Kitchen lighting

[VenusClapTrap]

Looking for ideas for kitchen lighting. We will soon be installing a new kitchen (this one customfronts.co.uk/pages/bamboo-fronts) and I want to get rid of the existing tired old spot lights.
Just not sure what to replace them with. Looking on Pinterest etc it’s all three matching pendant lights in a row, which only really works if you’ve got an island or breakfast bar type affair.

The kitchen is a large-ish squareish rectangle, and will have units and appliances along two adjacent walls, French doors on the third wall, large exposed brick fireplace/bread oven and pantry cupboard on the fourth. Dining table in the middle.

How do I light it?! Anyone with a similar lay out, how did you do yours?

Sounds lovely! I can’t tell you how to do it. I hate my kitchen lighting, (looking to improve it!) but what I’ve learned from my crap lighting....

a) Light work areas with good clear shadow-free lighting. Keep that on a separate circuit to “pretty” lighting. You need to have clear light to cook properly. So don’t have your shadow falling where your knife will be.
b) Don’t use spotlights to make pretty patterns on ceiling, you only look at them that way on a plan or drawing. Have them where you need them only.

The combination of (a) and (b) means that our lighting looks good on paper, but is a bastard when you want to actually... cook. In the kitchen. I have high expectations, obviously.

c) You don’t want to eat under bright lights. Or, for that matter, have coffee, chat to friends etc under overhead spotlights. Have lights over your table on a separate circuit to your task lighting.

c) Having lights on 2 separate circuits is good. On 3 circuits gets irritating. So maybe one set of task lighting for cooking, and one dimmable set over the table and lamps in the living area.

We have spots and three drops as well as island lights. I wanted food lighting!
I also should have had my light switches positioned better, so think on that (when you walk into the house abs need to turn on a light with a. Hand full of shopping in the winter...). Enjoy!

The blue and copper is perhaps cliche right now but I don't give a fuck! I love it and it can all be repainted.

Good advice Saz12, thank you. I hadn’t thought about wanting more subtle lighting for eating compared to cooking, but you’re so right.

Yours looks lovely, MinecraftMother. I’ve seen a lot of the ‘three lights over the table’ look; my worry is it locks you into a specific place for your table - I couldn’t decide I preferred it further away from the French window wall (or whatever) once the electric points were installed.

I’m wondering about one large central light fitting with lots of ‘arms’, like this one, but not sure it works in a kitchen!
www.etsy.com/listing/837434317/creative-globe-frosted-glass-branch

Has anyone done away with spotlights completely, or do people still have them, but in conjunction with pendants?

I think you need a variety of lighting options. Dimmable leds in the ceiling, pendants and undet cabinet lights.

If you are not sure where your table is going you could have a light where the power point is different to the pendant(s) so you have future flexibility where they hang e.g www.industville.co.uk/products/brooklyn-5-wire-pendant-pewter-includes-shades

Ooh, I like the idea of lights on a longer cable that you can hook onto the ceiling (like soundofsilence suggests), I could do that with a single drop light too....