New Kitchen Light Fixture!

Our new kitchen is so nice & open with a good amount of space. Its one big issue (that we slowly came to realize) was that it wasn't very bright. Because of its position in the house, it just doesn't get as much natural light as the other main rooms do. The light/fan is new & pretty nice, as is the track lighting. The one to tackle: the ceiling mount above the sink...

This little dude isn't so bad, but his unforgivable problem is being dim. One bulb & a heavily frosted glass means minimal lighting. Enter: the Ikea Calypso!

(I apologize for the poor image- This little guy is so bright,

I can't even get a decent picture of it!)

I had looked at Home Depot & Lowes (among other higher end online retailers) for good ceiling mounts for our equally dimly lit stairway. I had yet to be impressed. $40 and upwards for uber traditional and boring (and not that much better). The look isn't bad- it's just not me. And needless to say, I'm not about to spend that much when what's there is workable- just not as bright as I'd like.

And yet, the kitchen requires bright light more so than a stairway.

The Calypso rings in at a nice little $30 & is steel & glass (no particleboard/ikea bashing here!) It's larger than the previous mount, takes 3 bulbs, is recessed a little from the ceiling (bounces light off it), and looks modern & simple. What an improvement!