But flourescents? Really? You bet. I love 'em, both for the intensity without excessive heat or electricity use, and for the smoothness of the light. At least for the linear type, the large radiating surface minimizes shadows, like working outside under a clear blue sky with indirect sunlight. Funny, when I was much younger, I hated fluorescents. I ripped them out of one house I owned. But three things happened. I got older and my eyes got weaker. Electricity got more expensive. Fluorescents got much, much better. A lot of people still think that fluorescents are those ghastly greenish-grey humming, flickering "cool white" tubes in offices. No more. I'll have to admit you can still get the ugly type if you're a cheapskate. The buck-or-two lamps are the low-CRI cool white or pinkish warm white. But for fixtures and lamps of any quality, the light is dramatically better. Tri-phosphor T8 lamps have a range of color temperatures from warm to bluish daylight, and very good color rendering index (but don't let them sell you lamps with a 7xx number - those are lower CRI). Fluorescents come in more shapes and types (notably compact fluorescents). This makes them easier to fit into more spaces. Finally, there are even a few decent looking fixtures if you look around. In my area the big locally owned electrical supply carries some fairly nice ones. I've seen a few online, too.

Justin, The appearance of the new ecosmart 4" recessed lamps from Cree is a welcome change as the price drop makes them price competitive with 6" CR6s. The housing itself isn't that expensive if you look around. A 4" hole would look better than a 6". If I were doing my kitchen now and the pricing of the total package isn't significantly higher than 6" cans (unlike CR6 vs LR4), I would use the new ecosmart 4" lamps. Most people would prefer a fairly regular arrangement. The can in front of the right side of the hood looks to be in an odd location. 8 6" cans will provide more than adequate lighting for the living room. However, it would be prudent to provide better lighting in the kitchen especially if it will be heavily used for food preparation. If you intend to use other light sources together with the recessed cans, the number could be adequate.

Houseful-thanks for all the detailed pictures! So cool how you have transformed that space! This house is in Arcadia, we are currently in the East Valley. So...one thing we are playing with is the idea of keeping the original flooring. That requires moving as few walls as possible to keep repairs/replacements to a minimum. So that is informing the following ideas: I am currently toying with the idea of having a doorway from the library to the kitchen that lines up with the doorway to the dining room. With both the kitchen/library and kitchen/dining walls being half walls opened up above the lower cabs, if that makes sense. So I could see out the dining room windows at a sink and the library window at a cooktop possibly. Lining up the doorways would direct traffic through the kitchen but maybe that would be okay since my work area would be all on one side of the doorways? If we did this you would be able to see the backyard from the library and view out the front from the dining room... Rosie-the garden room was not built according to the plans and is just a room with a huge skylight...I was thinking of keeping it, but with half walls so when you enter the house you can see through it to the back windows...I was thinking of making it a small play room with a couch under the skylight. (Skylight is quite long and narrow along the wall opposite the door). A friend of mine has a reading couch under a skylight and it is magical to stretch out and read there during rainstorms... I like the idea of the kitchen in the middle, I think...Now, it is desirable to do less for the flooring reason, but I want to think big and I would love ideas that grab space from anywhere, really. We are mere days into months of planning so my initial thoughts may change dramatically. I would love to tear out as little as possible but I am open to considering it nonetheless!

Are you under a firm deadline, other than convenience in not living with and in a work site any longer than necessary? Are you OK with setting up a minimalist kitchen function for the duration? (keep and move old fridge to another room, get some hotplates or portable induction cookers - at least one maybe two, MW, biggish toaster oven, rice cooker and washing your dishes in a PR sink - using a counter made of plywood on sawhorses?) Could you get through the holidays with such a set-up? It really depends on your tolerance for camping out in your own house and how frustrating you will find juggling children and tradesman (many of the same management/coping skills apply, but don't try shoving a pacifier at the electrician). Whatever time frame you come up with, imagine how it would be if it took exactly twice as long. Would that throw larger family plans into a tailspin? Because that very well may come to pass. Still, GCing one project, and your own at that where your won't have trouble communicating your ideas because they will all be in your own brain, seems like it is possible. Are your kids and DH the flexible, roll-with-it types? Or does change destabilize them? What does your Mama think? My own Mother GC'd the building of her house when she was in her 60's. I know I spent a lot of time on the phone with her as she vented about the days' progress (or lack thereof). I thought it was great that she did it, but I think if I had had doubts my doubts would have discouraged her and made it harder. Also, get several more bids before you give up. The Official Kitchen Industry is awash in price gouging in some places because it is an emotional purchase, dealing with aspirations, expensive equipment most people only buy occasionally and mysterious systems (water, electricty and drains), etc. Also, try breaking it apart into sequential episodes to see if you can make it work that way. HTH L.