As we continue our discussion on kitchen lights, see part one here, today i will touch on the use of retail lights from big name online stores, the use of overstock and more discount mass shopping sites and the use of paint to upcycle great lighting..so here we go…

{source unknown, i have seen these above at Marburger/Round Top and Urban Market Houston}

First, below some of my fave go to lights online from RH to West Elm etc..All assembled recently on one “board” for a client…often when working with a client i cast the net wide to see what they like and then i crudely cut and paste the lights into photos of their rooms and we begin the discussion of what will work.

Let me say I LOVE SCHOOLHOUSE LIGHTS…and there are so many versions out there. Restoration has a good one but so does Lowe’s and there are a million places in between and beyond.

This one above is $75 mini pendant from Lighting Universe!

Rejuvenation.com, below offers the most choices as far as stem color and length and type etc…

They even have shades with these cutie stripes and more..but their products are more pricey.

SO BACK TO THE CLIENT PROCESS, My client found this DARLING light from Lighting Universe, looks so similar to some of the lights at RH but better price! I LOVE THIS LIGHT.

So cute and i wanted these lights to work but the calisse lantern seemed to work best mixed with the Newport lights from Ballard…more $$ but best choice in the end i think…a lighter feel which is her real goal in this room redo.

I pasted them on the board and we decided it was a no go…too bad, cute lights, we will leave them for someone else. Same with the carriage lantern, a nice light but not substantial enough for our big oepn space, we will take a Calisse please!

Like i said,the end we went with the ballard lights and spent a bit more $ but always check overstock and lowes etc..you never know!

And finally the darling Britt of the Gusandlula.com used spray paint to make something cuter than any online store could offer, I love the pagoda light and they all work together so great, she painted with a brush too! Read more about it here ..great job both recycling and keeping it unique!  All pretty examples of using different lighting in kitchens!

Adorable huh? 

So whether you get your lights from Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware kids (I recently suggested one of my clients use two of their little girl chandeliers over her island..cant wait to see it installed), Wisteria (two words..gothic lantern!), Circa (swoon), or a thrift store..it doesn’t really matter..different lights fit different spaces and can be made to work. The bottom line is you and your family spend a ton of time in your kitchen, make it pretty and fun!

One issue I continue to run across with clients involves mixing lights in open kitchens, particularly ones with a eat-in areas of if they flow into other open rooms.  After all most of us don’t want our homes to look like lighting shops BUT there are so many fab lighting options it can hard to restrain. 

So I have been studying this topic, taking mental notes of various kitchens on pinterest, in real life, blogs and shelter magazines and i have developed a small theory or two or three.

{Notice the kitchen below with the deep industrial glass lights over the island and the simple shallow bowl light over the sink..its seamless in my opinion.love}

{ edited to say… original source is http://fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com}

First off, there are no hard and fast rules. Its your house do what you want, if you want to buy everything from the same line at Lowe’s (matching chandelier, sconce, foyer light etc) that is FINE..go for it. Your biz.  But the trouble often lands on those of us who LOVE LIGHTING and want to mix too many styles. So here are some things to watch for…

Second, consider restraint. I am not one for restraint but I am trying to learn. Lighting is one area it can prove very important. I mean seriously, if you score lanterns like shown below you need no other lighting, let them shine!

 {image via decorpad}

Third, Embrace the pot light. Because bottom line is you need a lot of good light in your kitchen and those fab industrial lights you found out Round Top, no matter how much $$$ it cost to rewire them, still aren’t going to put off enough light.

In this Sally Wheat kitchen there is nada over the island because there is strong over the table…pot lights save the day, again.

But here she DOES have large lights over a not so large island with pot lights to give more lighting. nothing for over the sink for those that get stuck on that (although in some cases it can be fine) It’s all about choices people.  You wouldn’t wear all of your jewelry on the same day (or maybe you would, refer to point number one;)

Notice what she has over the table in the nearby eating area…antique chandelier and then she switched it our for the arty light (keep in mind the industrial BROWN lights are over the island and nothing over the penisula.) And let me say, I have met Sally Wheat in person and she is so nice.

 (man i love those plates)

Finally, CONSIDER A MIX. My friend Linsey of LLH Designs combine two types of chandeliers in her beautiful Houston kitchen…

One is blingy and smaller in scale and one is larger in scale but more simple, also her kitchen and home is very calm and serene..not a loud colors going on and it is a large so it can handle these statement lights i think, even mixed. 

So there is no hard and fast rule..you dont always have to have something hang downy over the island OR the table..sometimes like LLH it works if your room dimensions allow it. Sometimes you must choose to forgoe in one area. Just give it a little thought and hopefully it will be clear.

 And at the end of the day its just a light!;;; BUT if you are lucky enough to have brick ceilings, DONT install pot lights, LIGHT CANDLES (or plug a lamp in the corner!)

{www.kitchenisms.com}

Too be continued with more examples from my own clients’ design boards and more discussion..stay tuned!  I am playing around with mixing drum shades and chandeliers, industrial and chandys etc… Hope to share some of those boards soon. And let me know your experience with mixing lights and dealing with this issue in an open floor plan!