Need lighting suggestions for my kitchen

Moved into new home- new to us. The ceilings are low (8ft maybe 9) having trouble finding lights. I want to find a light for over our cooking area. Everything I get hangs to low. Any suggestions...

  16 answers
  • Julies1949 Julies1949 on Oct 29, 2018

    You can use the same junction box and hang a pendant light. If it's over a counter, no one is going to be walking under it. You just want to position it so the light is above eye level. Almost all pendant lights are adjustable for height. Lots of examples on Houzz.com


    https://www.houzz.com/photos/query/pedant-light-over-kitchen-island/nqrwns


    • See 1 previous
    • 17335038 17335038 on Oct 31, 2018

      Hi Rebecca,

      I am wondering what type of flush mount fixtures you tried that you felt were too low? It seems to me that there should be enough height........ Were they integrated LED fixtures?


      The fixtures pictured in Kellysdiy response are bulb semi-flush mount fixtures.



      After reading through the conversation again, I am wondering if your original question meant to ask how you can improve the lighting above the island, or how you can best completely redo the lighting in the entire room?

  • DD DD on Oct 29, 2018

    Hi As Julies suggested pendant lights can work or semi flush fixture can also look very nice or High hats (pot lights). You don't say if you have any fixture over the island now if you only have one receptacle maybe something along this line https://www.homedepot.com/p/BELDI-Peak-Collection-3-Light-Grey-and-Nickel-Pendant-1933-P3-Grey/204616530

    that is adjustable hanging height but has 3 lights with one connection

  • Lynn Sorrell Lynn Sorrell on Oct 29, 2018

    Can lights or some mini spotlights recessed in ceiling like the can lights put them on dimmer switches so when you cook you can actually see what your doing,or turn them down when you need to. they are actually easy to put in especially if (like Julies1949 said)the junction boxes are already there from previous lights. If not you'll probably need an electrician to run the wires from existing ones in walls if you do get electrician have him put them on dimmer switch so you can have them bright for cooking or lower especially if your family or dining room are together with kitchen area. I put some in our 2 bathrooms by toilet/tub areas made a huge difference.















  • Mogie Mogie on Oct 29, 2018

    Rebecca bet you can find something you like here. I know I did!

    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/364439794817823805/?lp=true

  • Anita Anita on Oct 30, 2018

    Painting the walls and cupboards light will help

  • Mad29883817 Mad29883817 on Oct 30, 2018

    I would put a ceiling fan with lights since there isn’t any thing to ventilate the room

  • Jlnatty Jlnatty on Oct 30, 2018

    Look for a flush mount light fixture. You want a flatter but larger fixture that has at 2 (or more) screw-ins for lightbulbs under the cover. Go to your favorite box store or online shopping venues and do a search for "flush mount ceiling fixture" and see what comes up. You can find all different styles and price ranges. I like the look of this one - simple, elegant, comes in chrome (silver) or oil-rubbed bronze) and it's got a sleek, slim and modern profile that would fit in with a lot of different styles: https://www.wayfair.com/lighting/pdp/charlton-home-gambrell-2-light-flush-mount-chlh4806.html

  • Linda kelley Linda kelley on Oct 30, 2018

    I had the same problem. Hanging lights end up too low because ceiling is low....I noticed your kitchen seems dark, but nice and big! Love. You can put up some under cabinet lighting, pretty inexpensively to lighten up near your cabinets when working. Also I would use the junction you already have and go with track lighting, (it does come in beautiful lighting now) or fixed lighting like the pics below) What ever you decide on, you will need more than one light, light bulb, to brighten the kitchen. Be sure your fixture has at least 3 lights.

    Have fun with your new kitchen once the lights are up!


  • Mogie Mogie on Oct 30, 2018

    Skylight or solar tube.

  • Emily Emily on Oct 30, 2018

    I doubt your ceilings are 9 feet which would be very high for most new builds. Probably more like 7 feet. In my very narrow kitchen 7' wall to wall and 12' long. . . we have two ceiling fixtures. A light over the stove, a light over the long counter and a wall light over the sink. Our ceiling is also painted with a semi gloss paint. And the walls are white.

  • Wenkl Wenkl on Oct 30, 2018

    I love the look of white Christmas lights to use for a “night light” or to keep a room from being completely dark, like when watching tv. Depending on where your plugs are located, you could put a string of lights at your sink around the top of your window. Just check them every so often so they don’t get too hot. Mine normally never get hot just barely warm. My daughter and her friends use them by just stringing them on the wall with push pins or small nails for indirect light, while hanging out in each other’s rooms. I even have a cracked oil lamp (bottom half kept leaking) that I cleaned and put a small string of 20 lights in the globe. I ran the plug end under the bottom of the globe and the brass piece that holds the wick and plugged it in. You can’t see the cord unless you’re looking for it! There are great ideas in your comments from many people, I hope you find something that works!!

    Wendy

  • Maggie Armstrong Maggie Armstrong on Oct 31, 2018

    put a light over the island .

  • Rebecca Wojtyszka Rebecca Wojtyszka on Oct 31, 2018

    I have recessed lighting all around the the border of kitchen (turned them off to take the picture). I hate the ugly light & it’s over a cooktop.

  • 17335038 17335038 on Oct 31, 2018

    My suggestion to light up the entire length of the island is to install a flush mount cloud type integrated LED fixture. The light given off by these types of fixtures is dispersed evenly over the entire area, as opposed to spot or pendant lights which tend to create shadows where they don't shine. Even though the size of the fixture is much larger than the old one you presently have, no additional holes in the ceiling will be required to hook it up.

    If you do not want full light over the island all the time, then, yes, definitely swap out the regular switch that controls this light, with a dimmer switch.

  • Pamela Pamela on Nov 01, 2018

    Find a flush mount style light that you like and use led bulbs , they really are brighter. Also can buy stick on under cabinet lights with led lights. If you paint your cabinets white , it would not only brighten up the room , but will help reflect the light.

  • JOEY JOEY on Mar 08, 2022

    Under cabinet lights will be the perfect solution! You already have the overhead lighting which is used as the general ambient lighting, adding the under cabinet lighting will make your kitchen look more complete.


    https://www.penglight.com/best-under-cabinet-lights/