Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Adding Three New Kitchen Pendant Lights

Alternate title: spending a junkload of money on lights, but feeling pretty good about it.

You guys know we’ve been excited to replace the light fixtures in our kitchen, and, well, the time is now. Decisions have been made. Light fixtures have been bought. And dreams have come true. We’re planning to keep all three of the new lights after our big Phase 2 renovation, so instead of skimping on placeholders we opted to go all-in on three things that we really love – and that we’ll hopefully remain in love with for the long haul. We’d like for all three of the new lights to relate to each other and “play nice” but actually don’t want any of them to match, since they all serve different functions. Each of these three areas call for a different solution, so…

Lights Arrows

  • over the sink we knew we’d like a glass pendant in place of that mini fluorescent (won’t block the view, will gleam when sun shines in, etc)
  • for the larger and boxier fluorescent in the middle of the cooking area we knew we wanted a semi-flush mounted shade (the old fixture’s half-assembled here, since we popped off the cover to be sure the wiring was centered – but you can see the full wood-boxed glory here)
  • for the area over the table… well, we’ve had our sights set on a certain rope chandelier for a while now

Yes, we had been pining for this large 24 x 24″ rope chandelier for months (how sweet will that look over our weathered wood kitchen table?). So after a lot of hemming and hawing, we just pulled the trigger and shelled out the most we’ve ever spent on a light in the name of love and this forever home of ours.

Rope Chandelier

We originally saw it for $460 here, and then found it for $391 here, and then when it popped up on Joss & Main for $360 with free shipping… well, we figured $100 off was as good as it got. So we clicked “order” and felt pretty excited about going for something we’ve wanted for so long. I hope we’re 101 and still eating omelettes under this thing.

As for over the sink, we thought any glass pendant with oil-rubbed bronze hardware would be awesome – and would easily pair with our attention-grabbing chandelier (we didn’t want anything too busy or colorful over the sink fighting for attention), so one trip to Home Depot turned up our winner:

Pendant Light

He was $69 (not sure why it’s only available in silver and $79 online, but they had a “dark bronze” one in our store for $69) and we think it’s just the right amount of dapper but not too demanding.

Then it was down to choosing our semi-flush mount shade, which was by far the biggest challenge. In other words, if this post were a movie, the music montage would start here and you’d see us running into small shops, big box stores, typing away on our laptops, trolling craigslist, etc. There weren’t too many options that were big enough (remember we’re replacing a giant boxy fluorescent light, so a tiny boob lamp won’t do), and although we considered adding can lights, our kitchen is actually nice and bright – it has four windows to the outside world, which is 100% more than our last two kitchens (they both had a single window over the sink that looked into a sunroom). So we liked the idea of a shade to keep things cozy and casual. Here’s what all that searching turned up:

Five Shades

  1. This 15″ natural shade for $99 (John and I cut a 15″ sheet of paper out and held it up to the ceiling, which immediately looked too tiny… so we kept looking)
  2. This 17″ shade for $155 from Overstock (this one was a little bigger, but still not as large as we’d like)
  3. This awesome quatrefoil flush mount one from Circa lighting (it’s $693, so yeah… just for inspiration)
  4. This nice 17″ caged shade for $239 (it wasn’t any bigger than the second shade, but we did like the hardware around it)
  5. This bigger 24″ burlap quatrefoil-shaped shade for $130 at a local lighting outlet (the same one with brown trim goes for nearly double that at Shades of Light)

Wanna guess which guy we went with?

Words, words, words.

More words.

These words are just here so you can guess and don’t see the next visual.

More words.

Even more words.

Wiggedy words and verbs.

I probably gave it away with my descriptions anyway.

Yup, I definitely did.

Poker face Petersik, they call me. 

And the winning combo is:

Light Trio

Except of course the scale is all off. The shade is actually 24″ wide, as is the big rope chandelier for over the table, but the chandelier hangs down a lot more, so it gets to be the star while the quatrefoil pendant will hopefully add some warmth and interest while balancing the other side of the room (and the glass pendant over the sink will add a nice soft glow by the window). Here’s a shot of it in the store where we saw it. Ours is the one on top of the stack since we thought the color would tie into the rope chandelier nicely.

Lighting Outlet

Oh man, I hope they look good when they’re actually hanging up. Just have some ceiling patching and painting to do, along with a little electrical tweaking, and it’s GO TIME, BABY.

Psst- A few folks were asking on Instagram for some specific info about how we introduced Burger to Clara, and how we tried to make the whole transition from living with a dog to living with a dog and a baby as smooth as possible for all parties involved – so we’re over on Young House Life chatting about that today.

