Good call on recessed lighting and LED strips—definitely a practical combo. Ever considered dimmers for your recessed lights? I installed them last year, and the flexibility is great for adjusting brightness depending on tasks or mood.
Also, curious what you think about toe-kick lighting? I was skeptical at first, but after trying it out, it's surprisingly handy for late-night snack runs without having to fully light up the whole kitchen. Placement is key though... too bright or wrongly angled, and it can look tacky.
Agree about pendants too—seen plenty of kitchens where oversized fixtures block sightlines or headspace. I ended up using smaller pendants and pairing them with adjustable recessed lights around the island area. Gives me good task lighting without cluttering up the visual field.
One thing I'm still unsure about is color temperature... warm tones are cozy, but sometimes neutral white seems better for food prep. Have you experimented with mixing color temps at all?
I installed dimmers on my recessed lights too, and honestly, it was one of the best decisions I made during my kitchen remodel. Being able to dial down the brightness when I'm just grabbing a snack or winding down at night makes a huge difference.
About toe-kick lighting—I gave it a shot after seeing it in a friend's kitchen. At first, I thought it'd be purely decorative, but it's surprisingly practical for navigating around without waking everyone else up. You're right though; placement matters big time. I initially had mine angled incorrectly, and it looked pretty awkward until I adjusted them.
On color temperature, I've experimented with mixing warm and neutral whites. Warm tones over the dining area create a cozy vibe, while neutral white LEDs under cabinets and around prep areas really help with clarity when cooking. It took some trial and error to get the balance right... too much contrast felt jarring at first. But once dialed in, it feels natural and functional.
Dimmers are definitely underrated—I put them in my kitchen too and now I can't imagine going back. Toe-kick lighting sounds interesting, though I'm still on the fence about it. Might be worth trying if it's actually practical and not just for looks. Totally agree on mixing color temps; I went all warm at first and regretted it when chopping veggies felt like cooking by candlelight... lesson learned, haha.
I've been thinking about dimmers too, but how practical are they really for task lighting? Like, do you actually adjust them much day-to-day or is it more of a set-and-forget thing? Toe-kick lighting sounds kinda cool, but I'm skeptical about how useful it'd be—wouldn't it mostly just highlight crumbs on the floor? 😂 Also, good point on mixing color temps, never thought about that... maybe a cooler tone over the counters and warmer elsewhere could work? Hmm, now you've got me reconsidering my whole lighting plan.
"Toe-kick lighting sounds kinda cool, but I'm skeptical about how useful it'd be—wouldn't it mostly just highlight crumbs on the floor? 😂"
Haha, fair point about the crumbs... but honestly, toe-kick lighting can be pretty handy for late-night snack runs without blasting your eyes with overhead lights. On dimmers—I find myself adjusting mine a lot more than I expected. Brighter for meal prep, softer for evening chill time. And yeah, mixing color temps is underrated; cooler task lights really help with visibility, while warmer ambient lighting makes the space feel cozy.
