I have a tiny kitchen, 110x101, in a small cape cod cottage and we did white painted maple cabs, refinished the original 1940 pine floor we found under layers of other materials, fixed up the plaster walls which were then painted sage green (although they look light in this picture), moved the window to accomodate a corner cab, added a range hood vented to the outside, intalled a toe kick heater and added a DW to the mix.

I am interested in a schoohouse style light for above the sink but am open to suggestions. No u/c lighting has been decided on yet but DH left wiring in the wall for it and a dimmer switch is available should I pursue that. In the meantime, I do have two battery operated lights that I saved from the apartment days to use for u/c lights that would require 2 screws and be done but since I have yet to do any cooking or work in the kitchen yet, they are sitting in the drawer. We have a white ceiling fan in the center of the ceiling which must be kept as we do not have a/c and I need light to see. It's such a small room that I don't think those round lights in the ceiling are necessary and the vent hood has dimmable lights in it too.

I wanted to do a schoolhouse pendant with a glass globe that the bulb is enclosed in . . . I really don't like looking directly at a light bulb without any sort of shade but does the globe cut down on the light or just soften it? My other concern is should I get a semi-flush or small pendant to hang down in front of the window? That curtain is temp for now but I plan on adding a wood blind for privacy since we are on top of our neighbors as well as a valance when I find some fabric I like. I don't want it to look like a bath fixture.

What do you think? Semi-flush or pendant? Keep with shiny chrome? I do love wrought iron although there is no black in this room, I do have a lot of wrought iron throughout the house and was also considering a tiffany style pendant light for some color but I will be adding a floral area rug to cover the gouge we put in the newly refinished floor when adding back the FR . . I have a shiny chrome bridge faucet and chrome hardware. Eventually I hope to get some nice glass knobs . . I did purchase the decagon style knobs with the chrome bolt through the center but they looked really cheap and small against the cabs so I went to Ebay and got some $1 knobs for know.

As always, thank you for your comments and help.

Something wall-mount might be nice rather than a ceiling mount?

Biochem, I hadn't and thanks for the link. There are some really nice choices here.

I think you can do almost anything you're considering which is why it's such a hard decision.

And I think the curtain is actually adorably perfect in there!

The shade does soften the light, and does make it a little less bright, but that's the thing - if it's going to be less harsh, it's going to be a little less bright. Still plenty of light to work with. Instead of wood blinds that can be bulky, consider shutters (one lower, and a small upper that you can leave open if you want) that fit into the window frame.

From Rejuvenation:

I believe ours has the 8" shade.

The curtain you have up is darling. I'd keep it there.

I like that your fan has separate lights aimed in different directions. that'll help spread the light around your room. The globes for those can be changed out for a few dollars each. Lowe's has them for 10.00 or so- some are etched so they allow more light thru the globe area. They remind me of old style globes.

EAM44, thank you! I do like the suggestion of switching out the fan for a schoolhouse globe style and I love that pendand choice. DH said he can try to put the light on the wall provided there is no stud dead center but if I do put it in the ceiling, I was worried about it being too much and it being too close together. I do love the shutter idea and that may work. I considered those for my living room as we live right on top of our neighbors; however, the cats like to look out the window. The kitchen window is the only window they can't get too (well in a perfect world . . . )

Localeater, my sentiments exactly. I have this concern that I don't want it to look like a bath fixture but there are so many pretty lights to choose from. True, how often do you look straight up but I am tall and there are cabs on either side of the sink that I will access on a regular basis. It's almost a shame for the ceiling fan but we definitely need it.

Shelayne, what a pretty fixture! Is the 8 inches the length/height (up and down) of the shade or the width (left to right)?

Desertsteph, I'm so wrapped up in the countertop selection that I totally forgot I could change the shades on the fan and I think I will! Thanks.

Annie, ooh! Very pretty! Thanks for the picture!

We have way too many choices!