Unfortunately, designing a lighting plan can be very complicated, with many variables affecting the outcome. Some factors are the height of your ceiling, the color of your cabinets, whether you are using fluorescent or incandescent lights, the color of your flooring and countertops.

Looking at your plan, the recess fixtures near the counters are not well placed. They will cast shadows when someone is working at the counter. You can mitigate this with undercabinet lights. Pendants over the island are a good choice because they will throw ambient light as well as downlight (assuming the shades are translucent). The amount of light you get from the pendants can be adjusted by varying their height also. I don't think you need a recessed light so close to the refrigerator. Instead of a recessed fixture in the pantry, what about using a surface mount fixture. The advantage is more diffused ambient light. The ideal lighting would include ambient and direct task lighting. Task lighting alone makes the space look quite harsh with sharp down shadows.

I know this is an awful lot to think about. Without knowing more specifics on your project, it is hard for anyone to make specific recommendations. Many of the lighting companies have good online tutorials on lighting design to give you some of the basics. Good luck...

modernhouse, you made good points, and have good questions. The height of my ceiling is 10', color of cabinets will be medium stained alder, incandescent lights so they can be dimmed, floor coloring is medium/dark stained concrete, and I don't know about countertops yet--probably medium.

Since you said that the fixtures near the counters are not well placed, where should they be placed?

Thank you!

In general, to lessen shadows on the countertops, the lights should be placed over the countertops rather than in front of. Since it seems from your lighting plan that you are using undercounter lighting and pendants on the island, shadows will not really be a problem for you.

I am not a fan of recessed lamps when used for anything other than task or accent lighting. Since you counters along the wall have undercounter lighting, the task lighting part is taken care of. The other lighting you need is ambient lighting to make the space more inviting, and to provide light to the upper cabinets. The placement of the recessed lights on the counters is probably fine if you use a non-directional bulb. You do not want to be standing under a spotlight. If you want greater fill lighting on the counters, move the lights a bit more between your upper cabinets and the edge of the counter.

In my own kitchen plans, I have 3 pendants over the sink peninsula, 2 recessed lights flanking the cooktop (no upper cabinets), and a hanging fluorescent fixture over the island, with built-in directional halogen lights. My island fixture is very expensive, but provides good down and up lighting (for ambient).