. Not ideal in a workroom. Down lights work great at concentrating the light directly on the workspace. They are not designed for general room lighting. General room lighting should be accomplished by recessed lighting or flush ceiling mount lighting. Additional task lighting should come from under cabinet lighting, and you can also add over cabinet lighting, spot lighting, and lamps as well to create many layers of lighting.

I have sensitive eyes. This means that bright bulbs can
be torture for me. I love the look of the clear glass
instead of down light but the practical side would need to
be clear glass free.

I have a pendant that looks like marble but glows to a
soft white. Perfect for sensitive eyes.
~boxer

Boxer, I'd love to see that pendant. I'm torn. So many of the pendants that we see now are the industrial ones that are down-lit. A lot of GW'ers have them. So they must be fine for over the island. I'm just hoping people will chime in here and speak up now that they've lived with them for a while.

I also don't know about living with the clear lights. I think there is a big difference in glare with clear and frosted. Looking straight on at a bulb vs. having a diffuser (the frosted glass) is very different. But are we staring at our island pendants straight on? Is it that big of a deal? We see lanterns over islands quite a bit now too...

We have frosted pendants on a dimmer in the seating area of our island and they look and work great. The dimmers make all the difference- bright when you need it, low when you don't I love the metal pendants but not our kitchen style.We are putting cams in for the hard to light areas and a single slightly larger pendant over sink and eat in booth. Looks great.

Oh dear, I made it sound far more elegant. I am sure
you have seen these lights 1000 times. The frosted glass
that looks like Marble.
Nothing special but the glare is gone.
~boxer

Now these are far more pretty. I am changing the above
light to the first one below.

Boxer, I like your lights! have one saved that's similar to the first one you posted above. I know I've seen the first two you posted but can't recall where or who makes them. Can you post a link? Thanks again!

Shades of light

http://www.shadesoflight.com/lighting/pendants-hanging-lights/all_pendants-hanging-lights/

I wouldn't want clear glass pendants in a kitchen. I don't even care for them in foyers or hallways. Have you visited any lighting showrooms?

I have this one over my small 4 foot peninsula. Even with a 100 watt bulb in it, it really does not put out much light.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

Candf, do you wish you had put in a different pendant there or are you happy with it? The light over your sink with the exposed bulb - how is it for you? Is it glaring? Do you notice it?

Boxer, of course that's where I saw them b/c I've visited Shades of Light dozens of times! Ha! Thanks!

Natal, not in a while. We've been dealing with other preliminary things for the build as of late. I was just thinking about this last night and wanted to ask while it was top of mind. I will be so this is all good information to take with me and to notice when I go. When I went previously, I just was looking at so much I don't recall being blown away by specific glaring bulbs. When it comes to decision time, I'll be choosier. But I know sometimes, they don't have the model in the showroom and only in the catalog or I may choose something online. So all of this is extremely helpful.

I am happy with the pendant over the peninsula but only because I have enough other lights in the kitchen for the main light source. The exposed bulb over the sink is not glaring at all but also does not give off a lot of light. It's mainly for show since I think the Edison's bulbs look cool.

We are just finishing up our kitchen.

I have two lanterns over our island - each with 4 clear bulbs. I have them on a dimmer so they are not glaring - but when up all the way they are really bright. I just loved the look of the lanterns and rely on our other lighting to do the job and for the lanterns to look pretty.

I have the Thomasville Lanterns from Home Depot. I had found very similar online that were more expensive. Over the sink I have the large glass globe from Pottery Barn, and I totally considered putting two of those over the island.

I am sensitive to glare also (I have lanterns in my DR and I only enjoy them on a dimmer) For the kitchen, I went with these bone china lights from Design Within Reach. They are very low-key so not for every one, but I have really enjoyed them.

The older we get, the more light we need, but also the more sensitive we become to glare from those needed lights. That's one of the reasons you saw the trend towards those little mini shades on the candle bulb chandeliers. No one wants to dust those things! But they do provide protection from glare for Boomers.

I'm sorry. I thought I replied a few days ago! I wonder if I did and hit preview but not submit. Oops!

Boxer, those second pendants are gone from Shades of Light. Do you happen to know the manufacturer? I like those and haven't seen them anywhere else.

Candf, that info is very helpful. Thank you!

Sideways, I am considering lanterns or globes. That's partly what sparked this topic. Your input is helpful. I'm a big believer in dimmers. I have nice lighting in my current kitchen but usually do also turn my pendants on too, though not always at full strength. So that information is good to know. Do you have any kitchen photos? I'd love to see it with the lanterns and the globe at the sink!

Laurainlincoln, those lights are pretty! Thank you for sharing your experience with lanterns as well.

GreenDesigns, I'm only 36 but we do plan on being in this house a very very long time! So aging is something to think about. Also, our parents visit a lot. But I also hate to dust so..... Ha!