Usually you want the cans sitting right over the edge of the countertop so you light your work area. So about 24" from the wall. That's the advice I got when researching. You also want light over your sink.

It looks like yours is about 10 x 11. Ours is 13x19 and we have 10 6" cans and if that was it, it would not be enough light. Because I have 3 pendants over the island and plan to buy ones that take the same wattage of bulbs as the cans I am not too worried. It will be perfect with those for a total of 13.

You want the cans above the counters. One fixture every 3'-4'. If you mount them in the ceiling behind where you'll be standing, you'll always be working in your shadow.

You might also want to think about some general ambient lighting. If all of your fixtures are recessed, the floors will be illuminated, but the upper reaches of the room and ceiling will appear dark. Adding a more ordinary ceiling-mounted light fixture or two, will provide you with more even room lighting. I usually like to switch the general fixtures separately from the recessed fixtures and use dimmers. That way you can adjust the two types of lighting for balance and to suit your work or activity.

Thanks for the responses! So much good advice. I think 6 would work better and using the counters as the starting point sounds like a good idea. I didn't even think about working in your own shadow.

I believe the beams/joists will effect the placement since those can't be moved and the lights can only be placed in between those, so hopefully it will work out so that the light is still right above the edge of the counters.

sorry to steal this thread, but have a question. I have a small galley kitchen that's 7 feet by 14 feet. The end of the room is the eat-in area and has a window. I get no light in the room, and the KD has done a layout with 4 recessed lights down the center and a final hanging light for over the table in the eat-in area. I'm not that familiar with recessed lighting, and see that everyone uses them these days. Will this be too much light or not enough light where it's needed?

Kareena, Unless you're going to have fairly bright under-cabinet lighting for task lighting at your kitchen counters, recessed fixtures down the center of the room would be a serious mistake. You'll always be working in your own shadow. You need lighting over the countertops, and especially, over the sink, so you can see what you're doing.

I wouldn't worry about it being too bright. Just install good dimmers so you can control the level of light. If you can, you might want to have separate dimmers for different types of lighting. Down lights on one dimmer, under-cabinet lighting on another, and the lamp over your dining area on yet another. That way you can change the illumination levels to suit your activity.

Thanks wa8b - now I'm upset. They've already made the openings in my ceiling for these lights, and I'm not sure if I should let them go ahead. So what kind of lighting would you suggest I get - just a large flourescent fixture? Wouldn't I still be working in my own shadow? why is the lighting from recessed lights so different than a regular fixture?

Kareena, The light from recessed cans tends to spread out in a cone-shaped pattern. Very narrow at the top (the light source), and broader at the bottom. The can itself tends to cut off any lateral ambient spread of light. If the cans are behind you when you're standing at the counter, the light will be directed downward, behind you. essentially, you'll be standing between the light, and whatever you're working on.

Downlight in a kitchen can work, provided you have sufficient task lighting installed to illuminate your work areas. Are you planning under-cabinet lighting over your countertops? If it's sufficiently bright, you may be okay.

I usually recommend against having all down-lighting in a kitchen. It's good when placed over work surfaces and over the sink, but you'll also want some general ambient lighting. Without ambient lighting, the floors and counters will tend to be illuminated, but the mid-level and ceiling areas in the kitchen will tend to appear gloomy or dark. I always like to see a variety of light sources in a room. Some will project light in a single direction to highlight a feature or area, while others will project light in all directions, providing ambient or general lighting. Each type of lighting should be controlled independently on dimmers, allowing you to adjust the balance of lighting for different activities.

A large fluorescent fixture wouldn't be my first choice, however, it's one way to economically provide a lot of light with few shadows. Since you indicate you're working with a KD, I'd encourage you to question him or her on this important aspect of the design. Any KD with a modicum of training will know these things.

The type of bulbs (assuming reflector type) is crucial - in general, stick with wide-floods (55-degree beam) for even lighting IME.

The rule I went with was to get ~ 35 lumens per sq foot.

I ended up with 7 LR6 LED lights in the kitchen + under cabinet lighting.

The LR6 lights worked very well - sufficient ambient light, no spotlight effects.

Davidtay,I'd love to see more of your kitchen. Are the beautiful cabinets cherry cabinets? I love your range hood also. I have decided to remove the out dated fluorescent light in the ceiling and replace it with recessed lighting after my busy season before making other kitchen selections since selections rely on the light that will be in the kitchen. Thanks for the pictures and information.

Lee676, I will consider this information also when speaking to an electrician. Thank you.

Yes, those are cherry.

Only undercabinet lighting