A general rule of thumb is 12-18" from the cupboards. our kitchen is smaller and we did about 12". Happy with them. In a bigger kitchen, I'd probably do 18".

sink, stove, symmetrical counter across from sink, then probably two more farther down, on the far side of the fridge and across from that spot. that would be my minimum. if you want to make up for the loss of those two huge fluorescent fixtures, you might want a third row down the center just to keep the ambient light upl