Alternate title: Spending a lot on lighting, and feeling really good about it.
We’ve been excited to replace the light fixtures in our kitchen for a long time, and now the time has come. Decisions were made, fixtures were purchased, and a few long-standing dreams finally came true. Since these are permanent choices for our Phase 2 renovation, we didn’t buy placeholders—we invested in three fixtures we genuinely love and hope to keep for years. We wanted the three lights to relate to one another visually and to “play nice” in the same space without matching exactly, because each fixture serves a different purpose and needs a different solution.
- Over the sink: a glass pendant to replace the tiny fluorescent—something that won’t block the view and will gleam when the sun hits it.
- Over the cooking area: a semi-flush mount shade to replace a larger boxy fluorescent—something that brings warmth and scale without dropping too low.
- Over the table: a large rope chandelier, which we’d been coveting for months and envisioned over our weathered wood kitchen table.
We’d admired a 24 x 24” rope chandelier for months and finally decided to go for it. After comparison shopping and watching prices fluctuate at several retailers, we pulled the trigger when we found the best available price with free shipping. It’s the biggest lighting purchase we’ve made for this house, but it’s one of those pieces that can define a room, and that mattered to us—especially since we plan to keep this home for a long time.
For the sink, we wanted a simple glass pendant with oil-rubbed bronze hardware so it would complement the statement chandelier without competing with it. One trip to the local Home Depot turned up a dark-bronze pendant that hit the right note: classic, slightly dapper, and unobtrusive at roughly $69 in store. It gives the window area a soft glow and won’t fight for attention with the chandelier.
Choosing the semi-flush mount for the main cooking area was the biggest challenge. We were replacing a very large boxy fluorescent, so proportion was critical: a tiny fixture would look wrong. We considered recessed lighting, but the kitchen already gets plenty of natural light from four windows, and we wanted to maintain a cozy, casual vibe that a shade provides. We spent time searching small shops, big box stores, lighting outlets, and online catalogs until we narrowed our options.
- A 15” natural shade option for about $99 — after holding a 15” paper mock-up to the ceiling we felt that was too small for the space.
- A 17” fabric shade for about $155 — better, but still not quite the scale we wanted to balance the rest of the room.
- An inspiring quatrefoil flush-mount design at a much higher price — beautiful but out of budget.
- A 17” caged metal shade at around $239 — we liked the hardware detail but it didn’t increase the perceived scale enough.
- A larger 24” burlap quatrefoil-shaped shade at a local lighting outlet for about $130 — the size and texture felt right and tied well into the rope chandelier.
After weighing size, scale, texture, and price, we chose the 24” quatrefoil-style shade because it brought the right presence to the center of the kitchen without overpowering the room. The fabric texture adds warmth and complements the natural rope of the chandelier, while the glass pendant at the sink provides a subtle counterpoint.
In person the fixtures feel cohesive: the two 24” elements—though different in form—balance one another across the room, and the smaller glass pendant adds softness by the window. The chandelier is visually dominant because it hangs lower and has more presence, which is exactly what we wanted over the table. The quatrefoil shade brings balance to the other side of the kitchen and creates a welcoming, layered lighting plan.
Next steps: a bit of ceiling patching and a fresh coat of paint, some light electrical adjustments, and then we’ll hang everything and share the final reveal. We’re optimistic these kitchen lighting choices will deliver both function and personality—good task lighting where it’s needed, and warm, ambient glow for meals and conversation.
On a related note: several readers asked about how we introduced our dog to our baby and smoothed the transition to living with both a dog and an infant. We shared our approach and tips on our family blog, including gradual introductions, supervised interactions, and routines that help everyone adjust.