Start with three layers
Good kitchen lighting is three separate layers on separate switches: task lighting over the worktops and hob, general lighting for the room, and feature lighting — usually pendants over an island or table — that sets the mood in the evening. If everything is on one switch you will always have too much or too little.
Downlights: how many and where
Downlights are the workhorse for task and general light. The rule of thumb is one per 1–1.5 square metres, placed over the worktop edge rather than the middle of the room so you are not working in your own shadow. Put them on a dimmer or split them into two groups. Choose fire-rated, IC-rated fittings if there is insulation above, and warm white (2700–3000K) unless the kitchen is very modern. From £45 per light installed.
Pendants over the island
Three pendants over a standard 2-metre island, hung so the bottom of the shade is around 75–90 cm above the worktop, is the classic arrangement and it works. Odd numbers look better than even. Get the positions marked on the ceiling before plastering so the cables land in the right place — moving a pendant 10 cm after the ceiling is finished is a much bigger job than it sounds. Pendants on their own dimmer.
Under-cabinet LED strip
LED strip under the wall units lights the worktop directly with no shadows and, on a dimmer, is the light most people leave on in the evening. It needs a driver hidden in a cupboard and a proper aluminium profile so it does not look like a row of dots. From £150 per run installed.
Switching and dimming
Plan the switches for how you enter and leave the room: a two-way switch for the main lights at each door, the pendants and under-cabinet on their own dimmers near the island. Smart dimmers are worth it here if you want scenes; ordinary trailing-edge LED dimmers are fine otherwise.
Our lighting installation service covers kitchens and whole-house schemes across Leeds; prices for individual fittings are on the pricing page.