Your options are limited if you cannot raise the ceiling. From the picture, it seems possible that you have a beam spanning the breakfast nook.

The most obvious (and cheapest) choice would be to put in multiple T8 tubes (4 - 8). The recessed box will trap a significant amount of light, though the loss will be compensated by the multiple T8s.

The next possible choice would be to put in LED troffer lights (CREE CR24?) instead of multiple T8 tubes.

The final option is to have pot lights in a raised ceiling.
If you were to raise the ceiling, leave the beam in place and raise the rest of the kitchen ceiling.

LED recessed lighting will not output as much heat as incandescent lights. However, the initial cost will be significantly greater.

Hey Lillie,

LOL I have almost the same kitchen as you! We were supposed to be in this house for a short time, but until we leave I'm tired of waiting and going to improve everything since it's now so out-dated and reducing our resale value fast.

Get this Temporary Kludge: I am in the process of changing the 3x2 equally spaced fixtures (6) bulbs to 4x2 (8 bulbs) T8 tubes and leaving a gap int the center. Then I'm putting in a Tubular skylight in between and putting the ugly diffusers back in.

Honestly, I think some form of Tubular Skylights (with built-in LED lights for added night-time) are your option if you're in a sunny climate. Maybe one big one over the breakfast area, instead?

Hope you find a great solution so I can copy you. :-)

We opted for the Cree Troffer in a room in our basement which had a recession similar to your kitchen.

Thus far, the performance has been exceptional.

The exceptional performance, does that apply to diffuse/area light spread & peripheral shadowing? That's a big limitation of LED in general, but from their website it sounds if that's exactly what they were trying to overcome with the CR Troffer model.

Is it as good as/better than fluorescent in general area lighting in your opinion?

I don't know much about LED lights, but we have decided to TRY the "updated" box idea. Imagine the light boxes people build onto their ceilings and then basically invert it into the recess.

White crown moulding, 8 low profile T8 4' fluorescents and white prismatic sheets... all about 6 inches inside the recess. If all goes well, it will looks like the ceiling itself is lit--- I hope. Haha.

I know that 8 4-footers seems like a lot, but between the depth of the recess and the fact that I can not perform in low light (side-effect of LASIK, for sure) we decided to go with 4... we can always remove one if it seems like too much!

I will be sure to post the pictures when we finish it.

I don't know much about LED lights, but we have decided to TRY the "updated" box idea. Imagine the light boxes people build onto their ceilings and then basically invert it into the recess.

White crown moulding, 8 low profile T8 4' fluorescents and white prismatic sheets... all about 6 inches inside the recess. If all goes well, it will looks like the ceiling itself is lit--- I hope. Haha.

I know that 8 4-footers seems like a lot, but between the depth of the recess and the fact that I can not perform in low light (side-effect of LASIK, for sure) we decided to go with 4... we can always remove one if it seems like too much!

I will be sure to post the pictures when we finish it.

I don't know much about LED lights, but we have decided to TRY the "updated" box idea. Imagine the light boxes people build onto their ceilings and then basically invert it into the recess.

White crown moulding, 8 low profile T8 4' fluorescents and white prismatic sheets... all about 6 inches inside the recess. If all goes well, it will looks like the ceiling itself is lit--- I hope. Haha.

I know that 8 4-footers seems like a lot, but between the depth of the recess and the fact that I can not perform in low light (side-effect of LASIK, for sure) we decided to go with 4... we can always remove one if it seems like too much!

I will be sure to post the pictures when we finish it.

Cool, I'd like to see pictures when you're done. I hear you about wanting 8 bulbs, we're doing the same b/c my wife hates dark kitchens.

If you live in a sunny area & depending on your roof immediately above the recess (if recess-roof distance Thanks for sharing your kitchen with others.

All good options so far. I'd also consider the Lighting Science Group "Glimpse" LED discs - they're bright, not all that expensive, available warm, neutral, or cool white colors, and need only an electric box to install in (not a recessed can) so you can probably fit them even in the high-ceiling area yet they're almost flush with the ceiling. Home Depot sells them rebranded as Commercial Electric for about $38 each, not bad considering that's for a fixture and a bulb. And being LED is very efficient and long lasting.

I'm a bit late to the party here and not a lighting guru at all, but I wonder if you have any ability to put some skylights in this room? If it were through the lowered part of the ceiling I guess it would have to be one of the solar light tube type - they perform quite extraordinarily.

With respect to the light box, I can see how much of an issue shadows will be, and for that reason I'd actually be curious to see how the original installation performed. And to use the problem as part of your solution, if you had not already embarked on a course I would consider lighting aimed at the sides of the recess to reflect at a better angle to your cabinets and work areas. If you can't get the light radiating to where you need it, then bouncing it might be a useful concept to work with next, if you find your solution unsatisfactory.

Karin L