Kitchen and bathroom lighting
The kitchen is one room in the house where emphasis must be on efficient lighting. The work surfaces must be lit to avoid shadow and glare—but this does not mean it should be twice as bright as anywhere else in the house. The point is proficiency, not brute force.
A single, central pendant is not the answer. If possible, light fittings should be directly above the work surfaces but shielded from direct view. Strip fluorescent lighting, positioned out of sight underneath wall mounted cupboards, will shine directly onto work surfaces giving a good clear light. And fluorescent ceiling fittings are ideal for general lighting in the kitchen area.
You might also consider fitting small lights inside deep storage cupboards. Carefully placed spotlights, or tracking lights fixed to an overhead rail are also very efficient and provide lighting without glare in the kitchen. These tracks enable special light fittings to be clipped into any position on the track and can be angled at stove, sink, table, and work surfaces. (Lighting tracks, in fact, can be very useful throughout the house—as supplementary lighting in a study or workroom for example.)
Generally, there is little call for flexibility of lighting in the kitchen. But if chores such as the ironing are done there, then the tracking or spot lights could be swung into the appropriate positions. Open plan kitchen/ living rooms may need a lower, more subtle, level of illumination at times, for a cosy supper or to flatter a sophisticated dinner party. If you entertain only occasionally, then a portable light fitting that gives a soft, coloured light in the dining area can be effective. Or a pendant light, which is height adjustable, will light the dining table effectively for both formal and informal occasions.
But again, without supplementary lighting— picture lights, wall lights, or even candles— there will be a considerable, glaring contrast between the background and light fitting which can be tiring. To eliminate this, and help create a cosier atmosphere you could use a dimmer to lower the wattage of your single light. The bathroom mainly needs a good, general purpose, overhead light, combined with mirror lights. A fixed bowl shade will not be affected too much by steam. And for very small bathrooms there are combined light fittings which are useful.
Always use a qualified electrician.