Renovating the kitchen. Kitchen dimensions are 11' by 21'. The working area of this is 11' by 13', with an aisle of 6' 7" in the middle. The remainder is the eat-in area. The eat-in area has an existing semi-flush light -- sparkly and throws off light, including into the lower end of the main kitchen space.

In the main kitchen space, the ceiling has been wired for 10 recessed lights -- four on each side and two in the middle. Drywall is on. GC says he cannot change this pattern without a major overhaul, but the lighting designer has recommended five lights on each side -- essentially adding one more to each. (Note, nothing will be in the middle, except maybe people hanging around with drink in hand while I cook.) There will be under-cabinet lights in all areas, except where I have floating shelves, on each side of the 36" range (21" on one side; 30" on the other). The range hood has halogen lights built into it.

So, the question: will four 35W MR16s (38 degree beam) on each side be OK? If not, is what the GC is saying true -- that it would be a huge undertaking? And those two in the middle -- necessary? Good/bad?

We considered doing away with the recessed lights entirely and doing two flush mounts in the main kitchen space, along with under-cabinet lighting, but the GC says this would be a pain/big mess because the ceiling needs to be reopened ...

Everything is at a standstill until I solve this problem.

Thoughts and illuminating experiences most appreciated!

We don't have the cans in place, but the ceiling is drywalled to have retrofit housing for cans, 4", inserted. He left the wires with lots of flex room inside so that placement could be adjusted somewhat, but the configuration is as outlined in the original post (4 on each side, 2 in the middle). The bulbs will be MR16s. Earlier, I said 35w. I meant 50w. The beam is about 40 degrees.

Given that I have about 13 feet of length to light on each side, I'm worried that the four on each side won't be enough, but the GC said to add any more will be a big deal, and to say he is not keen to do it is an understatement.

I will have undercab. lighting, but not on each side of the range, owing to the floating shelves. And, I will have a semi-flush mount in the adjacent nook, which throws lots of light and will certainly penetrate into the main kitchen area ... so maybe I need not worry ... I just want this last major decision to be a) a sound one; and b) done!

Any light in the centre of the room is not needed, as the level of light away from the couinter tops drops down by 50% or more

With counter cabinet lighting, and the range hood light, your kitchen could be overlit, and by installing magnetic low voltage dimmers youi can regulate the light for all kinds of light level.

I'd say go ahead and finish the ceiling

The 4" fixture with 50 watt halogen (that's 550-660 lumens) gets me. But, if they are correctly postioned in relation to work areas you should have light where you need it.

You said, "but the ceiling is drywalled to have retrofit housing for cans, 4", inserted." If I am getting this right, you have holes and wires and will use a remodel fixture. In other words the can is not installed, yet. Right? With a remodel can, that you insert after the drywall is up, you do have some flexiblity to change later. For about 2-3 hours labor an electrician could possibly remove the fixture, bore a larger hole and add a fixture that will produce a wider, higher light output. This will probably cost almost the same to do it later as to do it now, so it is probably better to proceed with the installation as is and change it later, if necessary. You might learn alot when you see the lights on. Maybe no change is needed.
Find out how the wires are running before the contractor leaves. Have them draw you a diagram. Later, if you want to have the electrician bore an additional hole in the path of one of the wires, that might be possible if you have enough wire slack.(Wire has to fully reach the junction box on the fixture; no splices outside of an accessible j box allowed.)

Also know how your joists run. Electricians can easily snake from an existing light to a new light (and back) in the same joist opening. This is assuming that each fixture currently only has one wire in and one wire out right now (a daisy chain installation). Some can makers limit wires in a fixture J Box to 4 wires: 2 wires into the box; 2 out. Some allow 6 wires. Find out how many wires are currently going into each fixture J box and what limit is printed on the fixture J box, as a future reference.
Talk to an electrician after the project is done if you feel uncomfortable with your lighting, perhaps not the contractor. Get a good electrician that will charge by the hour, though. Someone that will get in, do a good job, and get out quickly. Hopefully you will be throughly satisfied with the current configuation.
As a last thought, I asked one person on this forum how many recessed cans she had. She said 6, but the lighting people initially said she needed some number that was way higher. She said she was so glad she did not listen to them. She was perfectly happy.
Good Luck,
Bob

Norm, I will definitely have these lights on dimmers. When you say 18" out from the counter, do you mean from the cabinet faces or from the counter's edge? I know this is a basic question, but I have received different advice on it, everything from directly over the edge of the counter, to 12" to 18" from the cabinet face.

Bob, you got it right re. the situation in that there are remodel cans that will go into the ceiling, where the wiring has been done, except that there are no holes right now (they drywalled over everything).

Those are most useful suggestions, and I will do as you counsel. In fact, after reading this, I've decided to stay home for when the GC schedules the electrician to do the work.

Cutting out the middle row of two will mean that the contractor or electrician will need to change the currently roughed-in three-gang switch to a two-gang switch (one for each side; the centre was to be on its own switch), but I'm hoping that is simple enough to do.

I’ve also read a lot about the different types of trims, including the advice that an alzak trim is better than a white baffle, because it reduces glare. In doing so, it also reduces light output, I’ve read, and so isn’t a great choice where one is concerned about sufficient light throw. Any thoughts on this?

I'm looking at a white gimbal trim now -- I asked about glare at a shop I have a quote from, and he said that b/c the white gimbal ring has the bulb on the surface of the ceiling, glare isn't an issue. Would you agree?

He also said that rule-of-thumb placement is 24" from the cabinets, which sort of jives with what you recommend, though I'm not certain I understand where the "face of the counter" is -- at the edge, middle, or somewhere else entirely?

Lightolier is the brand included in one of the quotes I have. Contrast is the other. They're about the same price and have the same 10-year warranty. Any substantive difference b/t the two, in your view?

Thank you.