Hi Andy, If you have a local Beacon Lighting, ask for advice. It's free and I have found the people most helpful in my area. Being a newbie and building for the first time, I sort of knew what I wanted but the advice I got helped me make the right decision. As for pendant lights, I have just one as a feature over the dining table, a trio and the rest of the house will still have downlights and of course fans in each room, so if you haven't already thought of fans, this will change exactly where you put your lights. I only have 2.4mtr ceilings. Good luck. Cheers, Barbara

What about this one? It's also chrome and opal glass from the same manufacturer.

If you go for down lights you will need to leave a gap around them of 100 mm between the recessed part and insulation so the insulation doesn't catch on fire. This also creates a problem with the thermal performance of your home because heat can move freely through the ceiling where there is no insulation. It can make a big difference even if there are only a few down lights. Also, down lights are very directional (send most of their light straight down) so you need to put more in to get the same effect. You could try track lights that attach to the ceiling instead. If you want a pendant go for something cheap and easy to replace if it is damaged by toys/clothes or whatever being thrown around. Ikea have lots. FYI dimmers don;t educe the power consumption, merely reduce the intensity of the light.

Couple of things to consider..... 1. With any lights above a stainless steel sink, the reflection appears on the ceiling, I don’t like it so I installed a black sink. I added very minimal pendant lights, basically they are spotlights on a stick but they can be dimmed. Also I placed mine off centre. Saying that, spotlights can also be dimmed and sometimes, less is more. 2.Pendants in the bedroom can be quite tricky.. Example...they have to be the perfect height, width and as far as a reading light, they’re not adjustable. They cost more as they need to be installed. If you don’t like them, you need to get an electrician to change them. I originally wanted pendants but opted for lamps, happy I did as my bed couldn’t quite be centred so it would have been a mistake. Good luck, hope this helps.