Hi! I think your lighting choice should be influenced by what you see as the focal point of the space. If you have spectacular views out your windows, you may not want eye catching different sized pendant lighting fighting with the view. However, being west facing, you may have the top part of the window wall shaded with awnings or a verandah - therefore your lighting would not distract from the view. Maybe also think about what is going on below the lighting area: think about the overall style you are going for in the room: are the furnishings minimalistic so therefore could do with some eye catching lighting? or do you have spectacular artworks or an eyecatching coffee table? If so, dimmable, LED downlights could be the answer instead of feature lighting. Too many "wow" factors can confuse the eye and create a sense of unease. Hope that did not confuse you further!! Like the other people said, a photo of the existing space would help.Sounds like an amazing room. All the best with it! :)

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

We too live in a cold winter climate with our bathrooms all on the southern side and faced similar issues as you do. One smaller bathroom does not have a window so we put in a Velux skylight which provides amazing natural light through the day. This may not be to your liking, especially if you have a period home. We also use heated towel rails and under tile heating (just enough to take the chill off and stop mould) in winter. Although we have a light in the shower recess, a bonus is the large fixed shower head with inbuilt LED, which at night gives the feeling of showering under moonlight. We chose light colours and mirrored recessed cabinets to reflect as much natural light as possible.

It is crucial in your design that you get the lighting right with your cathedral ceiling. Unlike a normal roof there probably isn't a roof space between the ceiling and the roof for an electrician to make changes if you get it wrong. You only get one chance to get it right which is when the house is designed, unless you remove the roof to access the electrical down the track. Don't be like these people who wanted to save money on their lighting design for their cathedral ceiling! Some large lighting retailers offer free lighting design services that is linked to the purchase of their products. If you don't want to be tied to a particular retailer then you need to engage an independent design professional who can read your plans, understand the space and who can understand your retirement lifestyle. Even so, when I do a lighting design for a client I end up creating the lighting schedules from one or two lighting suppliers that I have worked with before, that I know and trust, and who will stand by their products for any future warrantee claims. I would hope that the person you have engaged to design your home would offer a similar service? Best of luck with your budget, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls/Dr Retro Virtual Visits