Solarpowered (and other Lighting Wizards), if you're still out there in the GW ether, I'd be so grateful for your wisdom regarding a lighting issue:

I need to choose track light heads for various applications in my new kitchen: the island, a monopoint for a small dining table, an even smaller bar area, and ambient light for the center of the room. The back of my Juno catalog lists a myriad of line voltage and low voltage lamps and gives the amount of lumens each provides on horizontal and vertical surfaces at a variety of beam angles. For example, 98 lumens at a distance of 5 feet, 0 degree beam angle.

My problem: I don't know how to translate quantity of lumens into a narrative description of the kind of light I need (e.g., bright, dim).

For example, my island is 4 feet by 5 feet, and the track will surround a skylight of the same dimensions that is directly above the island. Therefore, the track heads will be about 7 feet above the island pointing at it at about a 30-degree beam angle. I can split the work among as many as four track heads, two at the cooking end and two at the eating end. The track heads will be on dimmers, so I can reduce the light for eating. (Unfortunately, due to wiring issues, all the track heads will be on one circuit, so all will go on and off at the same time regardless of which end of the island is being used.)

So, is there a chart somewhere that tells how many lumens are required for bright light for cooking tasks? For softer light for eating? For ambient light in the middle of a room?

Why not inquire at your local lighting store, you ask? In my small town, we have only two lighting stores, and I've worn out my welcome at both for asking so many questions without buying anything yet.

So, thanks if you can help ... and for slogging through this long post even if you can't help.