I think cans over the island make sense. its hard to gage w/o dimensions but your aisles seem ver tight, esoecially with island seating.

Yes, I agree- they are a bit snug, all aisles just over 3 feet wide. May have to consider narrowing island down a bit. By the way, the cans have a 38 degree beam angle. Thanks for the input!

Beam angle is part of the calculation of lumens or footcandles of light at the counter surface for the recessed lights over the island. Task lighting for the island when used as a work zone should start at 450 lumens or 70 footcandles at the counter. The same applies to the recessed lights not shown 3-6" in from the counter edge for your other counters and sink. Undercabinet lights can contribute to that.

Our aisles are 40” wide & I wouldn’t want them any narrower. We have recessed lights over our island & a pendant over the table, agree with your concern about visual clutter.

Thanks @dan1888. This is good to know. The lights I currently have spec'd are rated at 600 lumens, both over the island and at other countertops. I'm hoping that they can still provide enough light from the 9ft ceiling to the countertops/island which are almost 3ft from the floor.

I would remove the island seating, there is no way 36 is wide enough for seatting and cabinetry,

I wish people would stop placing islands in spaces where they don’t belong. Your measurements show 38” from cabinet edge to cabinet edge…not counter edge to counter edge as it should be measured. You don’t have room for an island. It’s just a barrier in that space. That’s what’s making ”visual clutter.” You’re squeezing too much into a narrow space.

And, for goodness sake, put a real ventilation hood over the range. The OTR microwave is useless as ventilation. Find another place for it.

@darbuka … your thoughts occurred to me also. We had the island in our previous home removed when we remodeled. & replaced with a penninsula. it was a barrier. our current kitchen appears much larger & open ( no angled wall & open at end ) than what’s pictured here but the island does give a sense of being a ”barrier”….. as I stated our aisles are 40” wide ( from countertop ) & I wouldn’t want any narrower, wider if possible.

Since you have 9 ft ceilings, I would look into a family of lights - hanging over the breakfast table, semi flush over the island and recessed over the sink. I like a mix of decorative lighting - not all recessed.

@darbuka, I agree on the OTR vent. That is gone, as are the cabinets OTR, planning on a proper vent hood. This is not the latest rev for this prelim rendering. We've yet to move in. This is a total remodel after a flood that pretty much ruined all cabinetry. Some of the previous owners' amenities, including a similar-sized island, were included on the preliminary layout. Yes, the measurements should be to the countertop edges. No doubt, the aisles are too narrow.

Miguel, suggestion: install shutoff valves and an alarm, at all water sources in the kitchen. We even have them in the laundry room, and the water tank in the basement. Ours are connected to an automatic shutoff valve at the water source into the house. You’ll never have to worry about a flood again.

The kitchen needs a peninsula. Not an island.

Forget the island those walkways are minimal at best , a nice peninsula would be a lot better

You can look at 2-3 recessed 4" lights with 1500 lumens output each to get 450 at the counter with the wide angle output you mentioned. On dimmers. Link. You can add these over other work zones 3-6" in from the counter edge in wide spot angle output. Two offset at each location to avoid shadowing.

The least expensive option is 6" recessed standard remodel units with Feit 17.5w led A19 regular screw-in bulbs Link

You can get the fixtures on Amazon.

Goodness, (3) 1500 lumen fixtures on that island is enough for surgery, and we don't even know what other lighting is in the space.

@dan1888 throwing those 2 tidbits of technical statements that you do on every lighting thread does not mean your advice is competent. And no, dimmers are not an antidote to poor lighting design.

Nine foot ceilings and the 38-degree beam spread 'the OP mentioned 'dilute' the intensity of the light hitting the counter work zone area as you focus to sculpt a radish. 450 lumens minimum for task lighting.

AI- Standard Lux Levels for Kitchen Counters

• General Countertop Use: 300–500 lux is the standard range for basic serving, washing up, and routine tasks.
• Food Preparation & Cooking: For higher-precision tasks like chopping or reading recipes, a level of 500–750 lux is recommended.
• Professional/High-Precision Work: In commercial kitchens or for very detailed residential tasks, levels can reach 750–1,000 lux.
• 1. Conversion Using Square Meters (m2m squared𝑚2) One lux is exactly one lumen per square meter (1 lx=1 lm/m21 lx equals 1 lm / m squared1 lx=1 lm/𝑚2).
• General Use (300 lux): Requires 300 lumens per m2m squared𝑚2.
• Food Preparation (750 lux): Requires 750 lumens per m2m squared𝑚2.
• Precision Tasks (1,000 lux): Requires 1,000 lumens per m2m squared𝑚2.

Intensity Requirements for Surgery

• Central Illuminance (Eccap E sub c𝐸𝑐): The light must provide between 40,000 and 160,000 lux at the center of the light field.
• Typical Usage: Most modern surgical suites aim for 100,000 to 160,000 lux to ensure maximum clarity and detail within deep body cavities, which absorb more light than surface wounds.
• Shadow Control: Higher intensities are used specifically because they allow for "shadow dilution." By using multiple light heads or large LED arrays, the system ensures that the surgeon’s head or hands do not block the light reaching the patient. A headlight source can be used.

You could use a camping headlight or try the 700 lumen output lights from Lowes. Narrow spot, wide spot and flood bulb configurations will have an impact.

Comparison for Context Lighting Environment Typical Intensity (Lux)

Professional Office 500 lux

Emergency Room Exam 1,000 lux

Operating Room (General Room Lighting) 9,300 lux

Direct Sunlight (Clear Day)~100,000–120,000 lux

Surgical Field (Max) 160,000 lux

Surgery will need a lot more light positioned 27-63 inches away. Approximately 100 times more than 1500. A headlamp is often used.

Task lighting is one layer. Ambient and decorative are two more you can employ.

Dan, I don't know what ChatGPT answers tells anyone here. All of that info is useless since you don't have a photometric. Anybody can type into google, people come here for info they can't glean from standard search answers. If you want to start synthesizing the tidbits you come across to really digest lighting, I still await to see that show up in any of your lighting responses.

There are a couple non-pros here who have done that intensely on range hoods and now are indispensible to threads. And on the opposite hand surely you've seen an HVAC tech who does not delve into it, just throws around technical terms and rube OPs are thankful.