I would get rid of the flush mounted fixture & put in more cans. More is better.

One or more photos of your actual space would help!

Maybe because I have sensitive eyes and my eye sight is not as good as it used to be lighting is such a huge factor for me in my kitchen. On my last reno I went a little crazy and did everything but pendants. Under, over, inside cabinet lighting along with task lighting and spotlights too. Layers of light to create the right work environment but still add ambiance when I am having a party (well before covid anyway)

Do you have a photo of this flush mount light in your kitchen? Do you love it?

A few great articles on lighting.

Smart Kitchen Lighting

How to properly light your kitchen counters

The Ecofriendly Kitchen: Light Your Kitchen Right

Modern beach costal looks with lighting...

The Remington PH, Bay Colony, Naples, FL · More Info

Whale Rock Addition · More Info

Riverfront · More Info

Intracoastal Beach Home · More Info

Coastal Modern Style Open Floor Plan · More Info

Thanks very much for the replies and the photos! I’m a little embarrassed by the current state of the kitchen, otherwise I would post photos :)

Has anyone installed recessed lights? If so are you happy with size, brand, etc? Is it okay to go with 4 inch vs 6 inch?

Thanks again!

I would go with 6" for better overall light dispersion, whether you use cans or wafers. Position them so their light fields just overlap; and position the ones along the counters to be centered above the edges of the counters. I have three 6" along my 13' counter and 2 along the 8' side of the room (shorter because the steps and landing to the back door take up a corner) in a 9' wide kitchen - so I am thinking that five 4" ceiling lights might not be quite enough. How your kitchen is laid out will make a difference also.

ETA: positioning the center of the can over the edge of the counter prevents you from casting a shadow on the work surface, while also preventing glare on it.

I would strongly recommend good undercabinet lighting. If the recessed is not placed properly, you will create shadows the minute you step up to the countertop.

Good luck!

yes to strip lighting under cabinets! they highlight work areas really well. after you're finished cooking and cleaning, it's so nice to turn off the overheads and leave just the strips on. it puts out just enough light to run in and fix a drink or snack later, but dim enough to be relaxing.

for spots or cans, I want them to be only where they can be directed at work areas, never at people or the middle of the floor (otherwise the glare is obnoxious, and it's super unflattering).

Yes to layers of lighting. I'd recommend keeping your center fixture if you like its placement (and especially if you like the fixture, or plan to replace it with something you love).

My kitchen has three layers of lighting, all with their own switches and dimmers, for undercabinet LED lights, cans (4" cans over countertops and 5" cans farther apart in the main walkway), and three ceiling fixtures (one pendant in the center of the room over my kitchen table and two matching semi-flush pendants in front of windows flanking the hood).

The layering is fantastic. It is BRIGHT in there when all lights are on, dimmers all the way up, and I love being able to switch off specific task lights (starting with the cans) for more ambience when I'm not working in the kitchen.

Thank you very much for everyone's replies. It's very helpful to hear peoples thoughts and ideas (and see pictures!) regarding lighting.

Just to clarify raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio: when you say "position the ones along the counters to be centered above the edges of the counters," do you mean if you were to bring the light directly down from the ceiling, half of the light would rest on the counter and half would hang over the counter? How important is it get the light centered exactly above the edge of the counter?

Thanks again!

4” cans since you have 8’ ceilings. 25” or so off the outside wall or 12” off the face of cabinets. I like mine roughly 4’ apart. With 8’ ceilings I avoid decorative ceiling fixtures except over tables as they tend to make the ceiling feel lower.

I agree with the recommendation to have cans centered over the edge of the counter. That placement is important if you want them to actually illuminate your counters. Much farther than the wall, and anyone standing and working at a counter is likely to shade their counter workspace.

I installed Juno 17HZ-WH (17 HZWH) 4" White downlight trim with Haze Reflector in my living room. It's also available in other trim/reflector color combinations as shown in the Technical Spec section of the web page. It's installed in a compatible housing with PAR20 bulb that's recessed into the housing. You can choose an LED bulb with the color temperature you prefer.

The trim is also available square.

Another part of layered lighting that is often overlooked are lamps. I have great lighting in my kitchen but one corner has a dark section. It is the coffee bar area. I put a small lamp in the corner and it is amazing the difference. I leave it on all the time. It also luminates the artwork on that wall.

kporter25 yes, that is what I mean -- but I wouldn't say they have to be precisely centered, but certainly very close.

3000k bulbs for a crisp brightness that's still easy on the eyes

I agree! I have 8ft ceilings too, and used 6", 3000k, integrated LED disk lights (duct work in the ceiling prevented cans, and the electrician said that running wire and installing the boxes for them was easier also) spaced about 4 ft apart center to center (based on the specs from the light manufacturer's website)

I got 3000k undercabinet lights from Lowes, all hardwired onto a main switch, but each has its own on/off switch too (they were converted from plugs). I like that they are enclosed so easy to wipe down when doing my periodic food spatter cleaning.

Thanks so much for the reply!

kporter, i'm going to urge you to do the 4000K lights. I have the 4" LED's w/the natural daylight, or 4000K (don't go higher) To me, the 3000K is too warm and gives off yellow light. do a 3500 at a minimum.

my kitchen isn't bigger than yours, and I actually have dropped ceiling, but you can see how many I have (9)

my main workspace area is continually lit w/undercabinet lighting, maybe a 3500 or so? during the day I never even turn on the ceiling lights

I've considered doing a pendant or sconce over the sink, but the can light puts out enough light

I also have a sconce (on the left you can't see) on the same line as my pendants (4000K), and those are on a dimmer

in the pantry area (to the left of fridge) I have a ceiling light w/3 100watt bulbs

Beth H. thank you for the information. What a beautiful kitchen! How did you decide on the placement of the 4" LEDs? They look great!

I don't know. my husband did all of them. they are evenly spaced so I know there was math involved.

they do have layouts for recessed lighting as a guide. you can google it