Comments

  1. mary says

    Gorgeous choices. My one concern, and maybe I’m weird, is that the quatrefoil ceiling pendant is open on the bottom. I guess for some reason I picture open-bottom shades in places where you wouldn’t be standing under them, likely to look up at a bare bulb, like on a table lamp. Though that is clearly a ceiling fixture so it must just be me!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We figure we could get a diffuser cut from acrylic (a local glass shop can do that) if it bothers us but our last kitchen had a basket pendant with an exposed bowl, so we’ll have to see!

      xo
      s

  3. Tamsen says

    Hi there,

    We are so excited to see that you fell in love with that lamp on PureHome.com! I can see why you chose to buy it when you found it on another site for less – but I did want to let you know that we ran a sale over the weekend (ended last night) where it was actually 25% off – so you would have been able to buy it for $345 – and always with free shipping. We just started a friends and family sale today for 20% sitewide excluding furniture – it runs through December 15th, so if you have any other items you’ve got your heart set on, please come visit us! We’d love your business.

    Reply

  4. Laurie says

    I have to replace the lighting in my kitchen too. I’m a little nervous because I want to add lighting over the breakfast bar (it’s a really dim space) but it will be additional lighting. I guess I should get an electrician to do that.

    I want under cabinet lighting too. Have you guys ever looked into that?

    Reply

  6. Susan says

    I really, really love your choices. You got it just right with the coordinating but not competing aspect.

    I want to change out my ceiling light over the sink with a pendant but haven’t found the right one yet. I also have no idea how low an over the sink pendant should hang. Is there a rule of thumb for that?

    Can’t wait to see them in place!

    Reply

  9. Denise says

    Winner winner chicken dinner! When I saw the teaser on FB I immediately choose the same one! Love the combo you have going on!
    Denise

    Reply

  10. Pat S says

    Love your choices. I would have guessed Light #3 for the kitchen until I saw the price so your actual choice made a lot of sense to me. :)

    Reply

  11. Evie says

    Sherry, now that I’ve read your post and seen your new lights, I’m REALLY psyched! Now I can’t wait to see them up, and I’m busy imagining your kitchen at night with all three of those lights lit…..ahhhh, so cozy and beautiful! (or wait, is it beautiful because the old floor recedes into darkness…? jk)

    I have a kind of urgent quick non-lighting question for you… My (ancient, broken) kitchen trash can needs to be replaced NOW. Looking at your kitchen lately, I’ve noticed your big step-on trash can, but can’t see it clearly enough to know what brand it is. I want a really good sized step-on can that doesn’t cost a fortune but that WORKS and that doesn’t bounce around when you step on the lever. Help?

    Reply

    • Evie says

      Thanks, Sherry. I’ll look for Simple Human cans. LQ: (that’s light question) What is the finish of the canopy of your rope chandelier? I’m suffering over *finish* all of a sudden. My old ceiling lights are cheap brass rings with frosted glass globes, and I’ve just painted the brass Dover White to match the ceiling. They look OK. When I replaced the old long light over my sink, I put up one with an oil rubbed bronze finish. Now I’m getting ready to take out (uhm, down) the horrible ceiling light over my dining room table and put up a pendant of some sort. The one I like has silver finish hardware. That would make THREE finishes in the kitchen/dining room that are open to each other… Bad to do, right? How much do you (should I) worry about matching finishes like that?

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We’re cool with mixed metals, I think they just need to occur in a few places so they feel tied together and nobody’s the odd man out. So for example, the pendant over the sink and the quatrefoil pendant will both have ORB hardware (canopy + cord) while the chandelier over the table will have a white canopy and cord – but as long as we have enough white (trim, paneling) and ORB in the room (ex: new hardware, doorknobs on the pantry and garage door, etc) it should hopefully layer in without looking too crazy or compete-y. Hope that helps!

      xo
      s

    • Emily says

      I definitely think we can trust Sherry’s judgement that if they could have made/found it cheaper they would have. And if she can’t make it work DIYed I know I couldn’t! Haha

    • Evie says

      That’s basically how I was looking at it, but sometimes I don’t exactly trust myself. I’m learning so much from all you and John do, though. Hard to explain, but it’s like you wave away the fog to reveal a zillion possibilities I hadn’t even thought of…and I’m starting to wave the fog away by myself. LOL Hopefully that isn’t too foggy to make sense. Following you guys, I’m definitely getting more aware of what I like, and I think it’s pretty much time to dare to follow my instincts! You and John are really good teachers, and I thank you so much for all of this!

