We’ve been dreaming of a new kitchen for YEARS, literally. I’ve lived here for 13 years, and never liked the orange laminate countertops and dark brown ugly cupboards (nor the the green/brown/yellow floor tiles, yick). But now that we are on the precipice of a NEW and IMPROVED (not to mention, electrified!) kitchen… I have no idea how to decorate. We can’t even decide on what to paint the walls. It’s like I’m in a stupor- now that we’re actually doing this, I can’t decide the small details! Wah!
For example: do I want a hanging pot rack, or don’t I? I’ve always wanted one in my dream kitchen… but I have a hard time envisioning it now. Where would I place it? Here’s one on sale at Buy.com, for $45. Isn’t it pretty?! I think the red would go nicely with my red dining room walls.
But do I really want it hanging from the ceiling? The wall? Hmmm… I can’t decide.
Then there’s the wall color. And the backsplash material. And the ceiling color. And- oh man- the light fixtures. I just CANNOT choose a light fixture! Should I have a chandelier?! My ceilings are over 9 feet tall…. but does a chandelier “go” in a kitchen? I dislike recessed lights, yet everybody seems to have them. I don’t want them. Should I go with florescent fixtures?! Incandescent globe fixtures?! This is a very pretty pendant fixture, but should I have them hanging down like spaceships over my head? There are too many choices…
It's nice, but the bulb would blast my eyeballs every time I looked up... hmmm
Very pretty, but I forsee picking a LOT of bugs out of this thing... hmmm
This is nice! But it costs $60 and I'd need three or four. :S
Florescent fixtures are “ok” as far as lighting goes, but most of them are so durn ugly and utilitarian. I liked this one best, although it’s a bit severe… and it’s also $100! :S
Well, Buy.com has scads and scads of lighting options, and I’m going through them all…. but I just cannot decide. I’m stuck. If you have any suggestions, I’d be very happy to hear.
What kind of lighting does your kitchen have? Is it adequate? My kitchen is 12 x 23 feet and the ceilings are a little over 9 feet. And I like a room bright. So.. got any suggestions?
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April 22, 2010 at 3:44 am
In my old house (built in 1935), when I installed new kitchen lighting, I wanted to go with something a little vintage looking that was within the character of the house. There’s a photo here of one of the fixtures in Sparkle’s diary here (unfortunately it may not show well because it was full of termites at the time! Which has a lot to do with her post):
http://www.sparklecat.com/diary/october2004
So mostly I think you should get something that fits the character of the house and has the kind of home feel you want. For a vintage house like yours, especially with a high ceiling, recessed lights wouldn’t be good anyhow. I’d say get a fan with lights - they come in handy - but they are pricey.
April 22, 2010 at 10:24 am
I wish you good luck and have full confidence that you will make a smart decision. I wouldn’t pretend to venture an opinion.
April 23, 2010 at 10:47 pm
Hi Rebecca,
Our kitchen has three lights, but the main light is made by a company named Portfolio. The lights themselves are decorative, and take two lights brightening up everything in it’s path. I would recommend these for your renovation project. You could also get a stained glass hanging lamp (as we have over our kitchen table). I’m not the greatest when it comes to lighting, but hope this helps! 😀
Jay
April 24, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Jay- thank you for that! I’ll look it up.