Kitchen lighting conundrum...

spazticrexe

Hey all, I'm new over here and there's a problem I've had for a few but haven't ever come up with a good solution...

My H and I rent a townhouse. It's on the small side, but it has 2 floors. As far as entertaining is concerned, the lighting in the kitchen (one of the two rooms on the bottom floor) is completely terrible. It has one huge oversized fluorescent light in the middle of the room. When we have people over, I like to turn that light off, but especially in the case of a dinner party, that becomes more difficult, so we end up just not having them  Also, there's the issue of essentially losing one whole room!

So, my question is what to do about this terrible light? It has a cover over it, but should we try to cover it with something else to help? I'm kind of at a loss and it's strangely getting in the way of our social life. I'd add other lights, but the outlets are of course taken up by kitchen electronics - and there's very little counter space to boot!

TarHeels&Rebels

- If you're handy and depending on the style of the existing light, put up a new light fixture.  Save the old one and put it back up when you leave.

- Put some of the kitchen electrics away (it doesn't matter where, in your bedroom for all it matters, just not blocking the outlets) for the party and put lamps on the counters.  

- Get a skinny floor lamp.

- Ask your LL to please install a new light since you're such great tenants.

- Ignore it and party on.  You are where you are.