Your countertop looks similar in color to your new upper cabinets, so if you really want blue or green, I would go with it. Have you seen the new products at Lowes made by Rustoleum I think that provide an excellent package of products to change the color of your cabinets and a package if you want to change the color of your countertops? I happen to LOVE light green cabinets or apple green.

You might want to check out the lighting forum also. When I was planning my kitchen, I found tons of useful info there, including a comparison of the pros/cons of different types. Your wife may be right that the spotlights would look the best to the people seated at the counter. And I agree that Fluorescent is old technology. But also be aware that some types generate more heat than others - which could be important if you plan to store food in the cabinets.

Our drywall starts tomorrow, and our electricians just did the hardwire in 2 locations specified by the cabinet maker. The cabinet guys will fish the rest of the wires for UCL under an upper cabinet and shelf, and inside 1 cabinet. I verified with him, are they really sure that this does not need to be done before drywall, and he assured me that this is how they do it all the time. I asked my cabinet maker to put a flush channel and LEDs right into the bottom of the cabinet, so really all I will see is a strip of light, nothing sticking out. I hope yours works out and you get those lights!

I wouldn't worry so much about making the ceiling look like swiss cheese. The old 6" fixtures with their protruding flood bulbs were obtrusive but new LEDs in 4", 3", or even 2" sizes are far less noticeable. You might consider a cool cable system which could run over the counters and sink and even above a window. Tech Lighting's Kable Light is one system. Another solution is wall-mounted fixtures which could also be placed over counters, sink, and windows. I'd use slim metal or clear glass pendants above the island, not flushmounts. Properly selected, I don't think they'd be obtrusive as shown accompanying the cable system. -- amateur