I'm right with you, Williamsem in trying to figure out lighting and switches.

It makes sense to me to have the over sink light switched separately. Hopefully you'll get more helpful input than that, lol!

That means a switch on the backsplash, but might be unavoidable. I'm curious to see if people do use the sink light seperately or mostly with the other lights. I currently always use them together, but they're the only two lights in the room :-)

I'm pretty comfortable with the plan, other than the 3 closest to the fridge. Might change that around. But I need to figure out the switch thing so I can find appropriate dimmer switches and faceplates.

I think this and the fan are the only things left to pick out. And if I like the vanity coming Friday, then a bathroom faucet. Then just counting the days until I can order everything!

Oh yeah, and paint.

We use our sink light separately for sure. I did our general lighting all together with a switch at each entrance, but we only have three semi-flush lights and a smaller kitchen, so not sure if that is best for cans in a larger space. Then I switched the sink lights and the eating area lights separately, one switch each, both on dimmers. Our backsplash is subways so it worked well to have the switches and outlets horizontally in with the tile. Then overhead light switch at one end of the room shares space with the switch for the eating area and for our backyard light in one three-gang faceplate, which made it cleaner. No UCL lights here and our range light is integrated into the hood, so no thoughts on that. Good luck!

Regarding question 2, If you have switches at each counter run, are they turning just that amount of counter on? Or is each switch capable of turning all the UCL on? I ask because with my regular ceiling fixture I have 2 switches to control the on/off, but only one switch to dim the light. My electrician said it had to be like that. Do you have your UCL on dimmers? If so you may not be able to dim, but from one switch.

Regarding question 2: People are funny. I would have my sink light separate from my other lights. My neighbor on the other hand just had the electrician out, to take her single sink light, and hook it up with the other lights. But her sink light is a can light. They wanted it hooked up with the other room canned lights. She always thought that when she had the main cans on, it looked like the sink fixture was burned out.

In my setup (small kitchen 7x12') I have a switch at 2 doors for the ceiling semi flush mount (and no cans), one of those 2 switches is on a dimmer. One dimmable switch for the separate LED strip fixture over the sink. One dimmable switch for the LED strip UCL that include a shelf light treatment. One dimmable switch for the nook that I have at the table for reading and eating. They all operate separately. My only regret is that my semi flush light isn't bright enough; I let form precede function with this selection. I love the fixture though.

We are having our recessed can over the sink on a separate switch. We are planning on hiding the switch under the upper cabinet to the right of the sink rather than it living on the backsplash. The switch will be in the same location as the switch for the UC lights. The sink light may or may not be on a dimmer...trying to decide on that still. All other lights in the kitchen will be on dimmers (cans, pendants over island, light over table, UC lights) so we probably *should* spend just a little more to put the kitchen sink one on a dimmer as well.

What enduring mentioned about the dimmers is correct from what I've been told - you can have what they call a 3-way switch (two locations to turn the lights on/off), but only one of the locations can have the dimmer on it, so plan where you are most likely to need access to the dimmer for your 3-way switches.

Lutron's "Maestro" series includes models that let you dim the same light from multiple locations. The switches can talk to each other through your wiring, and they use up/down buttons instead of sliders.

"Lutron's "Maestro" series "

At a significant cost per switch compared to typical dimmers.

There are push on-push off switches suitable for controlling LV lighting that can be mounted in a light apron.

Use a 24 VAC transformer like central heat, ad the same relays (both the transformer and relays are common ad cheap) to switch the 120 VAC side of the low voltage lighting.
I even have three 20 W pucks on a small the ceiling of a small pantry for extra light on a door operated micro switch.

Open the door, the lights go on.

It was better to use a separate transformer to create a power limited circuit for control since those have very relaxed rules in the electric code (just like your thermostat).

Brickeye - I appreciate the info, but you totally lost me right after 'use a 24 VAC transformer'!

Is this what we are looking for (using LED cans) to be able to dim from either location:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lutron-Maestro-150-Watt-Multi-Location-Digital-CFL-LED-Dimmer-Kit-White-MACL-153M-RHW-WH/203486520#.UVi5S5Mm67E

Here is a link that might be useful: Lutron Maestro

Lol! I was only ok up until "LV lighting that can be mounted in a light apron."

I will have to look into the dimmers. I think I'd survive with one dimmer and one on/off location as I suspect once I figure out what works I may not need to adjust often. Plus I'd never be more than about 6 feet from the dimmer anyway, one benefit of a smaller kitchen :-)

Andreak100, what's your plan for that hidden switch? Sounds interesting! When is your project due to start? I'm having demo start in 28 days, so I don't think you'll have a chance to use it before that.

Looks like sink switched separately is more common. Will have to think about that more.

Enduring, I plan on having the UC lights all wired together with a switch at each end if the kitchen. The more I'm thinking about it, I really like having a switch for everything in the hall as I'd be able to turn off all the lights on my way out the door.

This all looks very good to me, but I don't have a lot of first hand experience (yet) with switches to be much help. I have the sink cans on a separate switch from the rest of the cans, and the ucl are switched each in their own little area. Like yours, my kitchen isn't big, so if I need to take a few extra steps, it's not the end of the world.

Also, I can't remember seeing your samples all together before and I *love* them!! This is going to be beautiful! Have you picked your cork color yet?

williamsen - horray! I'm glad that I'm not the only one that is "electronically challenged".

You're definitely further along than we are. We have just in the past day figured out WHO will be making our cabinets...we have to iron out details with him and get them made then.

