Get a track system that allows for focusing on cabinet fronts for a brightening effect and hanging a pair of pendants over the island.

Kitchen · More Info

I asked my husband. He has decided everything electric.

The idea is to not have lights that behind where you stand so you won't have a shadow.

Too far back and you won't get enough light.

My husband gets a ladder with a string with a weight. The weight should land about 4 inches from the counter’s edge.

Lights should be about 3 to 4 feet apart.

For reference we used a tape measure.

Tap to enlarge

We have only five for our small kitchen.

3 on the window side

Two on the opposite side

In all honesty, you should/ would remove the fan and replace it with properly placed recessed lights. Or add 2 pendants over the island. I'm seeing 8 cans 3 across both ends and two spaced out in the middle. I might put one on its own switch by the staircase.

i would not do a track. (and you're removing that fan, yes??!)

recessed is fine, maybe 2 pendants over the island?

get the Retrofit, LED recesssed lights, 4" or 5" . (Costco has some decent ones)

make sure you buy the lights that dimmable and the switch that is dimmable.

Get the 4000K bulbs. nothing higher, nothing lower.

here are some general guides for you to look over.

when placing them for task light, you don't want them too far 'in' or else you will get shadows, and not too far out or you won't be able to see the countertop

both of these have islands. I think you could do a minimum of 8 cans

May I suggest a few other decor elements? I love a good periwinkle, but instead of it on the kitchen walls, what if you did a tile backsplash in that color? you don't have much so it wouldn't cost much. And it's a straight shot, so it's easy to install

some are glass, some are ceramic. I also love this rug (but in a runner) w/your wood floors.

remove your white knobs and get a contractors pack of the brushed nickle pulls. (5" -6" would be fine) (look on amazon. $25-$35) use the bottom hole and make one other for the top portion of the handle

would resemble this:

Clear up your clutter on the fridge and use this wall on the far left (also put in some pendants)

get a simple 1x6" wood plank, attach on top of waiscott so you have a ledge.

then you put up your pictures on a message board.

or frame out a chalkboard and hang up one of these.

Thanks for thorough and thoughtful response. One factor in the lighting situation is that my house is older, so plaster and lathe, as well as joist to navigate through. 6 or 8 recessed lights will be a big and messy job. I’m starting to think about removing the fan light and installing track lighting…what are the cons of track lighting?

The cons are it’s hideous.

^ lol

The only thing worse than that white ceiling fan, would be track lighting.

Craig, remodeling is a messy job. Either you want really good light and you want it to look good,

or you want mediocre light and it looks like something out of the 90's.

plenty of plaster homes have had canned lights. call in a professional electrician who knows how to cut plaster. don't worry about the joists. you place the cans where the joists won't be in the way.

@eld6161 the room has a lot of shadowing and seems very dark and underlit. Sorry, but the can placement alone would drive me mad lol.

Track is not all bad, the cons for you would be shadowing, even if I told you to go to rail lighting, which is much nicer, it would be an issue that the light would still be behind you when working with your back to the island.

Step one, get an electrician in there and get an estimate. if its not possible then we move to phase two.