We have given our kitchen a facelift, and thought we would replace the undercabinet lighting. What we have is six 36" long 30W fluorescent fixtures. They are hard-wired and operate all on one switch. They are 9 years old.

We tried a new 25W slightly more compact fluorescent fixture, but the light seems really harsh, definitely brighter than the old fixtures. So we are wondering what else is available. Are there different bulbs available? Is there a brand of fixture that any of you would recommend? Would some other type of lighting be better? I've seen xenon, halogen and LED, but really don't know enough about them to choose.

For reference, the kitchen is approx 12 x 24. It has pretty good lighting with eleven 65W recessed can lights, so the undercabinet lighting would be in addition to that. The counter runs that will be lit total approx 25 feet. The wiring will need to stay the same as we won't be cutting into the backsplash to change it.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. TIA for any help.