We've got a few more questions to clear up with the GC and then once we have those two pieces in place, we'll be able to get an expected demo-start date. (You don't want to know about our experience so far...but long story short, our kitchen was supposed to be started/completed around October of last year with another person. It's not............But, we have a bunch of appliances sitting in our basement and garage right now!)

The *hope* for the hidden switch is a hope at this point and not a definite plan. We are planning on hiding plugs under the cabinets along with the UC light strips and I'm hoping that we can put a switch for the UC lights and the kitchen sink light under in the same area where the UC lights and plugmold will go. I have NO idea of the feasibility of it. I would be totally cool with the back portion of the one upper cabinet having a "recess" to fit the switches up "into" the cabinet if we need to...I just don't want it on our backsplash. It's funny, but every kitchen I see now where I see light switches and electrical outlets in the backsplash just irritates me. It always has, but until GW, I never really considered that there was another way!

As far as dimming from both switches, I don't know how important that feature is for us. The one side is just to turn on the lights when we come up from the basement. The other side will be when we come from the living area...so if only dimming from one side the living area would be where I'd pick. OTOH, really, how much more is it going to cost and am I going to rue the decision to "cheap out" to save $30-50 (???) on a feature in a kitchen reno where that's something like 1/10 of 1% of the total budget (I think my math is right). Now knowing that what I wanted to do initially IS possible, will I wind up being frustrated and wishing that I would have just done what my initial wish was and call our handyman to have him fix it the way we wanted it and pay even more than it would have cost to do it the way we wanted.

"OTOH, really, how much more is it going to cost and am I going to rue the decision to "cheap out" to save $30-50 (???) on a feature in a kitchen reno where that's something like 1/10 of 1% of the total budget (I think my math is right). Now knowing that what I wanted to do initially IS possible, will I wind up being frustrated and wishing that I would have just done what my initial wish was and call our handyman to have him fix it the way we wanted it and pay even more than it would have cost to do it the way we wanted."

Omg get out of my head I need all the brain cells to myself to figure this out, lol! My problem is now all those $40 or $150 or whatever are joining forces and starting to be measurable.

Uh, justmakeit why are you here responding to my thread (which I do appreciate, don't get me wrong) instead of taking/sharing a little sneak peak of your fabulous kitchen? Still waiting to see YOUR cork...I am still waffling on color, but we love the Tabac matte sample we got from USFloors and the price we were quoted is great. I have some questions about it though so I need to call them. I really love the Globus stuff, but with the cabinets so dark I think the solidness of their stains isn't working like I hoped and they don't have any with the dark cork bits.

"My problem is now all those $40 or $150 or whatever are joining forces and starting to be measurable."

Trust me. I. Know. Budget? What budget? OHHHH, THAT budget. Shoot!

An outlet here, an outlet there, a Tapmaster here, an appliance lift there, another thing here, and another one there...how in the world did it wind up adding 2k?

I did get the mixer lift, it fit nicely in the leftover 15 inches (yay for frameless!) next to the Advantium :-) Will let you know how I like it. I've had a Kitchen Aid mixer since my wedding shower 11 years ago and will finally be able to use it without risking my life getting it down from the self!

Still waffling on the Tapmaster. So far I'm only over budget by exactly how much extra the cabinets cost, but by the time I made the budget I had been looking around quite a bit and had a good handle on what things cost. Just passed the halfway mark on paying for it now that the cabinets are paid in full.

Just had the taxes done. It doesn't help that A) we are getting 5k back and 2) we are paying less for the kitchen than we paid in taxes (and I think the kitchen is money better spent)

Williamsen - you are moving right along.
Here are my thoughts.

Sink light - has its own light switch. - I put a switch in the BS for this one. It is a double as the UCL is also on this switch.

Due to the location of our cold air returns and BS ending - I put the switches for the cans and decorative lighting on the dining room wall as you walk into the kitchen and also on the sun room wall.

I also have an UC switch in my bake area.

The cabinet lighting is also on the DR wall (2 on each side of the entrance wall)

My pantry switch is in the pantry but since it is motion activated - it meets code.

I used Lutron dimmers for the cans and decorative lighting.
I had to use a transformer for the UC LED and glass cabinet LEDs.

What so I like and what would I do differently
-Air switch for the garbage disposer (and get rid of the wall outlet associated with it - I chickened out on all plugmold based on feedback in GW) - That would get rid of one hole in the backsplash
-On the fence - having a second switch for the UCL is nice but could have ditched this one and the associated plug (chicken...)
-Love the motion sensor in the pantry
-I like the switches on the DR wall - it is handy and keeps the BS cleaner
-If I could have done it, I would have put the switches in the sun room on the entrance wall - but just no space at that end.
-Ditch my corner plug - the plug mold works just fine... But my DH coffee pot hides it anyway.

-I hide the outlets to the right of the sink with my banana holder
-I hide the corner one with the fruit basket and coffee stuff
-I hide the GD and outlet with the paper towel holder (no room to do the nifty trick that 2LFishies did)
-I hide the baking zone one with my KA mixer.

Note the paper towels and banana holder blocking the light switches

KA mixer hides this one

a2gemini -- I've spent the evening staring at the honkin big outlets in my backsplash, and I will definitely be taking a page from your book to camouflage them. Banana holder, here I come!

Williamsem -- I took some photos today, and will post a few tomorrow. Still recovering from the very delayed flight :-)

Oh, and I wanted to mention: my cork is an utter chameleon. The color under the LED Crees is nothing remotely like the color in daylight. It totally threw me for a loop last night. Just FYI.