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

Hi there, I agree with a lot of the suggestions above. Consider the textures, colours and finishes of your furnishings and artwork and think of the pendants as an opportunity to reiterate some of these. So for instance, if you have some black metal in the coffee table legs, you may bring in some of that in the kitchen pendants and look for say glass pendants with black fixtures. Coloured pendants are fun but they can date a lot quicker - bring in colour in the room through artwork, cushions and accessories.

Mark, thanks for your question, it's a good one because we're constantly bombarded by shows like The Block that are all based around trends and that can make us unsure about how our own home can fit into the current trend...or not. Firstly, can I reassure you that pendants are not a trend item, they've been around for ever (thank you how2girl for your image). When designing an interior, the rule is to design or decorate the 3 levels - the upper ceiling level (ceiling details, pendants etc), the mid height wall level (think artwork and tall lamps) and to decorate the lower level (rugs or decorative flooring). The most beautiful and interesting rooms draw your eye around the space, from floor to ceiling and back again, making pendant lighting an important stimulating feature in a space. Pendants also anchor a space. They say, I am here over the meals table or island bench and this is where we gather to talk, laugh and eat. I love them and use them and wall lights in preference to downlights whenever possible. Now just make sure that you still have adequate task lighting in your kitchen for the important things like preparation, cooking and cleaning up. Downlights serve this purpose well. LED strip lighting under overheads is a popular choice - I've done it under island benchtops and kickers as well to give that floating feeling and it looks amazing. But it doesn't provide you with overhead task lighting, and that's why I would use downlights as well. In answer to your question about whether to have an island bench or not, please forget trends unless you're reselling and even then you need to consider how much space you have and the flow of the room. If you could provide a sketch it would be easier to help you wth that specific question. Here are a few photos of one of our recent projects (still in construction mode so please excuse the surrounding mess) which show LED strip lighting, pendants and downlights in a kitchen, bar and casual living room (all in the one big open space). Hope that helps, Yelda xo :)

Mixing metallics can definitely be challenging, melarnell. Copper has certainly had a good run lately, we have done some feature pendants in copper and they give off a great glow. Have you considered timber to add an earthy element to your kitchen? Our Conus Lighting Range is available in a range of timbers and metals. geoffreycameronmarshall.com.au What ever you decide we'd love to see some pics when you're done...