It's a fun challenge, actually. Here's my prescription. Go back to the lighting store and tell them you want two 6" line-voltage cans. Choose trims that will accomodate PAR38 size bulbs. Have your electrician mount them roughly THREE FEET apart over the island. For bulbs, I think you'll be fine with a 60PAR38/CAP/SPL/NFL25, which should give you a pretty-darn-bright 55 footcandles on the countertop. If you find you want more light you can step up to a 90PAR38/CAP/SPL/NFL25, at a super-bright 69 footcandles. If that's still not enough light, you could then step up to a 120PAR38/CAP/SPL/NFL25, at a blistering 114 footcandles. Your lighting store may have these bulbs or a close equivalent but, if not, they're easily found online. Print out those bulb suggestions and keep them in a file somewhere; when you need to replace them, you don't want to just grab any old bulb. When you decide which you like, buy half a dozen and you'll be set for a few years.

Depends. If the lights are for specific tasks, such as illuminating a work area, it should be as close to directly above the work surface as possible. An eating area does not need such direct light, so I would tend to make sure you have sufficient light on the areas where you will be working -- food prep, cooking, etc. -- and not worry too much about the eating area. If they are dim-able (which I highly recommend) I bet you find you will turn the lights up for cooking, and down for eating. On the other hand, if you don't plan to use the counter top as a work area, I'd probably center the lights on the overall structure, as I think that would look better. Don't worry about what's "generally accepted." If you like how it looks and works, it's good.

Hi everyone, I've been a long time lurker and occasional poster on this site and always find excellent suggestions here. I was wondering if I could have some advice on where to place pendant lighting over our kitchen island (with raised breakfast bar area). We ordered 3 pendant lights but am not sure where we should hang them. I'm attaching a link to the floor plan of my kitchen for reference. The island is sort of a stretched L-shape, so the placement is causing us some confusion. Specific questions I have are: 1) Do you center the lights over the work/prep area or over the raised bar area? 2) How high to do you hang the lights (how much space between counter/bar and bottom of light?) 3) Do we spread the lights out or have a closer grouping of 3 lights on one side of the l-shape? If the shorter grouping, which side - sink side or the other side? 4)How far apart do you place the pendants? Thanks so much in advance! DB Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Floor Plan

Yeah you could. Have you tried it out with the setting you're thinking? If there is enough light, you don't need to.