Hi Tani,

I think track lighting would be your best bet for the kitchen area - but it has moved on significantly since the bulky ones you may remember :)

There are minimalist, highly customisable systems which would allow you to give just the right of lighting into the kitchen

https://www.supermodular.com/en/minimalist-track-lighting/?pageSize11737=50

https://www.lightinova.com/en/products/track-lighting-systems/clixx-slim-magnetic-track-system/

D

Wow, they are fancy! Thank you.

I was also thinking of a track but with drop lights but wanted them with shades on so it wasn't blinding perhaps. I like those globe ones on that first link

The beauty of these is you can pick which lights you add - and have a few downlights for task work in kitchen + pendants.

When choosing the ceiling light for the living area just make sure it has some elements of black so the two tie together :)

You could have a lovely wall light on an arm to illuminate the dining table - could even be a plug in one they have come on in leaps and bounds!

Thank you, yes I was thinking of adding in some sockets nearby as the previous owner had one above the table in the old layout.

I just need to pick one for the main kitchen that will give enough working light now for cooking etc

I would look for a cooker hood that takes Halogen bulbs rather than LED ones. The difference is quite surprising. My sister has a hood with Halogens and they casts a warm pleasing ambient light whereas my new hood has cool LEDs that I dislike.

Also, recently we had a concrete ceiling ina. 1940s block that we renovated..They do some.beautiful ceiling mounted spotlights these days...

i can't have surface mounted ones really as it's all lathe and plaster ceiling so is going to be hard work. There is already a cable for a strip light so we can have one pendant or bar light in there which would light most of the kitchen run and then we have the hood for lighting over the hob which I always use.

And I'm going to try and get the light switch changed to a 3 way so I can have something over the table area separate (switched wall light hanging one) or as suggested, a plug in one I can hook over the table which would give softer lighting.

Would I be better handing the bar light in line with the oven ie in the walkway of the units and angling the lights towards the units rather than having it over the back kitchen run?