You have a great plan there. I would ask for dimmers on all lighting. Are you doing lighting inside the cabinets? Maybe lighting above cabinets too?

Note the above cabs, under cabs... and I am sure you are going to want lighted glass cabinets too

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12 Ways to Light Your Kitchen With LEDs

how to choose your kitchen lighting for layers of light

A couple of things learned here on Gardenweb, years ago...

Kitchen cans should be about 18-20" away from the wall, so that they light the countertop, not the back of your head. You don't want the cans to light the back of your head and cast a shadow on the countertop..you want the countertop lit. This also makes the cans wash the fronts of the cabinets and make them look pretty. They look really close to the wall when they are installed this way, but it works great!

Consider positioning the cans so they wash the front of the upper cabinets in specific spots, for example, the center of a double cabinet.

Put all lights on dimmers.

Many electricians will put the wiring for any island pendants circuit in the ceiling area but wait to install the boxes until the island is exactly in place, so that you can get the island lighting just right. (At least in our area)

Consider plugmold mounted on the cabinet bottom to avoid receptacles in the backsplash; except for where you are going to keep fixed countertop items such as a coffee maker and you don't want a dangling cord always visible.

Remember under cabinet lighting

Fixed islands are required to have receptacles, several people have posted ways to hide them or make them less visible.

Consider where you are putting your charging items, might want to have a receptacle in a drawer or in each pantry.

: )

Good luck!

Jean

I think you need an actual lighting plan from a designer. That doesn’t look right. Too many shadows.

Whoa! White cabs, white counters, and 18 lights - not only can you do surgery there, but the International Space Station will see a glow coming from your house!

The first thing I would ask is why the island is so far out and under a beam. Assuming the beam is a "soffit," it will be uncomfortable to sit there. It looks like you can slide it towards the sink and interpolating around 44" between the stove. then sliding to the right to give about 42" between the refrig (I might even slide it further right if that's a door on the back wall). This allows clearing the beam a bit.

Consider a 4" or 6" recessed light as "general" lighting, not task. Not only do they light up the counter, but importantly throw onto the floor as well. So you do not need separate lighting for the floor as that is not where you want your focus to be. If you use 6", you get more lumens, but they need spaced farther apart. Here, using 4" gives you spacing of about 30"-36".

Spacing hardly ever works out perfect with joists/blocking, plumbing, ducts, whatever is in the ceiling (wafer lights mostly allow placement anywhere though). So you do the best you can placing them at the counter edge. Tall pantries and refrig 12" farther out. Placement in center of sink (here shown on counter edge rather than middle). If you have a cabinet over the hood, centering is not as critical, but if its a stainless hood to ceiling you may want the light centered. You will get a hot spot reflection, but it is necessary to light the adjacent counter and floor as you won't use the hood LEDs for general lighting.

With the undercabs consider where you will hide the transformer so the electrician knows where to place his whip.

Mini pendants determine if you want a separate ceiling box for each or 1 box for a track, as you have less selection in mini's that mount individually to a box.

Be careful not to install a recessed light where the light would reflect off the range hood. That could easily happen if a recessed light were placed in front of a hood with an angled front like this.

Kitchen ceiling cans should never look like airport runway lights. You are not waving in a 747 for landing. @Jean was on point that the cans should be around the perimeter of the cabinetry, about 18-20" away from the wall, so that they light the countertop, and don't cast shadows over your shoulder onto the counter as you work there.

Agree with moving the small task lights in toward the uppers so that you don't block them with your head. Also, suggest removing the light over dishwasher and center the sink light over the sink. (Or shift both to left.) Definitely don't need one in front of range! Wouldn't reduce the number of lights here, though -- you can control with sets and dimmers.

Make sure that under-cabinet lighting is set a bit back from the fronts of the cabinets, so that it's not blocked by any light rail or other front piece of the cabinet -- otherwise, it will just light your backsplash and not your counters. And another vote for moving the island into the kitchen! At least, if you ever want to use it as a bit of counter.

“Make sure that under-cabinet lighting is set a bit back from the fronts of the cabinets, so that it's not blocked by any light rail or other front piece of the cabinet -- otherwise, it will just light your backsplash and not your counters.”

I am sorry, but this is backwards incorrect advice. The undercabinet lighting should be mounted as close to the front of the upper cabinets as possible, just behind the light rail. That way, the light is shed onto the middle of the counters. The farther away from the light rail that the UCLs are placed, the more they will only be shedding light on the backsplash rather than the counter. The light rail will not block the light from being shed on the counter. The light rail blocks the UCLs from being seen from a sitting position at a nearby table or counter. However, if you set back the UCLs from the light rail, they will be seen from a sitting position in the kitchen.

Also note that some electricians want to install the UCLs closer to the back wall because it is easier for them, less craning of their neck, and will save them a few minutes too. They may also say that the wires will show if they don’t install at the back wall. This is not true. I’ve had UCLs installed in 3 different kitchens, always just behind the light rail. A good electrician will spend the extra 5 minutes to make sure the wires don’t show. You have to stand your ground that the UCLs be installed toward the front of the upper cabinets if your electrician says he wants to install the UCLs toward the back.

Thank you for all the advice!

If you do get plug mold please make sure it is really hidden they can be so UGLY