You appear to have quite good task lighting in your plan. I don't see that the cans are performing any useful function--the OTR presumably has lights for the range; the undercabinet lights light up the counters; and there are lights inside the fridge to light up the fridge. In a room of this size, a single decorative fixture in the center of the room will provide adequate general lighting, with no need for cans.

I was hoping the cans might throw pools of light onto the cabinets and onto the front of the fridge - to light up the dark cherry cabinets and put a little gleam on the stainless fridge :) I'm not sure whether fluorescent lights would actually do this though or would just wash the room in light?

The other consideration is that I need to make sure I have enough fluorescent watts to allow me to have the incandescent light that I want (kind of a bizarre side effect of Title 24).

We will be installing fluorescent light strips on top of our cabinets, too, to increase our Title 24 high-efficacy wattage. Is that an option for you? For "warm and inviting", remember to choose "warm white" lamps for all of your fluorescent fixtures.

Heed solarpowered, who is very savvy about things electrical.

Unfortunately installing lighting on top of the cabinets is not an option for us, as our cabinets will go all the way to the ceiling (with molding). Definitely will remember to choose warm white lamps though.

I have no doubt that solarpowered is far more electrically savvy than I could ever be! :)

I, too, have 8' ceilings in my kitchen and spent quite a bit of time on my lighting plan. As we age, we need more and more light to function well, esp in the kitchen.

A few observations:
1.I'd use three pendants as these (depending on the type of fixture) can cast a very narrow light. Perhaps the third pendant will give you light for the sink chores.
2.I'd put two cans along the 5' counter on the left.
3.The cans on the long sink wall do not have to line up with the counter edge. The only reason to do that is if you have wall cabinets over those base cabs. I'd put them in a position where the entire light will flood the counter.
4.I'd put one of the large cans just off (closer to the kitchen) the center of the entry to the main hall. I believe the open areas need light, not just the work surfaces.
5. Since you'll no doubt have a light for cooking coming from the vent above the stove, you may not need that large can in that spot. You might prefer one on each side of the range.
6. A main fixture in the center of the ceiling (a flush or semi-flush mount) might look pretty and provide just the right light when all you are doing is passing through the kitchen.

Not a lighting expert, just wanted to note that my cans were placed a step back from the counter edges and seem to do a nice job there.

Thanks mary & chefkev for your input. Do you have any pictures of your kitchens? (even if they're not finished)

I think I will need to stick with 2 pendants. I worry that 3 pendants will look like too much (particularly as I can't have one too far right because of cabinet door clearance), and I think that 3 could also be a problem for Title 24 (as they would be halogen).

I've put the cans on the sink wall lined up with the edge of the counter (rather than just over the counter) as the lights we have currently just light up the counter and create dark shadows in front of the sink on the floor. I think it might be even darker once we get our dark cabinets (although the rest of the room will probably be better lit than now, so maybe it won't).

There is actually a ceiling fixture in the adjacent hallway which spills into the entrance to the kitchen.

I've put together a few more options, based on some of the comments here and on the lighting forum. I waver between too much light, too little light, type of lights and confusion about best placement of lights.

(In all of these options, green strips are undercabinet lights).

Option 2: Ceiling fixture (large red dot) and pendants (yellow) ........ Option 3: Ceiling fixture, pendants and fluorescent cans

Option 4: Yellow pendants, red fluorescent cans, blue dimmable incandescent cans.

(I know, it looks like a lot of light. It may well be too much light and too many holes. Here's my thinking behind it - I figure that the blue incandescents would be on a dimmer and would be dimmed most if not all of the time. If we're in the kitchen cooking, we would have the red fluorescents on. The kitchen is visible from the living and dining areas, so when we're not in the kitchen, we could just have the pendants and the blue incandescent lights on low for ambience. In both instances, we would have the U/C lights on).

Option 4: Yellow pendants, red FL ceiling fixture, purple dimmable recessed LED cans .......... Option 5: Same as 4, more LEDs

Are any of these any good at all?? Should I just get candles? Please help ...

I actually thought your original plan looked fine.

We're also in CA and had to meet T24 requirements. We used the 6" flourescent cans in our 8' ceilings and are happy with the results- and I was bitter about T24 and SURE I was going to hate them.