  12. liz says

    I love seeing the progress of your house! We just finished a total kitchen remodel and I referenced your blog all the time. Funny how fixing one area of your house leads to the rest….I’m itching to repaint our entire house now that the kitchen is finished! We have a true galley kitchen and we used 2 light fixtures (almost identical to your #2) and found a funky pendant with an Edison bulb for over our sink. Great minds think alike!

    Reply

  13. Lala says

    I never would have pictured that type of a light for the kitchen! I was kind of shocked when you showed the pictures haha, I’m really intrigued to see how they look when they’re all together, definitely a cool colour/texture combo!

    Reply

  14. Sara says

    I think you totally could have DIYed that light fixture with some embroidery hoops, that rough rope/string, and a glue gun! Sort of disappointed that you didn’t even try, actually, since I usually use your blog for budget decorating/crafting ideas. Spending $361 on that fixture seems completely insane to me! Especially since it seems to be a more trendy item, not likely to stand the test of time- and not likely to get nearly that much back in resale.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Sorry Sara! On the first page of comments I actually explained that I tried but the spines of the deconstructed lamp shade didn’t work and it was floppy! It’s also not really twine it’s sort of like wired fibers so it’s stronger. I’d cut and paste the while comment for ya but I’m on my phone (we’re working at the hospital today) but it’s on the first page of comments if that helps!).

      xo
      s

  15. Cristina says

    So fun! I had a feeling this (lighting) would be next after you finished painting the walls. Such a huge difference. And I totally guessed right! Maybe that’s because #6 is the one I like best, too. :)

    Reply

  16. Joan says

    Hi guys,

    My first reaction to the rope chandelier was, “Sherry and John totally could have DIYed that!”

    I’m curious to know why you didn’t try to DIY it? You guys are super talented and could have knocked it out of the park, I’m sure.

    The lights play off each other really well. Love the one that resembles a quatrefoil!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Good question! We actually tried! We commented about that on the first page for ya if it helps! Would cut and paste that but I’m on my phone (we’re working at the hospital today).

      xo
      s

    • Joan says

      Thanks, Sherry! Just saw your explanation on the first page of comments.

      I was alarmed when you mentioned the hospital, but then I remembered that you guys are decorating a waiting room at Children’s Hospital.

      Just to be sure, though, am I correct in assuming everything’s OK with you guys? Hope so!

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes, sorry to be unclear! We were at the Children’s Hospital all day today! So exciting to see things slowly coming together! We met so many sweet kids today too. It was an awesome day.

      xo
      s

  17. emily says

    that rope chandy. amazing. good call. and thank you so much for always being so realistic about pricing. it’s such a bummer to go on blogs and see someone call a $400 light fixture a “bargain.” have been reading you daily for 3+ years, and i always want to high five you!

    Reply

  19. Vivian Foster says

    Sorry, but I’m confused! Is the shade to replace the fluorescent fixture? Will it hang down like a pendant? Is it just a shade that you’re going to put over another ceiling mount fixture? I’m trying to figure out what to use to replace my own monstrosity in the kitchen … a four light wood box fluorescent! Thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It has a canopy and a wire and double bulb so it will hang like a semi-flush mounted fixture. We will have some ceiling patching to do when we replace the fluorescent but we’ll cover it all when we install it! Hope it’s not too bad! (Uh oh, are those famous last words?)

      xo
      s

  20. Kristen says

    I love, love, love those lights!! Can’t wait to see them all together. I have a question (sorry if you’ve answered this in another post and I just didn’t see it), is there any reason why you don’t use the lights from your fabulous collection at Shades of Light? I was thinking that when you bought the light for your foyer too. I love what you’re doing with the house and can’t wait to see more :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We think it’s weird to fill our house with our lights (I don’t know, maybe we’re just being silly) but we love the globe pendant so we might use that in our dining room or our office over the working island or peninsula we add! We’re also working on more designs so that’s exciting too!

      xo
      s

    • Ellen says

      Love that there will be more coming out! Just installed your metal drum pendant in my foyer and love it:)

  21. Catherine says

    With everything looking so pretty in there, are those horrid brown kitchen cabinets and fake brick floors just poking you in the eye every time you walk in there now?? They would be doing that to me for sure…. :) Also, I love that rope chandelier but everywhere I have lived has been really dusty (what is up with that??) so I just see dust hanging all over it and me not wanting to clean it. Ha ha. It is going to look awesome though and I really hope it doesn’t get too dusty on you. Looking forward to seeing them all up!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      The floor definitely makes us twitch sometimes! We have peel and stick tile on the list of considerations though, so we’ll have to see where we end up!

      xo
      s

  22. Victoria says

    Love all three lights! You guys are so good at picking things that are different enough from each other to be interesting while complementing each other. I’m not so good at that but I’m learning. Looking forward to seeing them installed. The kitchen is already looking gorgeous and you’re not even done with phase 1 yet.
    BTW, just love the rustic table mixed with the mod white chairs. So chic.

