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Recess Layout for Kitchen Advice Needed

9 years ago

Hey everyone, I'm in the process of building a house and need advice on
kitchen recess light layout before sheet rock goes up. I'm using 4" cans
over the sink, pendant lights over the 66 x 48 island and under cabinet
lighting. Those seem to be fine but I'm not quite happy on how the 6"
cans are laid out. I've provided my layout below. Any ideas on how to
fix it? Thanks

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Comments (8)

Buehl
9 years ago
You might try the Lighting Forum. I'm not an expert on lights, so I don't feel qualified to answer!
funkycamper
9 years ago
Are you doing under-cabinet lighting (UCL)? If not, you need to have some of those cans over the counter for task lighting. Although you really should do UCLs. I'm still struggling with my own lighting plan so that's all I've got. Sorry.
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Move (4) upwards some so its light isn't blocked by the top of the fridge. Maybe split (1) into two cans placed horiontally about 2 feet apart lighting the largest, most-used section of countertop - let's call these (1) and (1 1-1/2). Main thing here is to have four, not three, recessed lights for the back counter - two on the left, one between the sink and stove, and one to the right of the stove. This will illuminate evenly and reduce shadows in the crucial sink and left-of-sink workspace area. Light (6) is fine as long as it's supplimented by undercounter lights so you don't get shadows, which it will be since over-the-range microwaves have a light or two underneath to light the cooktop (but for the microwave, you would be better off with a non-range-hood over-the-countertop model that doesn't needlessly include an exhaust fan, like the Sharp R-1214: These have more room inside, yet are only 24" wide rather than 30", so the hard-to-reach cabinet above the MW can also be only 24" wide, allowing the more useful adjoining wall cabinet to the leff to be a half foot wider whilst remaining the same overall width for the right and left wall cabinets combined. And the microwave controls are easier to reach with all the buttons conveniently placed along the bottom. You'll want good general-purpose lighting fot the corridors that run between the counters/walls and island, perhaps LEDs, under-soffit LEDs or fluoescents, or some other onobtrusive edgelighting. Can the outdoor entry door near the stove be reversed in swing direction? As it appears now, someone entering the kitchen thru that door could startle someone holding a pot full of hot food in front of the stove, or at least the cook could get in the entering person's way.
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Little update - after talking this over with DH and consulting a stucco guy, we are leaning away from plans that involve moving doors or windows in ways that would require patching of the stucco. Making a patch blend in will be difficult (our stucco is natural and we don't want to paint it), and overall it seems like it will probably be more expensive than it's worth. However, the window on the back could be eliminated without stucco repair because it is under a portico (where I believe the original back door was) and the entire portico area is trimmed in wood. We could easily seal that off and use the area on the exterior for floating shelves, etc., plus it gives me a lot more options inside. We'd lose light, but that's easy to remedy by expanding the current door to a slider and/or expanding the side window. Here are two new ideas with all of that in mind: Island plan (we'd lose the back window, but DH prefers this, as he likes to sit at the island and chat with me while I cook): Galley-esque plan (keeps the back window and I like the separation of mudroom/laundry and kitchen here, but not sure I want to eliminate the possibility of kitchen seating):
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Ted Parsons
Original Author
9 years ago

Funkycamper - I am doing under cabinet lighting shown in red. The two 4" cans at the sink will be on a dimmer in the back splash. The 6" cans will be on a separate dimmer and so will the pendants. This is what I have come up with the way my joists and plumbing land. Do I need that light in front of the fridge? Thanks
funkycamper
9 years ago
I just happened upon a blog post last weekend where someone was showing their kitchen and things they wished the had done differently. She wished she had put a can in front of the fridge. So...yeah, maybe. But maybe those pendants on the island will light up the fridge enough? Lighting is so confusing! I think the position of the cans in your more recent posts, the ones by the counter, is better. I think they should be closer to the edge of the counter though.

I don't know if this will be helpful but I have had two posts about kitchen lighting here with lots of responses and good tips. Maybe you can find something in there to help you. I know there were specifics about can placement near counters in there so you should search for that in the following discussions.

I'm sorry but our kitchen is going so slow that I have put the lighting on the back burner and will review the info I was given when it's time to make a decision. So I don't remember off-hand. Of course, I also hope that someone who gets lighting will pop in and give you more personalized tips.

Lighting discussion 1

Lighting discussion 2
ontariomom
9 years ago
In our case, our 4 inch cans will be fully over the counter and approx 10 inches away from the backsplash. I have also read that some put the cans right over the counter edges (so if you can scoot them a bit closer to the counter edges that would work). I think the way you have them in your opening post, and in the second layout above shows the cans shining over your head. I think your head will cast shadows on your work area (not to mention cans over a person's head is not flattering). Not sure about the fridge one though (I will check what our designer said about the light we have in front of the fridge and report back). Also, if you move the cans to over the counter edges, you might not want that one centered over the sink. This single six inch can could be replaced by two four inch ones by positioning one over each cab beside the sink. Or you could do a fancy pendant over the sink and move the two four inches ones out.

Are you going to have an ambient or uplight in the kitchen or just down light cans? Uplights/ambient lights can be achieved by one of the following: 1) a centre fixture that is describe as providing up or ambient light 2) cove lighting or 3)uplight sconces (these are hard to find space for in a kitchen though).

What height are your ceilings. That can impact how the lighting is done.

Carol
Ted Parsons
Original Author
9 years ago
Those are as close as I can get to the counter with the joists. Other option is 20in off the wall. I am doing under cabinet lighting as well.
ontariomom
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
If cabs are 26 inches deep, and you have them 20 inches off the back splash wall then it seems that position would be better. My lighting designer wants our 4 inch ones 16 inches off the backsplash wall. Is there a reason you are selecting 6 inch rather than 4 inch? the trend I am seeing is to choose 4 inch rather than 6.

What height is your ceiling?

Carol
Ted Parsons
Original Author
9 years ago
Ceiling height is 9ft. I went with 6" because they are much cheaper than 5". I'd have to remeasure to see if they'd actually fit at 20" but at that point the trim would be touching the upper cabinets.

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