You've got a decent start on a lighting plan, but I'd change a few things. Try to get the light over the sink so that when you stand at the sink, you are not casting a shadow on your work area. Nothing worse than trimming veggies with a sharp knive while casting a shadow..... that holds true for elsewhere as well. YOu do have limited area where UC lighting will work, but where you have it, I'd do it. That soft glow on the counter is frequently the best quality of ambient light when you want to dim the kitchen down while entertaining in the dining room, for example, and you don't want to broadcast the kitchen prep mess.

Flourescent lights have come a long way, and there are some decent fixtures out there. I still am reluctant to use them in residential settings (with the exception of undercounter fixtures, where the pencil-lamp fixtures are the best, and the light you get is really the "bounce light" off the counter, not the direct light of the fixture itself) because even the color-corrected "warm" flouros are still pretty color-distorting. Cold Flouro can turn roast beef int mud, visually......

That said, halogen fixtures kick out a lot of heat, so if you are reworking your air distribution system, dump a bit more air circulation into the kitchen to help mitigate the heat. Also, your sophisticated appliance choices will probaly result in more heat kickout than your grandma's icebox, and you need to anticipate that.

Don't know what color your counters will be, but that will have a material impact on the sense of lighting tone you get. Dark counters will "absorb" light. Also, although the stainless steel appliances are very trendy, they will tend to create certain "glare spots"; your choice of flexible track lighting will allow you to "fine-tune" that after you get settled.

Only other issue is that I would extend the pendants down the open wall vor visual continuity. And - when you pick the pendant, look for ease of cleanability of the shade; no matter how efficient your exhaust system is, there will be some accumulation of oily dust that will settle on these things.

When you set up the switching for the room, give yourself as much flexibility as possible -
your open plan will be great for entertaining, but you will want to play with light levels to create a variety of "ambience settings"....... easy to do when the walls are open, hell to do later.

 

Good tips ric. Countertops are black granite.

 

Black granite is gorgeous, and will be very sharp with stainless steel. Might look to fixtures with a broader "cone" of light to get a more diffuse glow across the granite, which, stunning as it is, will absorb light like a sponge.....

Done carefully, Soopa, the combo of stainless, black granite and wood cabinets can be really high-tech, sharp as all get-out and a really clean retrofit into your very nice, dignified "traditional' home. Might think carefully about the ceiling color and wall colors; given the chromarange you're working with, I'd absolutleyavoid white and light cream colors, and look to a pale gunmetal grey - a pale "French Grey", which has some warmth to it, but is not a true white.... White will be way too harsh, and the richness of the granite and wood will be dimmed - need a softer tone to let the natural hues "live".

And - don't know what you're going to do for lighting in the dining area, but a careful pendant fixture could be successfully carried over into the dining area - same fixture, but larger diameter, for example, in order to keep the variety of shapes down and keep the lines of the space very sleek, which I think is the look you're going for.

 

I was thinking a pale grey, perhaps with a purple, blue, or green hue. Otherwise, maybe a kind of deep teal (sounds worse than it is).

I hadn't thought about the ceiling. What do you think there?

As for dining room, yes I'm trying to match a large ceiling pendent to the mini-pendents above the bar

 

I think any of those could work. The teal, if it is not too edgy, could be great. Ceiling - I'd pick the color for the walls, then look at the shade one or two hues lighter in the same colorway. Most paints are organized along a continuum of shade color, ranging from a dark to a pastel or off-white, and most manufacturers carry at least five and generally seven gradiations in any given shade. You can see them in any "color book" at a paint store. Once you get your wall color pinned, I'd just go "up" one or two for the ceiling, but definitely, given your decisions to date, NOT white. A white ceiling will be crushing, given the other stuff going on.

 

i agree with ric on his suggestions. they are great and spot on.
also for the lighting since your able to prewire alot now id suggest the Lutron
MaestroŽ 3-Way Multi Location Dimmer's. they are great, very easy to wire multiple switches (baisicly it has a master switch and up to like 7 more slaves can be added) and is great for kitchen lighting, especially if you want to be able to dim and have a nice "mood" lighting.
they are a little pricy but well worth the money.