8 foot ceilings BTW

Cans are going to be your best bet to lighten the space, but you can add other elements like scones. If you are into track lighting that could work over your workspace.

You know, I always think of track lighting as tacky-70's but that one is actually pretty. Do you think they make an L-shaped track light? (a cursory search on Wayfair didn't yield much) The counter run is about 5 feet from sink to corner (7 feet if you go all the way to the wall), plus then about 14 inches of counter around the corner till you reach the cooktop.

I suppose the placement of track lighting would be different depending on whether we go with a single, centered sink light or two lights on the edges of the sink...thanks for giving me something to think about!

OK my first adventure with Paint - red is flush mount, blue is recessed, green is track/sconce, purple on the two-light sink option I guess could be recessed or flush? please don't laugh! Just trying to make sure it's enough without looking cluttered. It's an open plan and there will also be recessed lighting in both of the adjacent living spaces...

One light over sink, or two?

You won’t need a recessed light in front of your fridge. Remember…when you open it, the lights go on. So, it really isn’t necessary to have one there.

I did linear suspension lighting over my perimeter cabinets (no uppers). The fixture only has a 1-inch profile; my goal was for the lighting to not really call attention to itself. It's an ulta-modern element in an otherwise transitional kitchen, but I like to think it works.

I have one 8 foot long fixture and one three foot long fixture.

https://www.lightology.com/index.php?module=prod_detail&prod_id=89129&option_id=822670&utm_content=CCCS-7W-4S-120-30K-BZ&gclid=CjwKCAjwq9mLBhB2EiwAuYdMtfVR14GvX4qu1_qAgBllSMxc3-sTyeb6b4g2CWlP8MZ5UTOLPi2DUhoCqfYQAvD_BwE

(P.S. I also think that recessed lighting makes it looks like your ceiling has the pox)

@cawaps, that is a very similar corner to mine! In the photos you can scarcely see the lighting.

@ptreckel, that is a very good point about the fridge. One less recessed can then!

Anybody with an opinion on lighting the sink? One light centered, or two? I am thinking this is a shadow-avoiding problem, and I do spend time at the sink particularly in canning season when I've got a sharp knife and need good lighting...

I wouldn't worry so much about making the ceiling look like swiss cheese. The old 6" fixtures with their protruding flood bulbs were obtrusive but new LEDs in 4", 3", or even 2" sizes are far less noticeable.

You might consider a cool cable system which could run over the counters and sink and even above a window. Tech Lighting's Kable Light is one system. Another solution is wall-mounted fixtures which could also be placed over counters, sink, and windows.

I'd use slim metal or clear glass pendants above the island, not flushmounts. Properly selected, I don't think they'd be obtrusive as shown accompanying the cable system.

-- amateur

That cable system is very cool wdccruise. This is in a small town and the electrician (on our first meeting) said, "I offer standard 6 inch can lights" as though to ask otherwise would be...I don't know, uppity/high maintenance/overly fancy...so I need to dig in and ask him and my GC about alternatives. Seems like it's really all about lumens, or candle-feet rather than the size of the fixture - he should be able to install whatever we choose, right?

I also see that the cable system owners chose lights on either side of the sink rather than centered!

"I offer standard 6 inch can lights"

Well, if he won't buy the materials, buy them yourself and have him install them.

I used 4" Juno 17 trims (scroll down to see the color options) with the Juno TC1R remodel housing, Euri Lighting PAR 20 bulbs, and a Lutron Diva dimmer.

I also like the Juno 17SQ, in fact sometimes I wish I'd have installed them (in living room, not kitchen) instead of the Juno 17.

I didn't worry about lumens. I just made sure to have LEDs dimmable fixtures and bulbs with an LED-compatible dimmer.

I didn't worry about lumens

Maybe I'm OCD, but I worried about lumens, beam angle, light distribution, and what height to hang the fixture to get good light coverage on the counters with the enough lumens per square foot. There may have been trigonometry involved. I also worried about color temperature and color rendering index. But then I was buying an LED fixture where I didn't have the option to just go and change out the bulb if I had regrets. FWIW, I have no regrets so I guess the planning paid off.

Trigonometry indeed! I am sort of in the same camp in that I really want my prep surface to be well-lit so am trying to figure out the lumen thing. My eyes are not getting any younger...then again I don't want to give anyone a headache who is watching from the island seating, so not toooo bright...

"I really want my prep surface to be well-lit"

An advantage of a cable system is that you can add or remove "heads" and pendants to obtain a desired coverage and brightness.

"...so am trying to figure out the lumen thing"

How Many Lumens Do I Need? – Lumens Lighting Chart

Kitchen Lighting

• How to Light a Kitchen Effectively
• And more...

"I don't want to give anyone a headache who is watching from the island seating, so not toooo bright..."

That's why LED fixture or bulb should dimmable and controlled with a dimmer.

Sharon that is a beautiful example of what I am talking about! Thank you for posting, I am saving it as an inspiration pic!

Thank you - if you go to my projects page there are a few more photos of the kitchen from different angles