A design columnist for the Washington Post recently posed the question, “Is your kitchen glaring at you?” And, if you’re “pinned beneath the clinical glare of a monstrous 45-by-16-inch fluorescent light fixture” situated over your island–as this columnist is–then odds are, yes, your kitchen is glaring at you.

Thankfully, today’s kitchens are all about creating layers of light from various sources, such as “general lighting through small recessed ceiling fixtures; task lighting over the sink or range and under cabinets; and accent lighting. Every time you turn on a switch you can change the look of your room.”

Check out some of these photos from a recent Design Build Team project, in which we incorporated a combination of track lighting, a show-stopping pendant, recessed lighting, and abundant natural light in efforts to create the most desirable glow for these homeowners.