I don't know what the rule is on this, but we put our 4" cans with the edge closest to the cabinet over the edge of the counter. That way, they shine right in front of you when you are standing at the counter. A 6" would get pushed back farther if you use the edge. Stand at a counter where you would work comfortably and look up. My thought is that you want the center of the light just in front of you and hitting the counter in front of the upper cabinets. To close and they wash the cabinet more than light your work space and too far back, the center of the light will hit your head rather than toe work area. Make sense?

David, the law should have been written to encourage the purchase of the most efficient lighting, (IE they get the credit for now many watts the lights save, instead of the bassakwards law they wrote where you add up the watts of the non-incandescent lights you bought and gets a "Credit for that"----so that encourages people to buy those non-incandescants (at the highest wattage), so they can use an incandescent (as computed by our idiots)! If you live in Calif, there is NO WAY, you can miss all the windmills out here, and there are credits (US & Calif), I believe for purchasing Solar Power. Let me give you another example of why I call these "So Called Thinkers", idiots. My wife works for a huge company, with TONS of computers. Just about all the computers are still using Cathode Ray Tube Monitors (There not nearly as efficient as LCD Monitors). There is NO incentive for companies to update monitors (Government wise--Especially CAlif Govt). In fact , you are penalized if you update the monitor, first the sales tax, but worse than that is a law our "Idjusts" passed---The so called "Monitor Recycling Fee". If you are a business, in Calif, You have to "Guesstimate" the number of monitors you will buy in the calendar year. Then you pay a Fee based upon your number (of course they Keep an Eye on ya). This law was passed when (due to the Terminator), no new taxes would be passed in Calif---or at least it would be difficult "Political wise" So the Legislature came up with all kinds of "Fees", this being one of them. They kept coming up with new fees until the "Hammer Fell". Monitor's that are recycled, make money for the recycler so it had nothing to do with the disposal costs of old monitors! One of the many reasons the State is Broke, is because we duplicate so much of what the Fed Govt is already doing, and I for one, don't Appreciate Our Idiots "Granstanding" and passing laws that have the opposite effect of maximizing Energy Savings!!! Gary

You'd need to look at the total lighting - UCL (under cabinet lighting), recessed lighting and other lighting sources - pendants/ chandelier/ ... The idea behind moving the lighting towards the counter edge is to better illuminate the work tops. Work tops are better illuminated by UCL since the lighting source is closer and in front of the person using the space. The work areas need the most illumination than the rest of the kitchen, but not too much as to be blinding.

Here is the layout I’m considering. The actual photo below shows the kitchen with mockups I taped to the ceiling in the locations I THINK are appropriate. I really want to go with 4” recessed cans if possible. With this plan I would be using (5) 4” cans. I’m just not sure that 4” is a good idea with a 10’ ceiling. Thoughts? Anyone? I had originally thought I would need additional recessed lights in the center of the kitchen, but much of what I’ve read online seems to follow the idea that the recessed lights around the perimeter (front edge of countertop, in front of fridge and pantry) will provide all the ambient light that’s needed in the center of the kitchen. IE: it seems the current trend is to light up elements in the kitchen and not the kitchen floor. With our kitchen size/layout, do you believe this would be true? Assuming I do go with 4” recessed, I think I will go with the Halo 4” LED retrofits (625 lumens) or the EcoSmart (600 lumens). But again I’m not sure that’s a good idea with a 10’ ceiling? And are there better options of 4” LEDs for my situation? Halo RL4 EcoSmart 4" Integrated LED Recessed Trim Thanks. Gary