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Need more info -- electricians are coming Monday to install can lights in the ceiling of my kitchen, but also plan to put them in the dining area and living room area (we are re-modeling our small 60's ranch to open up the kitchen to the living/dining room area). Should I cancel the four planned for the LR area (2 in front of the fireplace and 2 along the far wall)? I don't know much about lighting and apparently need to know more. Words of wisdom greatly appreciated...

outonalimb- I put a lot of cans in my kitchen / living room/ dining room area when I busted through all the walls to make it a larger, open space.
I did not do the appropriate research and now that I know more, am stuck with the results- which are not bad, but not as planned as I would have liked.
If you already know how you plan to use the space, put in the light accordingly. FIRST- go to home depot or lowes or wherever and pick which size lights and trim kits you like. There are so many sizes and finishes, but once the electrician puts in the standard "contractor" cans, you have greatly reduced your trim kit options.
In the living room, put the 2 by the fireplace on a separate switch from the ones on the far wall, and consider putting them on dimmers. My dimmers buzz and bother the heck out of me. Ask the electrician about that first. They shouldn't. Also, if you want to highlight art on the wall or anything on the mantle, consider putting in the cans that allow you to use eyeball trim kits, instead of stationery ones that just sit inside the ceiling
http://www.lightinguniverse.com/products/view.aspx?sku=1762725
Also consider wall sconces which can add not only mood lighting but also a design element... again, on their own switch.

I also put a bunch of cans in my living room -12, in total- which I thought would be too many for the average sized room, but now feels really bright and warm when I want it to. I only wish I had separated them onto 2 switches. I also have sconces in there which I use when I want a more subdued lighting effect.

In the dining room I put no cans, except 2 small spotlight type over a display area near the corners. Otherwise, I kept all the light in the chandelier. I think the cans are too bright and casual for a space like that. My in-laws have cans in the dining room and it just feels kind of blah...

In the kitchen I put a lot of lights in a lot of different ways, and find I instinctively turn on and off according to my mood or task. There are 3 cans along the main center aisle. I use those when we're active and energetically cooking dinner or something. There are also 3 pendants above the island which I like use when it's later at night and I'm feeling more calm, washing dishes and relaxing and don't want the bright overheads in my face. I also have task lighting under the wall cabinets which is good when I'm making a baby bottle in the middle of the night - or prepping a late night snack. Because the new space is so open, all the lighting options really help make the overall area work in a number of ways.

Also, think about where you want the switches. Mine all ended up in good places, but now that I'm living with it, it would have been nice to have an additional switch at the base of the stairs for the soft pendant lights in the kitchen, so I don't have to make my way in the dark to get to the kitchen and back to the stairs when I have to make a bottle or get a drink at night.
Good luck!

Follow the lighting basics. Interior lighting falls into three categories: Ambient lighting, Task lighting, and Accent lighting. Make sure you understand the difference and how to use them.

Ambient lighting is general light to see by, enough to make your way across the room without bumping into furniture. It can be dim, indirect and soft, like hidden lighting washing a wall or ceiling.

Task lighting is more focused and brighter, aimed at a specific spot like a kitchen counter for cooking, a desktop for working or a chair for reading. Ideally this task lighting should not be used for general ambience and should be switched separately.

Accent lighting helps highlight artwork, architecture or other design elements you want to show off. Again these units should be switched separately so that you can choose when you want to spend energy on such things (like when entertaining) and not when you don't.

The biggest mistake most people make is sticking one big light source in the ceiling in an attempt to provide ambience and task lighting at the same time. The quality of light tends to be harsh and unflattering. Personally, I HATE recessed can lights as they do a poor job of providing an attractive base ambience (they're too focused and aim only straight down), and unless carefully placed they're not always great as task lighting because they're either in the wrong spot, too high up to provide adequate illumination, or cast a direct shadow on the task at hand (like over a kitchen counter).

On a design note, placing ambient light fixtures or lamps lower down (table height) and close to the walls creates a much more pleasing quality of light for the room and your guests, and really helps to open up the space visually. Get the lights off the ceiling and away from the center of the room!

great advice teeze and nashdp! thank you! i understand lighting basics but it's always nice to hear from people first hand about things they've done and how it's worked/has not worked for them. it really puts things in perspective.

No apostrophe in "CFLs," last bullet point. It's just a plural.

I found more useful, practical and thorough information from teeze and nashdp, AT readers, than the actual post. Then again, this is the beauty of AT!

Vent alert: I live in a rental where my kitchen has a horrific fan-light fixture in the middle and nothing else. I am really struggling to get some effective but relatively inexpensive alternatives. I just bought a LACK system of under-cabinet lights from Ikea this past weekend. Hope it works! Meanwhile I just stuck table lamps on my countertops. The quality of light is great but they take up very valuable counter space.

deepa, I did what you did and went crazy with the under-cabinet lights and I LOVE them. Most of the time I'm working in the kitchen I have all those on plus the light in the range hood. I have a fluorescent light in the ceiling but I never use it. I also have an ikea Knappa over my kitchen table and it casts a very lovely, warm light throughout a good portion of my tiny kitchen.

Deepa, you're going to love the under cabinet lighting! Like Monica, mine are on all the time. I also rigged up some underneath my suspended shelving and they highlight my artwork. Great glow for little cost. Enjoy!

Thanks teeze and nash dp, and the others, for the great input. I will do some more research and planning this weekend. I do plan to have three layers of lighting in the kitchen area -- cans, 2 pendants over the (small--60") island, and undercabinet lighting (have to figure out which kind!). I will have to do some more thinking about the dining area and living room area. Thanks again!!!