OK, maybe this isn't so hard after all. I think I need 5 circuits altogether -- is that too much?

So I need to add an additional one to the curvy, study, side - that's where the study circuit should go and be switched as well. It would include the "highlight" spot (circuit "D").

Then the central overhead socket would stay on its own separate circuit ("E").

And the cleanup-stove prep circuit would include one island light and none of the passthrough-run's 3 lights (though it would include the corner one) ("C").

The prep circuit ("A") would not include the two walkways lights, which would be on their own separate circuit ("B").

Does this seem sensible?

Hi Aliris! Been wondering how things were going for you. I'm not going to be much help this late and factoring in my own lighting issues.

You're on the right track to figure out what you might be doing in the kitchen and what light you need for that.

Some issues you might not have considered.
-- how many light switches will you have? Do you want wall acne from 5 switches to light one room?
-- placement of said switches? Do you have wall space for these?
--will each set of lights be switched from one or from two boxes?

I'm a little confused as to how you have a practically completed kitchen, but without all of the electrical work. Roughing in lights now is kind of a pita.

I remember standing exhausted in my house with bare studs one late afternoon with DH and the electrician grilling me about switching issues. I thought I had finished the hard work on the lighting plan when I finished placing the lights. I never stopped to consider how to switch what lights with what other lights, where the switch would be placed, three-ways, gang switching.... My head pounded, and I wanted to run screaming out the door!

I'm such a light junkie that I would be fine walking into the kitchen, flipping one switch, and having the whole thing lit up. Bang. Done. I ended up with 4 switches, some placed in two locations. I rarely ever go into the kitchen and not turn every light on anyway. Hhmmm...I wonder if that nonsense had something to do with the hourly wage being earned by our sparky...

Sorry for the OT. Random thoughts:

Can lights in front of uppers should be placed directly centered over the edge of the counter.

Can lights without uppers should be placed over the middle of the counter.

Can you line up the odd can light over the aisle near the corner of your prep sink? It doesn't relate to anything now.

Is there a reason you stuck the can on the aisle between the fridge and island where you did? Seems like an odd spot.

Could you find a lighting store where you could get a free lighting plan from a pro? Even in my dinky town with only one lighting store, I got a free consult. I think you need some help. No insult! You've got an unusual space that might take a pro's eye, that's all. :)

I took me forever to type so I didn't see your second post.

I would switch E with the aisle lights marked as B.

I would switch the C you have on the island facing the range with the A lights.

Not sure I'd switch the aisle lights separately. Can you easily with in the room with the S lights on, but not the Bs? If so, then leave B separate. I'd want them on with the As, but that might be me.

Because I didn't have much wall space and wasn't down for having to turn on 5 switches for the kitchen, I gave up a separate switch for the light over the sink. The separate light over the sink seems like a sacred artifact from the dark days (LOL), but many still do it. Food for thought.

Hi Breezy!

I don't know how it's going ... it's going more at the moment though, so that's good right there. I guess.

You weren't supposed to ask: "how you have a practically completed kitchen, but without all of the electrical work" ;) This is not half of the problem - not even 10% ... maybe 10%. Our electrician is your chimney-guy's cousin. Was. Was our electrician, that is, though perhaps he just "was".

Where was I?

The acne has kinda already happened. I can live with it I guess. And I suppose it can also be gotten rid of, but, well, the way out of that quandry is just to follow function I think. I have wall space for the acne.

OK, some clarifications. The odd yellow can at the corner of the prep sink isn't actually a can, I should probably have drawn it differently to distinguish it. It's a socket into which some sort of ceiling lamp is intended to go. It's absurdly placed. I can nix it altogether. Or perhaps it would be pretty with a sort of light like this. Dunno -- I just grabbed that from online in a couple seconds, I have definitely not turned my head to this matter.

2-way switching -- thanks for bringing that up. I hadn't gotten that far in the interests of focus and simplicity. But in living with the kitchen so far, not having any lights switched over on the stove wall has bugged me. There's an outlet to the left of the stove I'd like to convert to a 2-way switch with probably the "C" circuit - those would be the lights right there.

