I know it's not structural in the load-bearing sense, but I'm trying to avoid re-framing and drywall. This is a minor kitchen re-model for the sake of selling the house in a few years. As for the space- it is simply a 10" deep recess, 4'X6', with a wood grid to support the crackle stuff. There are two 4' fluorescent fixtures up inside. It has a little texture like the rest of the walls in the house, so it will blend in w/ a new coat of paint. The pendant lights are a possibility. I'm not sure what you mean by a soffit at the edge of the counter tops? Is that the dropped area outside the 'lighting box'? My biggest concern is area lighting. The existing fixture is effective, but harshly bright, and certainly ugly. The kitchen is a small galley kitchen- stove and fridge on one side; sink and eating bar on the other- only about 4-1/2' apart. NOT a gourmet kitchen! It opens via a bar onto a family room, which we have incorporated into a country kitchen using kitchen antiques, and a table and chairs. That room has windows, but even those are dark due to the screened porch beyond. I'll have to get up in the attic to see if the lighting recess has any utilities running near it that would get in the way of 'un-dropping' the ceiling. If I do that, should I make the soffit flush w/ the edge of the upper cabinets, or go back further, and put indirect lighting aimed at the ceiling?

Transformer = Power Supply (two names for the same thing...really the power supply is more than just a transformer but people tend to call them that). Read the instructions very carefully. As I stated, those interconnecting cords on the light side of the power supply do not look like they are legal to install through house framing. They're designed to be part of the cabinets only. I'd confirm it by reading the instructions, but the link to the PDF of the installation info on that site appears to be busted.

Have you tried the Lighting Forum? I have recessed lights above my SS double ovens, refrigerator, and hood and I don't seem to have any serious glare at any of them. Yes, I see the light slightly reflected off the tops somewhat, but definitely not something that causes any problems or that's all that noticeable. I have 2 rows of recessed lights. They are approximately 18" out from my countertop edge on the cooktop & hood side and 24" out from the countertop edge on the sink side. Here's the design. Note: We used all 4" cans. The 5" cans originally planned over the sinks and right peninsula were too deep for our ceilings! (There's a corner sink on the left peninsula) Here is a link that might be useful: Lighting Forum

I agree with Build Beautiful that if you can move the table so it is centered under the light, that would be best. If the table is immovable for whatever reason, swag the light but look for one that will provide lots of illumination. A while ago, I helped my mom purchase a new light for her dining area. It actually needed to be swagged because of the placement of things in her home, so I picked out this one, the Savoy House Grove, since it uses chain along with a small bit of downrod. It uses 3 lights and gives off LOTS of bright illumination--sometimes she dims it, but sometimes she uses it at 100% brightness. Something like that, with an opaque shade so you don't have to worry about glare from the bulbs, could be a great idea for you if you're looking for a new fixture. I can offer more item recommendations if you are interested. Let me know!