There is some great info over in the lighting forum if you do a search there. What do you consider expensive? I am also picking out UC lights. I have about 11 linear feet of uppers in 3 sections. For hardwired dimmable LED it's going to cost me about $650. I'm far from an expert on this, but I have asked a lot of questions trying to find a less expensive option. Dimmable is the expensive part. To start you must make sure the product you are looking at is dimmable, not all are. You also need a power supply, and electricity for each area if there is a gap in cabinets, since you are talking hard wired that means wires in the wall to each place and a junction box. You also need a driver, I think those also come dimmable/non-dimmable, and they are expensive. Plus a compatible dimmer, which are also expensive as far as switches go. That's as far as I got researching because by the time I got that far I could already tell the environmental lighting product was less expensive for my project, plus they have been recommended here and have good support (you can send then your plan and they will send you back a plan/parts list). Some products are more inclusive, for example the ones I'm using from environmental lighting has lighting bars that include a driver. A lot depends on the system you are using. If you can't find what you need in the lighting forum, try posting about the specific product you are looking at.

There are a number of options - for example low voltage UCL with a rheostat dimmer device on the end which you could get from environmentallights.com which utilizes a low voltage power supply (transformer) and wall switch. There are no power savings when dimming as the excess is dissipated by the dimming device. A proper low voltage UCL installation will have a wall switch and at least one power supply. A line voltage UCL installation will have a wall switch to ensure that power to the lights can be cut. Individual on/off or dimmer type switches may be available from the vendor as additional options.

I agree the best placement is the wall with the blue artwork and high windows. You could incorporate the windows into the mill work of whatever built-in style you decide to go with. If you want to have a shallow counter area and not just tower cabinets and shelving, I highly recommend going with some sort of granite or stone on the counter area (like in first inspiration pic) if you will use it as a buffet area to serve food or beverages from. Painted wood will not hold us as well, for food service. Do you plan to keep that same table? I think you should move it forward more, so it's centered in front of the wall with the bookcase, leaving a clear path from the doorway.You may also consider relocating the bookcase to another spot in your home once you add the built-ins. The walls will look too closed in with furnishings on both walls. If you look at both of your inspiration photos, the built-ins are the only 'furniture' aside from the dining table, in the room which makes the space look larger and more open.

If anyone is interested, contrary to my own plan I wound up installing the UC panels under the front of the cabinets instead of the back. I did this everywhere except the PT holder. There, I mounted one just behind it, not all the way to the rear. The choice for me was simple: I could see the panels in the back and not in the front. The PT holder hides the panel to an acceptable degree, and there is no noticeable inconsistency between the PT panel and the next one in front thanks to excellent diffusion. The glare/reflection I worried about is not a factor and I've got a dual wireless dimmer mounted to the wall. Very happy with the results! Thanks again to everyone for your help. Btw, I used "Independence" dimmers and "Designer" panels both by InspiredLED. Peter did a good job, quickly providing plans and suggestions and also fixing a hiccup when a piece arrived defective.