The other day I realized I haven't been doing too much blogging about home decor, which is the point of this blog. So, today I'm going to talk to you about one area of the house that boggles my mind: the lighting above the kitchen sink.
As you can see below, we have a plain, boring light above our sink that does little for the space in terms of design. However, I really don't like many of the fixtures people generally put over sinks, so I have compiled a list of four types of kitchen sink lights, and I'll tell you why I think each one works or doesn't work.
Single Pendant:
I've been seeing this trend EVERYWHERE for awhile, and don't hate me, but I just don't get it. Yes, I realize that it ties the lighting in the kitchen together, but to me, having one solitary pendant light over anything looks just plain awkward. The light looks lonely, like it's floating in space and has nothing to balance it out.
After all of this, you're probably wondering what I do deem as acceptable lighting above a kitchen sink (you and me both). In my searching, I did find something I like: recessed lights. They are simple, unobtrusive, and provide a ton of light.
I think the reason I am so drawn to the recessed lights is because they add nothing but light to the sink area. Why is this a good thing? In all of the pictures I've shown you, the sink is framed by a window above it, which acts as a focal point of the room. When you start to hang lights in front of it, your eye doesn't know what to focus on, as there are competing focal points.
The first image below, in my opinion, is absolutely perfect. The arch at the top of the window adds visual interest to the focal point, making the space feel complete (plus I love the cabinets, backsplash, countertops, all of it). However, if you look at the third picture, the window does look a little bare. To fix this, I would hang a roman shade or some sort of modern valance above it. By dressing up a window with curtains, you accentuate the window.
As you can see below, we have a plain, boring light above our sink that does little for the space in terms of design. However, I really don't like many of the fixtures people generally put over sinks, so I have compiled a list of four types of kitchen sink lights, and I'll tell you why I think each one works or doesn't work.
I've been seeing this trend EVERYWHERE for awhile, and don't hate me, but I just don't get it. Yes, I realize that it ties the lighting in the kitchen together, but to me, having one solitary pendant light over anything looks just plain awkward. The light looks lonely, like it's floating in space and has nothing to balance it out.
Multiple Fixtures:
Since one light looks lonely, and since I absolutely looove pendant lights over a bar/island, I thought maybe if there were more of them over the sink, I'd like it better. Not the case. I think the multiple lights make the space look too cluttered.
Another trend that I adore is when people use chandelier in unexpected areas, such as home offices, bedrooms, and closets. So, I did a little digging to see if perhaps a chandelier over the sink would be the solution to my dilemma. Conclusion: there is just WAY too much going on over that sink. In the second picture, the chandelier looks a lot better (probably due to the lack of a curtain), but when you take a step back and see the entire kitchen (3rd picture), there are just far too many different competing ceiling fixtures in the space.
After all of this, you're probably wondering what I do deem as acceptable lighting above a kitchen sink (you and me both). In my searching, I did find something I like: recessed lights. They are simple, unobtrusive, and provide a ton of light.
I think the reason I am so drawn to the recessed lights is because they add nothing but light to the sink area. Why is this a good thing? In all of the pictures I've shown you, the sink is framed by a window above it, which acts as a focal point of the room. When you start to hang lights in front of it, your eye doesn't know what to focus on, as there are competing focal points.
The first image below, in my opinion, is absolutely perfect. The arch at the top of the window adds visual interest to the focal point, making the space feel complete (plus I love the cabinets, backsplash, countertops, all of it). However, if you look at the third picture, the window does look a little bare. To fix this, I would hang a roman shade or some sort of modern valance above it. By dressing up a window with curtains, you accentuate the window.
Despite all of this, I do have to say that design is subjective. If you have a pendant light over your sink and you love it, then that's all that matters. Just because I don't think something works doesn't mean it looks terrible - it's all in the eye of the beholder. Cheesy, I know. But it's true. I'm sure there are people that will walk into my house and not like it at all (although if that's the case, I'd like to have a word with them - I kid I kid). So in the end, do what makes you happy. And do you know what makes me happy? Announcing that one of my blogger buddies Paige won a free American Heirloom candle from Goose Creek Candle Co! Congrats Paige! Also, I'd like to give a big thank you to all of you who entered - and remember, even though you didn't win, you can still receive 25% off your total order by being a Through the Front Door reader! Just use the coupon code 1050 at checkout (valid through Sept. 30).
Have a great weekend!
Have a great weekend!
Woo hoo! I'm so excited! :-)
ReplyDeleteWe have a recessed light above our sink, but it's probably 25 years old and yellowing. Gross.