>>> I have to admit that I just really feel ignorant of cooking on a gas stove. I know it is better than electric so I guess that is why I want to jump to it. ... makes me wonder if I should just jump to induction instead. It seems so much easier and more like the smooth top I am coming from. How does it compare to gas cooking and is it easier to learn? Cooking is cooking and there will things to learn with any new range, cooktop or rangetop. That said, coming from smoothtop electrics and without experience with gas burners, you would likely find an induction cooktop more familiar than a gas cooktop/rangetop. There would be a learning curve as with any new cooktop or rangetop. A dial setting that worked on your present cooktop might be too high with induction so you might find that what required a knob position of 3 or 4 on your old cooktop might turn out to be 2.5 on the new induction cooktop. Plus, everything will be digital touchpads where you tap settings rather than turn knobs. That can be a big adjustment for some but trivial or preferable for others. Induction cooktops will be significantly easier to clean and keep clean than a radiant smoothtop. Another adjustment will be adapting to to the much more rapid responsiveness and greater power with induction. Basically, things happen faster, so you may want to do some of your prep work beforehand rather than as you go along, and, until you get used to the speed and power, you don't want to leave things going unattended on higher heat lest caramelized turn to carbonized. (Some induction cooktops allow you set timers for individual burners, which some find very handy as well as serving to mitigate or avoid the consequences of inattentiveness.) Induction turns heat downward very rapidly, which is much like gas (maybe faster) and very much unlike radiant electric. The biggest things to learn with gas would be learning to judge heat by observing the flame more than relying on knob position (gas being a totally analog system). That and learning to eyeball the flames to tailor flame size of the base of the pan when using pans with bases smaller than the maximum flame spread. Not complicated but something of an adjustment. As the others have pointed out, here, all appliance choices involve tradeoffs and personal preferences. I like the short summary comparison at the end of hvtech's last post above. Roccogurl summarizes things that have been negatives for some folks. On the whole, however, most folks who switch from gas to induction are as pleased with their choice as hvtech and sjhockeyfan. If you want some further reading on this, you might have a look at the long thread I've linked to below. You will see in the linked thread that I set out to buy an induction range but, like pamela233, wound up with a gas appliance instead. For me, it was a mix of factors mostly having to do with needing to buy a new stove immediately (my previous one had died), availability problems with the induction ranges I liked (at the time, there would have been several weeks wait on the induction ranges I liked but the gas range could be delivered in a few days), my budget (GE boosted the price well above my budget on induction range I had tried out), choice of vendor (and their take-back policies) and some other factors. That, and living in a rather cold mountain climate where excess kitchen heat is much less of the issue it might be if I lived elsewhere. From your postings, there may be a couple of additional considerations for you. One is that, afaik, there are no residential induction rangetop-style appliances currently available. Also, induction cooktops vary slightly in size and their countertop cut-out dimensions vary, as well, so the cut-out size problems seem unavoidable if you go with induction. As for pricing, 36" induction cooktops are (mostly) several hundred dollars less expensive than the gas cooktop and rangetops listed above. Exceptions are Bosch's new Benchmark series (as opposed to its 300/500/800 series). Also, induction cooktops from Gaggenau, Miele and Wolf will be more or less comparable in price if not even more expensive. If you go with Bosch 300-800 series, or GE or others, the choice will be more budget friendly for you. Hope this helps. Here is a link that might be useful: Does Anyone Here Who Went Induction Regret Your Choice? This post was edited by JWVideo on Wed, Sep 17, 14 at 15:30

OK I put these in yesterday. I went with L-b as a light, L-a deleted. The center over the sink is deleted as is L-c. The resulting light is great, very bright for cooking. By the way, this kitchen is approximately 10x10 with 8' ceilings. There was 2 ea 4' florescent fixtures (4, 4' bulbs) in the center of the room. This configuration of 7, 4" cans puts down a little more usable light than the florescent fixtures did. The lumen calculations are WAY less but the light delivery is better and placed where it needs to be. Also worth mentioning is placement of 3 lights along the peninsula has pretty much done away with shadows. There are some but there is sufficient overlap in the light cones to make any shadows inconsequential.

Is the 19 feet the length of the exterior wall or the interior wall? The interior wall is obviously shorter than the exterior one because of the support beam in the corner, hence my question. And can you tell me, (1) how big are the windows, and (2) if you measure from the left side of the right-hand window (the window just above/right of the cooktop), what's the distance from there to the support beam? And are the support beams about two feet thick? That's what they look like, since you've drawn them as thick as the counters, but I just want to verify that. Also, about the perpendicular wall (the 7-foot one where you propose putting a pantry), is that an exterior wall? I'm assuming yes, but asking because it has no windows. I second putting the double ovens where your plan shows the fridge. You need some landing space next to them, and the counter above the DW can serve that purpose. That would also take them out of the traffic pattern. More ideas to follow when I get a better sense of how big your kitchen's interior space is. My first impression, and this is what I'm trying to figure out, is that your kitchen is already on the huge side, at least lengthwise, so I wonder why you would want to make it even longer by extending into the DR. It looks to me like if you reconfigured a bit--for example, maybe turned the island into a peninsula--you would have room on the right side of the kitchen for a casual dining area/breakfast nook, and it could also make your workspace more efficient. Just a thought. I await further info.

I would concentrate full size cabinets on one side and align everything to the brick arch. IF you can move the walk in pantry entrance that will be great as well.