Planning downlights in the kitchen

Thank you very much for the feedback. I have attached another 3D image of the kitchen. The difference is that on the right side there are floor-to-ceiling windows, and behind the viewing direction there is also a complete front with floor-to-ceiling windows.

The tendency is then towards two rows of four. One above the block and one row above the pathway between the island and the line. We would not directly illuminate the pathways at the windows. To the left, the room transitions into the dining area.

We do not like a pendant light over the island. We specifically chose a downdraft extractor so that we don't have anything above it. It would therefore be pointless to place a light above it instead.


LED panels definitely offer potential for savings, but I haven't found them to look very nice in the kitchen area so far. Do you maybe have pictures of them?

Our neighbors have the same setup and 5 pieces are completely sufficient there. 3 in the back in the corridor and 1 on the left/right each. The light bulbs used were simply cheap ones from Amazon. If you're unsure, you can just order 5 different ones and try them out.
€250 per box is frankly outrageous. They rip you off like a Christmas goose...
The box costs €6. The cable for all boxes together up to the switch is less than €10. Drilling, marking, and installation for 5 boxes takes no longer than half an hour. If the electrician is smart, he has to go to the construction site anyway when the ceiling is delivered. So, in principle, not even an extra trip would be necessary. Then the ceiling builder earns a few euros and the light bulb just is missing.
There’s well over €100 profit in that. No idea how anyone can justify such exorbitant prices.

I would say the whole thing might even be cheaper if you commission it afterward, even though the work becomes much more difficult. (Drilling through reinforced concrete, etc.)

Mmh... it always depends on how "bright" you like it.

How would you distribute the lighting between the ceiling and the island?

There aren't just pendant lights. There are also surface-mounted lights, etc. Of course, it's a matter of taste. I also find it nice when there are different light sources.

If you’re sticking with recessed lights, I would rather consider distributing them more evenly. Or at least make sure they don’t have narrow beam angles. It can already get quite dark if you’re rummaging through the front cabinets of the island when all light sources are arranged more "behind". (Of course, this strongly depends on the type of recessed lights).

Here is the current plan according to your feedback. There is also the option to install 3 spotlights in the casing above the wall cabinets. We would only decide on this during the shell construction phase.

Thank you very much for the feedback. I have attached another 3D image of the kitchen. The difference is that on the right side there are floor-to-ceiling windows and behind the viewing direction there is also a complete front with floor-to-ceiling windows. The tendency is then towards two rows of four. One above the block and one row above the walkway between the island and the row. We would not directly illuminate the walkways at the windows. To the left the room transitions into the dining area. We do not like a pendant light above the island. We specifically chose a downdraft extractor so that we have nothing above it. It would make no sense to place a light above instead. LED panels certainly offer saving potential, but I haven't found them so nice for the kitchen area so far. Do you maybe have pictures of them?

Why not in front of the windows? I don't understand your planning. Why are there spots above the wall cabinets over the sink? To illuminate a vase collection?

Why not in front of the windows? I don't understand your planning. Why are there spots above the upper cabinets over the sink? To illuminate a vase collection?

The area in front of the windows is not a traffic route. So the room's general lighting is sufficient here. The upper cabinets are less deep than the tall cabinets. You can see this in the 3D view. These optional spots could therefore serve on the one hand as accent lighting to emphasize the niche and increase the general lighting. However, they could probably also be omitted most easily.