    Reply

  23. LibraDesignEye says

    Great and original choices – have not seen that rope chandy and (oprah voice) LUVVVV IT ! can’t wait to see them and love that you let us in on your thought process by showing a progression of ideas you considered. IMHO lighting is nearly ALWAYS worth splurging on – it signals so many cues in a room – p.s. my youngest son (14) is getting a new navy blue room (van deusen) and picked out your strappy midnight drum shade in the gunmetal color to replace an old white ceiling fan) – awesome price and design!!! score for mom.

    I’m loving the pale blue with the slate in the foreground and honestly (though the painted ones will be awesome) think the pale blue makes the original dark stained wood cabinets pretty nice for high contrast (tho I am itching, like you, to get some new hardware on them).

    I’d be tempted, for bun sake, to live with them and set that part of the kitchen phase 1 aside for other achievements before bun . . . . . though with John’s new sprayer and mad garage spray booth skillz it may not be the slog I imagine to get them painted as you envision.

    Awesome progress!

    Reply

  24. Meredith says

    It’s like you guys are doing a test run of my kitchen remodel for me! My kitchen is painted BM Gray Owl and its very similar, and I, like you, invested time and tears painting trim white this summer.The builder grade oak cabs are going to be painted someday, and hopefully the fluorescent light will be traded out someday also. I’ve got charcoal gray counters and white appliances, but I’m still excited to see how your painted cabinets turn out. Hoping that it will help me visualize and decide either dark or light cabinets!

    Reply

  25. Ann says

    I’m just wondering what happened with the beautiful pendant light you had over the sink in your last house? Did that stay with the new owners? I loved that light. What about the lights over the peninsula in your last house? Did those stay as well?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yup, sold with the house. When you sell a house as turn-key they want all the lights. But we love getting new ones (lights are the fun part) and we hate taking houses apart before we move so it’s all good.

      xo
      s

  26. AnnMarie says

    I’m also looking for new light fixtures, but wowza…crazy how much some of these babies can cost! I don’t want something cheap looking, but I don’t want to spend hundreds either. Regardless, these boob lights gotta go!

    Reply

  27. Kayla says

    We have the same clear glass pendant in our kitchen, and I hate the yellow-ness of the bulbs that it came with. Plus it is not bright at all. Looking forward to seeing what you end up using in there if John hates Edisons. Good choices!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Kayla! We’ve had luck with warm white CFLs (the ones encased with a glass outer bulb so they don’t look like CFLs). They also can give you extra wattage/more light. Will let you know what we end up with!

      xo
      s

  28. Stacy says

    Sorry if this has been asked already but what is the ceiling height of your kitchen? I love the new lights you picked out and you have my brain churning for ideas in my kitchen. One thing is for sure, the rectangular fluorescent light is going bye, bye. (I was so happy the day that light broke!).

    Reply

  29. Erin says

    What are your initial thoughts on redesigning the layout of the kitchen for phase 2? Were you planning to move cabinents and applicances or will you mostly just be updating countertops, doors, applicances, new paint, etc. It looks like the current layout is pretty functional.

    Reply

  30. Maureen says

    Love the selections! We have the same light you have over your table in our entry and 2 bathrooms that I’ve been dying to replace since we moved in 3 mos ago! Do you know what color you’re doing for your faucet and cabinet hardware? Will you stick with the ORB?

    Reply

  31. Christina B. says

    YES! I love them all, and I picked the winner before reading the descriptions! Bragging rights…and, the moment is over.

    After the lights are up, how are you going to be able to leave the kitchen?!

    Reply

  32. Kylie says

    Just a thought but you could add brown bias tape to the edges of the semi-flush mount fixture to look like the Shades of light version if you were wanting that look.

    Jealous of all your new lights but especially the natural light in your kitchen. I have 2 lights (1 bulb each) and one window looking out over a covered porch… 5 years and 2 babies later, I am finally in the search for new fixtures but am coming up short in the semi mount/flush mount and chandelier search – why is everything a boob light?

    Loving the progress you are making.

    Could you post about how you go about learning new skills for home repair and renovation. I’ve braved painting a room, but how did you learn to change a light fixture, lay flooring, tile etc. or use power tools?

