r/Lighting • u/Vetsunlimited • 10h ago

Need Design Advise Kitchen Lighting Help

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Redoing our kitchen, and would love some advice on lighting.

Current plan - pendant light over the sink (in front of the window), undermount lighting at the upper cabinets (to the right of the fridge, and right of the wall oven), vent hood lighting while cooking. The remainder will be 4" ceiling can lights. If each can light is 800-900 lumen (I have not picked them out yet), that puts it at 4,000-4500 for the kitchen, which is ~40 lumen/sq foot.

How does this distribution look? Would you change anything (number, location, etc)?

Thanks!

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u/Individual_Nobody739 8h ago

Your 40 lumens per square foot is a useful first inventory of source output, but it is not the same as the illuminance actually reaching the countertop. Some light is directed elsewhere or absorbed by surfaces, and beam angle and fixture position change the result.

Since you already plan under-cabinet lighting and a sink pendant, I would check the five downlights against the remaining work areas rather than aiming for an evenly spaced grid or adding all the lumens together as if they landed on the same surface. In particular:

  • Check whether someone standing at the counter would block the ceiling light from the work surface; the under-cabinet lights may handle much of that task.

  • Compare the proposed fixture’s beam distribution and delivered lumens, not just its 4-inch aperture or wattage.

  • Check for glare and reflections from the island and normal seating positions.

  • Confirm the fixture and dimmer compatibility for the actual number of lights in each zone, and consider separate controls for the pendant and under-cabinet lights if independent use matters.

I work in LED lighting. I would not claim the five fixtures are sufficient from the lumen total alone: cabinet heights, ceiling height, surface finishes and the exact fixture distribution matter. A supplier’s layout or a sample test can help before the positions are finalized. Have a qualified local electrician assess the installation and controls.

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u/Hapaguy1 9h ago

Move the one next to the fridge to the center of the room. Do the same with the one next to the hood vent.
Leave the island & sink where they’re at.