There's an outlet in the corner with a switch; I guess the UCL should go there or maybe they can be stuffed into another outlet. I don't know how that works. Because I would like that corner outlet to switch the DR on the other side of the passthrough. I often find the DR to be all clean but the light's on and I'm in the kitchen - it just seems as if the light in there should be also controllable from the kitchen. Don't know if that's possible.

Yup, the cans in front of our uppers are mostly too close. But I think we can live with them like this (no pun intended). Long story....

Can lights without uppers: middle of counter or toward the edge of the counter beneath? It seemed to me better closer to the edge -- you want it focused above your work, not with shadows, right?

Can on aisle between fridge and island -- I think the reasoning (I wasn't involved) was generalized walkway-entry lighting. It actually is kinda silly -- maybe I should just get rid of both those lights -- all of circuit "B" altogether? Ya think? Perhaps yes... Because note there is also light in the hall across from the pantry, near that odd aisle-can. Yes, I think that's probably reasonable.

Thanks, Breezy. I haven't been watching but suspect you're getting so very, very close now!

Lighting store with help ... well, I'm reluctant to filch advice without buying anything. I did just speak with some nice, knowledgeable guys at a local store, but I didn't really ask for their opinion about this stuff. He seemed to know what he was selling, but I was skeptical of his designing abilities. He's a technician, I didn't get the sense of great artistic awareness, but I could try. I think you might be better .... ;)

And yes, I can just feel that pressure from the electrician of which you speak. And our (new) one is returning next week so I wanted to get this done in advance to chase away the pressure. I actually think he's pretty good at this sort of advice, but he's also impatient -- cheery but impatient. I just want quiet time to work it out beforehand.

Thanks!

...and what do you think about nixing both cans from the walk-ways. Will I miss that ambient light?

OK, Breezy -- we're cross-posting. Let me try to re-do what I think you were saying. Your fourth paragraph is glombled up, but perhaps this is your suggestion:

It feels a little funny to me to put the far aisle light on the "a" circuit, but not sure where to put it instead. Maybe the stove-aisle can should go on the "c" cleanup-stove circuit? ...probably. ya think?

Any other ideas for me please? Many thanks!!

OK. Here's what we did.
We have 3 circuits.
1 for all lights that illuminate the countertops.
1 for all lights that illuminate the aisle and 1 for the UCs.
We've been living with this system for a year and it works well for us.
HTH

Thanks willtv.

Breezy -- I'm thinking now about combining the passage-lights, "A", with the study lights, "D" -- put them all on one circuit. So then there's prep, cleanup and study -- that seems more reasonable, no? And the overhead thingey will remain separate. That's a sop to the architect I think. ;)

(I'm beginning to think architects are kinda a menace).

I think, considering you are looking at bulb temperatures and such, the random topographical placement, based only on function is bothersome. To me anyway. You could get the same thing by setting up a pattern of regular spacing, and although some of the points on the grid would technically be "off" from being centered on the task at hand, the regular pattern would allow some fill from other points. Right now if you have them all on at some points the lighting is going to be uneven and have hot spots.

It is nice to be able to turn things on all in one place.

Do you think that in the lighting forum (or wiring forum) you will get a few practical and experienced takes on this right away?

How much to leave as is? What can be rewired and for how much? Good luck aliris19.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/wiring/
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/lighting/

Here is a link that might be useful: Lighting Forum

Hi palimpsest, David:

I will try to make the placement as close to a grid as possible. As studs matter to this as well, some of the finer points are pretty much out of my hands.

David, you're right and I will try there in the lighting forum. I noticed people aren't all that quick with such opinions about this sort of thing there either, so I thought I'd try over here in kitchens first; seems like a design issue to me as opposed to, say, technical or engineering. But I definitely agree it's worth a try -- I just got on the computer just now to do just that. Thanks....