    Reply

  33. Karoline says

    I just wanted to comment that I love your blog because despite your success, you are still not going to buy the $693 light fixture. It is so refreshing to see you do things with such great style while maintaining a normal price range. :-)

    Reply

  34. erin says

    You two have such a knack for pulling things together and making them fit. I love the 3 lights and how they’re different yet relatable. Sometimes that’s my issue, I don’t want everything super matchy, but I still want it all to “fit.” You help me see the light (pun intended)!!! Also, I have the same glass pendant over my sink and I love it! He’s very dim (perfect nightlight) and looks super fabulous (as long as I keep up with dusting him). :)

    Reply

  35. Vicki says

    what about some light over the prep bench? You will be in a shadow with the main light behind you. I have that problem here unfortunately. BTW, your choices are great, but you knew that! :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think since we’re just replacing lights we already have we hope it’ll be nice for now and we’re actually not sure the peninsula will stay for Phase 2, so we’ll have to see we’re we end up!

      xo
      s

  36. Heather Macfeather says

    I haven’t read all the comments so please disregard if you covered this already.

    I LOVE the quatrefoil lamp shade style light for the main kitchen area but you *may* find the light cast through the room a little on the dim side. I put lampshade fixtures throughout.my condo when staging it to sell and I found there wasn’t enough light in the bedrooms (with max wattage) but they were perfect for the halls and stairwells.

    I really hope it works out as it really is pretty.

    H

    Reply

    • Heather Macfeather says

      So, turns out I’m a bonehead. I have a new lampshade style fixture at the new place too (not sure how I forgot since I bought it and installed it) and the brightness is great. I have two LED bulbs in a bright white (the yellow and grey style by Philips) whereas I had incandescent in the last one. Seems two 60w LED bulbs did the trick.

  37. Maggie says

    I’m really glad to see you guys spending a little more on items in this house. There are plenty of DIY ways to save money, but a splurge here and there is awesome! Think of an H&M outfit with a designer bag – you need those moments that elevate the rest of the look. I just recently used a very similar rope-like fixture in a client’s dining area and it was our splurge in a room of West Elm and Overstock. Lighting *is* the jewelry of the home, they say ;)

    Reply

  38. Emily @ Life on Food says

    I am light shopping now. I have the hardest time visualizing the real thing in my house from the online pictures. I love that you cut it out for size on paper. I am definitely going to do that for the ones that catch my eye. I cannot wait to see the three all up together.

    Reply

  39. linda says

    They are nice fixtures, very on-trend. I recently read a blogger who took down her kitchen chandeliers because she couldn’t keep them dust/grim/film free, despite a very high-end hood.I hope you have better luck. The older I get (yikes, yes I’m old!) the more I follow the form follows function creed.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I hope they work out but will tell you guys if they tank for sure! The thing that gives me hope is that in our first and second kitchen even with white cabinets right next to the hood we didn’t have grease issues, so lights that are a few feet away (and one that’s like 20 feet away near the table) will hopefully be ok. We shall see!

      xo
      s

    • mary says

      I don’t even use a hood fan and my kitchen doesn’t get greasy? I guess because I pan-fry almost nothing? Maybe it’s our climate. I can’t imagine grease on the ceiling fixtures. I replaced some decade old ones recently and they weren’t greasy and they were from another owner. I’m guessing it’s a climate thing.

  40. liz c says

    I have decided that you should have a giveaway for the #3 light :), I was drooling over it (although when you said how much it was, I almost pooped my pants). I do love #5, way to go! Can’t wait to see them up!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We think it’s weird to fill our house with our lights (I don’t know, maybe we’re just being silly) but we love the globe pendant so we might use that in our dining room or our office over the working island or peninsula we add! We’re also working on more designs so that’s exciting too!

      xo
      s

  42. Sylwia says

    I absolutely love the burlap quatrefoil shade you chose, always thinking outside the box. We have our share of boob lamps in our old home, thanks for some serious inspiration!

    Reply

  44. Misty says

    oh the excitement I just had when I saw that pendent! I bought the same one for our kitchen, its a tiny kitchen so it serves as our main light… but I feel so proud picking something you picked as well!

    Reply

  45. Maria says

    We JUST put the same light from Home Depot above our sink 2 weeks ago…LOVE IT! Great choices all the way around!

    Reply

  47. Becca says

    Your kitchen looks awesome so far! I’ve been waiting for you to do those two fluorescent kitchen lights because we have the EXACT. SAME. ONES. and I’ve been waiting to see what you did with them before I did anything drastic! :)

    Reply

  48. Karly says

    I love the rope chandelier, very unique! I think Phase 1 of this renovation is shaping up to be something very Phase 2 worthy!

    Reply

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