So you're looking at four areas: overhead can lighting, under-cabinet lighting, island lighting, and cathedral ceiling lighting. Regarding dimmable compact fluorescent lighting: GE Lighting has a good Q&A page that includes dimmable fluorescent info. Type in 'dimmable compact fluorescent' and it will take you to a page with links to information. One thing I noted on the site is that, apparently, dimmable CF requires a special dimmer. Regarding compact fluorescent ambience: we're testing two types of compact fluorescent lights in our home. In our living room lamps we are using the traditional CF, which creates a cool, bluish light. This works well with the white walls. In our Mahogany-colored, two-column wood archway, we are using the CF that creates an orangish light. It looks great and creates the mood we want. So, when determing which CF to go with in the kitchen, test the two types and see which one creates the light color that best fits your kitchen color. Regarding the undercabinet lighting: if you're only using it for task lighting, then maybe dimming isn't a necessity. Again, check into whether or not a special dimmer has to be installed. You'll also want to think about the cool and warm light options. In our kitchen, which we recently renovated, we are testing blue incandescent lights in one set of pendants and regular incandescent lights (which create the orangish glow) in another set. You can really see the difference when the lights are on. So whatever type of CF you pick for the can lighting, you might want to go with the same CF for the under-cabinet area. Regarding island lighting and cathedral ceiling lighting: how many circuits do you have for the kitchen lighting? We have three circuits; one powers the four pendants that create the task lighting for the countertops, one powers the stove hood fan that has two 40-watt Halogen spots, and one powers the 6-light overhead fluorescent fixture. If you have only three circuits (one for the can lighting, one for the undercabinet, and one for the island/ceiling lighting) then you could look at a monorail system as a solution for the island/cathedral ceiling. Monorail is powered by one junction box but, because it's low voltage, it can power three to five lights. You could use one or two pendants to provide downlight to the kitchen island and one or two adjustable spots to highlight the cathedral ceiling. There are a few companies that make monorail. LBL Lighting and Tech Lighting are good. Besa Lighting also offers monorail. All three have websites with URLs that incorporate their names. Pendants and spots for monorail usually use halogen or xenon lamps. Also, if you go with pendants with glass diffusers, the color of the glass can complement the CF color you choose. Here is a link that might be useful: Cool use of monorail in kitchen

For a cheap, easy way to test out both colors, put standard incandescent or 2700°K compact-fluorescent (CFL) bulbs in your kitchen, and then switch to GE Reveal incandescents (or similar blue-coated bulbs from Philips or Sylvania) or 3500°K CFLs (often labeled "bright white"). Fluorescent tubes in these colors are also available, at least in the newer T8 configuration. Try them both, and see which you like better. In my experience, 2700°K looks better with woodgrain cabinets, and the slightly cooler/whiter 3500°K looks better with white, gray, or gray/blue cabinets and/or floor and wall tiles or paint.

The likelihood of a CFL breaking is really quite low, unless you drop it from some height. The unfortunate thing is that there is extreme pricing pressure on CFLs such that most people end up regretting their purchase. Some common complaints 1. Insufficient light output from the start. 2. Light output declines significantly within a couple of months. 3. Bulb dies within a couple of months. 4. Bulb takes time to warm up. The 4th is an expected characteristic as fluorescent lights are discharge lamps and require some time to warm up unlike incandescents and LEDs. Common complaints about LEDs 1. Too expensive - Still largely true in the year 2010, but not necessarily the case. 2. Not enough light. 3. Heat - early generation LEDs are relatively inefficient and heat dissipation issues. Side note - LED modules with an output of 206 lumens per watt have been demonstrated (2009 - 2010). 4. Too directional - also true for cheap early generation LEDs that one can still find for decorative purposes. Title 24 The aim is to improve energy efficiency through legislation. One notable item is that the GU24 base is intended to displace edison/ screw in base. The GU24 socket and base system is designed to replace the Edison socket and base in energy efficient lighting fixtures. The ENERGY STAR® Program Requirements for Residential Lighting Fixtures, Version 4.0 require that residential lighting fixtures cannot use the standard Edison screw base, even if they do not have a built-in ballast. The same requirement is included in California's Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings, known as Title 24-2005. For more info http://www.cflfacts.com/ Here is a link that might be useful: CA title 24

Even fluorescent lights with dimming capability often have problems at low settings. The rather expensive dimming ballasts for 4 foot tubes do not go all the way to 'off' using the dimmer. If the current in a fluorescent tube gets to low it will not produce enough UV to excite the phosphors enough to carry over even from cycle to cycle at 120 Hz (the arc in the tube is re-established on each half of the 60 Hz voltage cycle).